Sussex

Alfriston village sign and church -
Photo: Colin Smith CCL

This quaint old East Sussex village lies on the banks of the River Cuckmere and has a 14th century church known as the ‘cathedral of the Downs’.

Nearby Lullington has one of the smallest churches in Britain, measuring a mere 16 square feet.

Timber-framed Alfriston Clergy House, dating to the 14th century, was the first property to be bought by the National Trust. It cost £10 in 1896 and features a rare chalk and sour milk floor.

A splendid old West Sussex town, Arundel lies on the River Arun in the picturesque South Downs.


It is overshadowed by the turreted Arundel Castle, family seat of the Dukes of Norfolk.


Although it looks medieval it was largely reconstructed during the 18th and 19th centuries. The keep, however, dates back to Norman times.

Arundel Castle - Photo: Darren Hill CCL

Barnham Court - Photo: Simon Carey CCL

This West Sussex village was mentioned in the 11th century Domesday Book and boasts a Norman parish church whose white wooden tower may have once been an aid to shipping. Barnham Court is a 17th century house built of brick.

This East Sussex town was named after the momentous Battle of Hastings, fought alongside a stream known as Senlac, in 1066.


William the Conqueror later built St Martin’s Abbey on the hilltop where King Harold died.


Only parts of the abbey have survived but its gateway is a feature of Battle’s main street.

Battle Abbey - Photo: John Winfield CCL

De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea -
Photo: Simon Hookey CCL

A town in East Sussex, Bexhill originally lay inland but was developed as a popular coastal resort in the late 19th century.



Its famous De La Warr Pavilion was designed in the 1930s and is considered one of the finest art deco buildings in Britain.



Bexhill was reputedly the first resort to permit the shocking activity of mixed bathing.

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Fossbrooks,
a 17th Century Grade II listed house -
Photo: Adrian Cable CCL

Bodium Castle - Photo: Liz Williams CCL

This East Sussex village lies on the banks of the River Rother and is the setting for one of the country’s most romantic castles, Bodiam, set in the middle of a lake-like moat.

It was erected in the 14th century by Sir Edward Dalyngruge to thwart a potential French invasion during the Hundred Years War.

It was restored by Lord Curzon and handed over to the National Trust in 1925.

Until the 18th century this famous seaside resort in West Sussex was nothing more than a modest fishing village.



A London-based hat-maker named Richard Hotham arrived in 1787 with a grand plan to turn it into a thriving holiday spot.



King George V added the name ‘Regis’ to the town after he convalesced here in 1928.

Bognor Regis Sunset - Photo: Carol Sowerby CCL

Bolney Street - Photo: Andy Potter CCL

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A village in West Sussex on the banks of the River Adur, Bramber has a macabre history associated with Bramber Castle.


Only a fragment of the hilltop Norman edifice now remains - it was badly damaged during the English Civil War - but its chapel has survived as the parish church.


The story goes that the castle’s owner, William de Braose, incurred the wrath of King John who subsequently starved to death his four young children.

Bramber Castle remains -
Photo: Pam Brophy CCL

The Brightling Needle -
Photo: Janet Richardson CCL

This delightful village offers stunning views across the Rother valley and south to the coast.



Its highest point, at more than 600 feet, is on Brightling Down and is marked by a monument to ‘Mad Jack’ Fuller, a local ironmaster and MP who died in 1834.



He built a number of follies in the locality and was both sponsor and mentor to the scientist Michael Faraday.

A busy city and popular seaside resort lying only an hour’s drive from London, Brighton (and its twin, Hove) has governed itself as a unitary authority since 2000.

Yet it started out as a small fishing village named Brightelmstone until Dr Richard Russell publicised the health giving properties of sea air and bathing in the 1750s. His claims persuaded socialites to visit the south coast.

The Prince Regent - later George IV – fell in love with the place and built himself a villa, which later became Brighton Pavilion.

Brighton Pavilion by Night -
 Photo: Elaine Morgan CCL

This smart West Sussex town was once noted as a health resort but now serves as a commuter belt for the folk of London and Brighton, partly thanks to its rail links.




A number of historic properties still survive, however, and include Elizabethan Hammonds Place, which was largely rebuilt in the late 16th century, together with many Victorian houses and workmen’s terraced cottages.

Hammonds Place, Burgess Hill -
Photo: Simon Carey CCL

Chichester Cathedral -
Photo: Colin Smith CCL

This beautiful cathedral city and harbour town lies in West Sussex.

