Book review: The Story of Queen’s Park Brighton

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Published by Brighton Town Press

I approached this book knowing nothing about Brighton’s royally-approved Queen’s Park. 72 pages later, I reached the back cover of this exquisite volume – whose glossy cover shows a watercolour by the architect Charles Barry – feeling that I have been part of the park’s life since its beginnings.

Brighton Town Press, in collaboration with the Friend’s of Queen’s Park, has done a masterly job in reconstructing the story of the park. From the lease of the land by a Mr Armstrong through the various following ownerships – the most important being those by the Attree and Duddell families – and up to the purchase by the Corporation in the late 19th century. And then, in more recent times, the survival of the park through two World Wars and its active role in the community up to the present year. But the book is not just about the park. It is about the great buildings that surround it, the people that enjoy it, the plants and the animals that have a home in it.

Provided with drawings, photographs, plans, prints, as well as testimonies and special side notes that help develop a deeper understanding of the context in which the park’s history is set, The Story of Queen’s Park is an ideal guide for first time visitors and regulars alike.

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