The ancient parish of Hove covered of good agricultural land on the southern slopes of the South Downs, leading down to the English Channel. There was Celtic and Roman occupation of the area, and a Bronze Age barrow was found close to Palmeira Square's northern end when the land was being developed. Inside was a wooden coffin, a stone axe, a bronze dagger and the Hove amber cup, a relic of international significance now held at the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. Some estimates dated the barrow as early as 1500 BC, but radiocarbon dating indicates the burial took place in about 1239 BC.