Parts of an encircling wall built by the Romans after they settled here in ‘Noviomagus Regensium’ still survive.

The Romans also created a street plan, which is largely extant.

As the invaders were leaving, the area became capital to the opportunistic South Saxons.

The city’s old centre is divided into quarters with a 16th century Market Cross standing where the roads meet.

The Romans built Stane Street in 70 AD to link the city with London and part of it, located on the Downs, near Earlham, can still be walked.

The city has a series of attractions including its Festival Theatre, which opened in 1962 under the direction of Laurence Olivier, and its magnificent Gothic 12th century cathedral with a towering 15th century spire.

It has been described as the most ‘typically English cathedral’ and is the only medieval cathedral in England to have a separate bell tower, and the only one visible from the sea.

The Crown Inn, Cootham Village -
Photo: Chris Shaw CCL

Southdown Gliding Club, near Cootham -
Photo: Chris Plunkett CCL

One of Britain’s ‘new towns’ since 1946, residential Crawley lies close to Gatwick in West Sussex and was an important staging post for coaches travelling between London and Brighton.

Old Stable block of Worth Park House -
Photo: Pete Chapman CCL

Statue of Arthur Conan Doyle -
Photo: Simon Carey CCL

Once known as ‘Scotland in Sussex’, this large town is set among high, rolling hills and was once an invigorating health resort.


It stands on one of the highest points in East Sussex, close to Ashdown Forest and the playground of Winnie the Pooh.


Its most famous former resident was Edinburgh-born Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. His statue stands in the town centre.

Situated in West Sussex between the South Downs and Ashdown Forest, this village dates back to the 13th century.

It has a number of interesting buildings and was where Gideon Mantell unearthed the first known fossil of the dinosaur iguanodon.

A monument testifies to his remarkable enterprise.

West of the village stands the beautiful Elizabethan mansion Cuckfield Park, which possesses a fine gatehouse.

The Church of the Holy Trinity dates to the 13th century.

Cuckfield Holy Trinity Church -
 Photo: Nigel Freeman CCL

The View from Ditchling Beacon -
Photo: Simon Carey CCL

This old village in East Sussex lies on edge of the South Downs near Brighton and was where the sculptor Eric Gill established a Roman Catholic arts and crafts community in the 1920's.

A local museum has a permanent collection of his calligraphy designs and woodcuts.

In the village is 16th century Wings Place, given by Henry V111 to Anne of Cleves as part of their divorce settlement.

Nearby is the 813ft Ditchling Beacon, which affords breathtaking views over the surrounding countryside.

Elegant Eastbourne has a reputation for attracting members of the older generation.

Nevertheless it is a most attractive family resort with fine parks and flowery borders.

Lying on the East Sussex coast it was created in the 1830s by the local lord of the manor, the Duke of Devonshire, who designed the seafront.

The pier was added later. Behind the parish church is a lake formed from the ‘bourne’ stream, which gave the place its name.

Eastbourne Pier -
Photo: Christine Matthews CCL

With its half-timbered buildings and a market charter dating back to the early 13th century, this lively West Sussex town typifies many of the places you will find in this part of the world, with half-timbered Tudor buildings lining the main street.



The town’s 18th century Church of St. Swithin holds the distinction of having no less than eight bells, the largest peel in Sussex.

Clarenden House -  Photo: Nigel Freeman CCL

Findon Village - Photo: Ron Strutt CCL

Lying on the South Downs, this village lies between two hills, one of which contains the prehistoric hillfort Cissbury Ring.

Nearby are Bronze Age and Roman sites.

The ramparts of 60-acre Cissbury Ring were refortified in the 4th century AD to thwart the Saxons.

The original ramparts were supported by wooden pillars but had to be replaced later by earthworks and turf.
 

One of the most important Roman villas discovered in Britain was unearthed in this West Sussex village in the 1960's and has now become a tourist attraction in its own right.


Fishbourne Royal Palace has 100 rooms and was occupied during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.


It may have been home to the Celtic chieftain Cogidubnus, a viceroy of the Romans.

 
A Mosaic at Fishbourne Roman Palace -
Photo: Lynne Glazzard CCL

Brambletye House Ruins -
 Photo: Nigel Freeman CCL

Sherlock Holmes’ creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used to frequent the Brambletye Hotel and used it as a setting for several of his famous novels, including the ‘Adventures of Black Peter, in which the great detective and his companion Dr Watson investigated the murder of a former sea captain.









The now-ruined 17th century Brambletye House featured in an eponymous Horace Smith novel. Forest Way and Worth Way are local trails.

