Cliftonville

Cliftonville sits just inland from Hove's central seafront, centred around the wide tree-lined avenues of Grand Avenue, The Drive, and the streets running between them. It's quieter than Brunswick Town to the south but still only a short walk from the beach, with Church Road's independent shops, cafés and restaurants close by.

What the housing stock looks like

Mostly Victorian villas and townhouses, many split into flats, with a scattering of purpose-built mansion blocks along the wider avenues. Grand Avenue and The Drive itself have some of the largest and most expensive properties in the area. The streets between them, including Eaton Road, Wilbury Road, and New Church Road to the west, offer a mix of scales: large detached properties on the main avenues, two and three-bedroom terraces on the side streets. Houses (as opposed to flat conversions) are more prevalent here than in Brunswick Town, and they come with larger gardens.

Why people want to live here

• A short, flat walk to the seafront and Hove Lawns
• Church Road and Blatchington Road's shops, cafés and independent businesses nearby
• Wide, tree-lined avenues with a quieter, more spacious feel than the seafront squares
• Good bus links along Church Road and Sackville Road
• More houses available, and more scope for renovation and extension, than the conservation-protected Brunswick Town streets

Getting around

Hove station is approximately 15–20 minutes' walk from most of Cliftonville, giving regular services to London Bridge (around 1 hour 5 minutes), Brighton, and along the coast. Church Road is one of the main bus corridors in the city, with frequent services east to Brighton and west towards Portslade. For cycling, the flat terrain and proximity to the seafront cycle route make it a practical option for commuting or leisure.

Schools nearby

Primary schools within walking distance include Hove Junior School and Hove Infant School, which share a site on Connaught Road. Middle Street Primary School (closer to Brighton's border) and St Andrew's CE Primary are also options for families in different parts of the area. For secondary, Hove Park School is the main catchment school for the area. Cardinal Newman Catholic School is another option for Catholic families.

What to expect to pay

Prices in Cliftonville sit above Westbourne Villas but generally below the seafront squares of Brunswick Town. A two-bedroom flat in a period conversion typically ranges from £330,000 to £450,000; a three-bedroom semi-detached house in good order is usually between £650,000 and £850,000. Properties on Grand Avenue or The Drive itself can exceed £1 million for the larger detached houses. Use our free valuation tool for a specific estimate.

Prices checked July 2026.

Worth knowing before you view

As with Brunswick Town, many properties are period conversions; check lease terms, service charges, and who's responsible for maintaining communal areas (especially in mansion block flats) before making an offer. New Church Road to the west can be busy at peak times; streets directly on it have more noise than the quieter parallel avenues.

Nearby neighbourhoods

To the south and east, Brunswick Town is Hove's grandest area, with Regency squares and direct seafront frontage, but at a significant price premium and with tighter conservation restrictions. To the west, Westbourne Villas is a more central and slightly more compact neighbourhood, well-suited to buyers who want walkability over space. To the north, Poets Corner has a different character entirely: tighter Victorian terraces, a strong community feel, and an easy walk to Hove station.

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