Lying in East Sussex at the foot of the South Downs, the village of Glynde lives in the shadow of 718ft high Firle Beacon.


The 16th century flint-and-brick mansion Glynde Place contains numerous works of art.


The Church of St. Mary the Virgin dates to 1765.


Nearby is Glyndebourne Opera House.

Glynde Palace Stable Block -
Photo: David Hagwood CCL

Fleur de Lys - home to the town council -
Photo: Simon Carey CCL

An East Sussex market town, Hailsham lies on the banks of River Cuckmere at the foot of the South Downs.


Its 15th century church and perpendicular tower stand on a busy street.


Nearby is Michelham Priory, a Tudor manor built on the site of a 13th century Augustinian priory.


Hailsham Pavilion is a Grade II listed cinema and concert hall.

Located in East Sussex, Hartfield is close to the famous Ashdown Forest and is associated with Winnie the Pooh and the bear’s creator, A. A. Milne.


Visitors will soon find themselves heading for Poohsticks Bridge.


The author lived for a time at Cotchford Farm and wrote his Pooh tales for his son Christopher Robin Milne, basing many of his chapters on Christopher’s toys.

Hartfield Village - Photo: Simon Carey CCL

The Saxon Shore Way -
Photo: Janet Richardson CCL

No visit to Sussex would be complete without a visit to this East Sussex coastal town, originally the region’s main Cinque Port.



The Romans occupied the area for a time and William the Conqueror landed nearby at Selnac (or Battle), to defeat King Harold in 1066.



He built mighty Hastings Castle a year later.

Until the 1840's Haywards Heath hardly existed.




It slowly grew around a station on the London to Brighton railway link.




Today it is largely a commuter town serving an area between London and Brighton.

All Saints Church, nr Haywards Heath -
Photo: Nigel Freeman CCL

All Saints Church -
Photo: Janet Richardson CCL

During the 16th and 17th centuries Heathfield largely relied on the trade in iron and was at one time famous for producing cannons.


It lies on part of the National Cycle Network known as the Cuckoo Trail and holds an annual fair called the Heffle Cuckoo Fair.


The local park contains a 55ft tall folly named the Gibraltar Tower.

This picturesque village in West Sussex has a restored 18th century watermill, which is now the headquarters of the Sussex Trust for Nature Conservation.

Its church dates back to the 13th century.

"The Cat House" in Henfield was, at one time, was owned by a Bob Ward.

The story goes that Bob's canary was killed by a cat - so he put images of a cat with a bird in its claws around the house as a constant reminder to the cat's owner (Canon Woodard) that it was his cat that killed the canary).

The Cat House -
Photo & text: Ian Cunliffe CCL

Herstmonceux Castle - Photo: Janine Forbes CCL

A number of local craftsmen in this old East Sussex village are continuing the age-old tradition of making trugs - baskets made from willow set in wooden frames.

Herstmonceux Castle is a 15th century fortified manor house and one of the earliest brick buildings in the country.

At one time it was the home of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, which was literally forced to quit the bright lights of London because of its bright lights.

The Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) was born in this pleasant Wealden market town in West Sussex at Field Place.


He was the son of Sir Timothy Shelley, later the 2nd baronet of Castle Goring, and his wife Elizabeth Pilfold.


In his younger days he was tutored at home by the Reverend Thomas Edwards.


Horsham is the ideal base from which to explore the nearby St Leonard’s Forest and its wooded valleys.

Horsham Park House - Photo: Pete Chapman CCL

Blue Bell Railway - Photo: Charles Rawding CCL

With a village green and Tudor houses, this West Sussex village lies on the edge of the Weald and is famous as the northern terminus of the Blue Bell heritage railway which operates steam trains between Sheffield Park and Kingscote.

Now part of the larger resort of Brighton in East Sussex, Hove is a pleasant holiday centre whose seafront gardens, villas and boulevards hark back to a more genteel era.

Hove Beach - Photo: Simon Carey CCL

Lancing College Chapel -
Photo: S Parish CCL

Overshadowed by its big brother, Brighton, this West Sussex coastal village is dominated by the 12th century Gothic chapel of Lancing College, which soars to 94ft.

It was a popular seaside resort with our Victorian forebears.

Lancing Ring is a local nature reserve that is part of the Sussex Downland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Nearby Shoreham Airport was an RAF base during the Second War.

Mainly Georgian, this is the atmospheric county town of East Sussex and lies on the banks of the River Ouse in the South Downs.

Settled by the Saxons, it has a ruined 12th century castle whose keep dominates the area.

It was the scene of a key battle in the early 13th century when Henry III was defeated by rebellious barons led by Simon de Montfort.

Ruins of the Priory of St. Pancras -
Photo: Simon Carey CCL

Atherington beach, nr Littlehampton -
Photo: Janine Forbes CCL

Long ago this charming, family-oriented coastal resort in West Sussex was an important port bringing in French stone to be used in the building of both English castles and churches.


Until the 19th century it ran a passenger ferry service to France. Now its atmospheric harbour exudes a pleasant salty air.


The town has a promenade and an 18-hole golf course, not to mention the chance for fishing and boating.

An old market town on the River Rother, Midhurst has fine old inns and many good walks.

It is located in a beautiful region of Sussex.

Nearby is the tree-filled picnicking paradise of the Cowdray Park estate and the ruins of the 16th century Cowdray House.

The estate is famous for its polo tournaments.

The poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge holidayed in Midhurst in 1817.

Cowdray Castle, Midhurst -
Photo: Colin Smith CCL

Piddinghoe Pond - Photo: Mike Bovington CCL

This East Sussex port and seaside town at the mouth of the River Ouse only became a ‘new’ place in the wake of a violent storm in the 16th century.


It sealed the mouth of the River Ouse and created a new outlet here.


The first royal passenger on a local ferry service to Dieppe was the French king Louis-Philippe as he fled from the French Revolution.


A modern harbour has continued this tradition and has maintained Newhaven’s reputation as a cross-Channel destination.


Ironically, Newhaven Fort, which contains a museum, was built as a defence against Napoleon.

Smuggling was rife here in this pleasant village in the 18th century.



Nearby is Standard Hill where William the Conqueror set his flag prior to his momentous victory at the Battle of Hastings.



Long ago the area was an important centre in the iron trade.

Church of St. Mary the Virgin -
Photo: Janet Richardson CCL

Peacehaven under cliff walk -
Photo: David Eldridge CCL

Lying in the comfortable shadow of the South Downs, near Lewes.



This small coastal town in East Sussex has a short but enterprising history,  dating mainly from the early part of the 20th century when a local businessman named Charles Neville decided to turn it into a holiday resort.



The Greenwich Meridian line runs through the town and is marked with a monument.



A pebbly beach is located beneath nearby cliffs.

This evocative medieval market town in West Sussex is dominated by the walls of 17th century Petworth House, built by the 6th Duke of Somerset in 1696.

Its grounds were laid out by ‘Capability’ Brown in the mid-18th century.

The area proved to be an inspiration for the artist J. M. W. Turner who produced some of his finest work here.

His pictures hang inside, alongside works by Pussin and Van Dyck.

The Carved Room contains carvings by the great Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721).

Temple at Petworth House Gardens -
Photo: Chris Shaw CCL

Pevensey Castle Ruins - Photo: Tim Knight CCL

Polegate windmill - Photo: Andrew Huggett CCL

Situated in the Sussex Weald, the town of Polegate lies close to the major resort of Eastbourne on an old Roman Road.



A restored smock windmill dating to 1817 is open to the public.



The Cuckoo Trail is a footpath and cycleway on a disused railway line.

A veritable haven for both anglers and boaters thanks to the waters of the rivers Arun and Rother, this small West Sussex town also boasts of Roman and Norman remains and a 12th century church with a rare 14th century lych gate.












Nearby is the RSPB nature reserve of Pulborough Brooks. In the neighbouring village of Hardham is the church of St. Botolphs containing some of the oldest surviving wall paintings in the country.

A Pulborough Welcome - Photo: Simon Carey CCL

Ringmer War Memorial - Photo: Simon Carey CCL

One of the largest villages in the south of England, Ringmer has been a settlement since Roman times and has a 13th century church and traditional village green.

Its symbol is of a tortoise named Timothy owned by the naturalist Gilbert White who lived in nearby Hampshire.

Famous residents of Ringmer include John Harvard, founder of Harvard University.

Nearby is the must-see Bentley Wildfowl and Motor Museum.

Lying on the banks of the River Rother in East Sussex, this small town has a long-established factory that makes cricket bats.



Interesting buildings include the timber-framed Seven Stars Inn.



At nearby Salehurst lie the remains of a 12th century abbey and a beautifully preserved medieval loft.

Robertsbridge station  - Photo: Graham Ross CCL

Mermaid Street, Rye - Photo: Cathy Cox CCL

A characterful harbour town in East Sussex, Rye was an important Channel port until the sea began to recede in the 16th century.



It has some fine old buildings and a steep cobbled street leads the visitor unerringly to the Mermaid Inn.



The arcaded town hall dates from 1742.

Seaford Head - Photo: David Eldridge CCL

Bright and breezy, this coastal town in East Sussex lay at the mouth of the River Ouse until the 16th century when violent storms changed the course of the waterway.






Nearby are the chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters and on Seaford Head are the remains of a pre-Roman encampment.

Here is a fine National Trust garden with five tiered lakes joined by cascades.

A mile away is a museum linked to the southern terminus of the Blue Bell heritage railway, which operates steam trains on a five-mile route to Horsted Keynes along an old Southern Railway track.

The railway has one of the largest collections of steam locomotives in the country and has featured in a number of films and TV shows, including ‘The Railway Children’.

'Ten foot pond' at Sheffield Park - Photo: Rib CCL

The Promenade - Photo: Simon Hookey CCL

An old fishing village near Hastings, St. Leonard’s suddenly found itself at the centre of a tourist boom during the 19th century after builder James Burton decided to create a smaller version of Brighton.



His vision created a resort with elegant Regency villas and modest terraces.



Its double-tiered promenade is shared with Hastings.

This ebullient small West Sussex town lies on the banks of the River Adur and was a busy port during the Middle Ages.


Its church dates from the 12th century. According to legend, the town’s first church was erected by St. Cuthman when he stopped here in the 8th century.


Prehistoric Cissbury Ring and Chanctonbury Ring are close by and there are splendid views from atop Steyning Round Hill.

View from Steyning Round Hill -
Photo: Chris Shaw CCL

Boxgrove Priory, Tangmere -
Photo: Chris Shaw CCL

It was from an RAF station here, east of Chichester, that pilots took off to take part in dogfights during the victorious Battle of Britain in 1940.







Their exploits are recalled at The Military Aviation Museum which houses a number of old planes as well as photographs, maps, uniforms and other memorabilia.

A small town in East Sussex in the valley of the River Ouse, Uckfield was once a hub of the area’s iron working industry but has been transformed into a neat shopping centre with a steep high street and some timber-framed properties.




A few miles away at Heron’s Ghyll is one of England’s largest vineyards, Barnsgate Manor.

Vines at Barnsgate Vineyard -
Photo: Nigel Freeman CCL

Bewl Water, near Wadhurst -
Photo: N Edmonston CCL

This pleasant East Sussex village near Tunbridge Wells was an important centre of the Sussex iron industry until the last ore was mined at Snape Wood in 1850.

Not far from the village is the mighty reservoir of Bewl Water, the biggest inland water in southeast England.

It’s a haven for windsurfers, yachtsmen, anglers and other water-sport enthusiasts.

This West Sussex village lies at the heart of the Sussex Weald and dates back to the Saxon period.


It was once a centre for the local iron industry.


The 15th century Priest’s House is now a museum.


Gravetye Manor is a gabled Elizabethan house - now a hotel – which was once used to store smugglers’ booty.

West Hoathly Priest House -
Photo: Nigel Freeman CCL

West Wittering Beach - Photo: Tim Robinson CCL

A genteel former fishing village and resort with a Norman church on the Selsey peninsula in West Sussex, West Wittering looks out onto Hayling Island and is surrounded by old saltings and dunes.






Ruined Cakeham Manor was once a palace used by the Bishops of Chichester.

A peaceful, mainly Georgian village, Winchelsea nestles on the East Sussex coast near Rye.

It was originally one of the Cinque Ports but was virtually destroyed by a great storm in the latter part of the 13th century.

When it was rebuilt to exploit the French wine trade by Edward I, it was designed using a novel grid system which survives today – an early example of modern town planning.

Winchelsea Beach - Photo: Roger G Nash CCL

Wisborough Green - Photo: Ben Gamble CCL

This is a pretty tree-filled village that boasts its own village green, duck pond and interesting part-Norman church.

Until the middle of the 18th century this traditional seaside resort on the West Sussex coast was a modest fishing village.

Then the Victorians discovered the delights of sea air and the joy of bathing.

Its growing reputation received a royal boost when King George III sent his youngest daughter Princess Amelia to test the town’s health-giving properties in 1798.

Today Worthing is less glamorous but just as bracing with its four-miles of flower-bedecked promenade, theatres and Regency properties.

Worthing Beach viewed from the pier -
Photo: Bob Embleton CCL