West Sussex ways
With the rural South Downs to the north and a dramatic coastline to the south, West Sussex presents a number of options for groups visiting the area, as Carrie Drage finds out.
With its combination of city, coast and countryside, West Sussex has a lot to offer groups visiting the area. Many people will be familiar with Chichester, renowned for its striking Cathedral and Arundel, best known for its imposing Castle; however the area also has a number of historic villages to discover, many with interesting connections to royalty and important literary figures.
City life
The city of Chichester, in the south-west of the county, is best known for its Cathedral, which has one of the tallest spires in the country. Dating back to the 12th century, it features original Norman architecture providing a contrast to the building’s famous collection of 20th century art. Entry to the Cathedral is free and guided tours can be arranged for a small donation.
In the south of the city, the Pallant House Gallery has one of the best collections of 20th century British art outside London, including works by Henry Moore. Much of the Gallery is housed within a Queen Anne townhouse; however in 2006 a new contemporary wing was added. The 8.6 million pound project has seen the addition of nine new galleries and groups can explore these on a guided tour.
Groups interested in astronomy would be advised to visit the South Downs Planetarium, situated in the grounds of Chichester High School. Patroned by Sir Patrick Moore, it is one of the largest planetaria in the UK. The 100-seater Star Theatre recreates the night sky on its domed roof with the aid of a star projector, and live presentations by astronomers give groups the chance to learn more about the universe. Groups discounts are negotiable.
For visitors wishing to escape the city, Chichester Harbour Water Tours operates sightseeing cruises around Chichester Harbour. A designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Harbour’s mudflats, saltmarsh, sand and shingle provide a haven for coastal birds and unusual wildlife. A commentary is provided on all boat trips, which depart regularly from Itchenor Village. Discounts are available for groups of 25 or more people.
Meanwhile, the more eco-aware can choose to take a similar trip with Solar Heritage, which operates a sightseeing cruise on a pollution-free, solar-powered catamaran.
Just outside Chichester, Fishbourne Roman Palace is a site discovered in 1960 when a trench was being dug for a water main. The Palace was originally made up of four wings and, in the North Wing, visitors can see the remains of more than 20 mosaics. The site also features one half of the formal pleasure garden, which has been replanted to its original plan. An adjoining Plant Display Area contains plants which may have been grown in the gardens. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more.
An afternoon in Arundel
Situated in the idyllic South Downs, Arundel is a pretty town to visit with its medieval architecture, narrow lanes and cobbled streets. Dominating the town is Arundel Castle, dating back to the 11th century and inhabited by the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk. Groups can explore the Castle on a guided tour, which includes access to areas such as the Armoury and Barons’ Hall. Groups visiting the Castle receive one free place for every 20 people. Keen gardeners, meanwhile, will be able to visit the new Earl’s Garden, opening in spring next year, which will form part of the Castle’s existing Walled Garden.
For a more unsavoury look at the past, groups can join the Arundel Ghost Experience, a 20-minute candlelit tour led by a guide dressed in a monk’s cowl. The tours take visitors through the old prison cells beneath the Town Hall, which date back to 1836, detailing stories of past inmates who inhabited the cells prior to execution. Groups receive one free place for every 10th person.
A short journey from the town centre is the WWT Arundel Wetland Centre, a 60-acre site featuring a series of ponds and lakes, five birdwatching hides and a reedbed boardwalk. Hundreds of rare ducks, geese and swans can be spotted on a daily basis. Groups might also like to take a ride on the Wetlands Discovery boat safari, inclusive in the price, where guides will point out water voles, dragonflies and migrant birds along the waterways. In January, the Centre is introducing guided walks and commentated bird feeds. Groups of 12 or more receive discounted entry.
A short drive from Arundel is the seaside resort of Littlehampton. Situated near the Marina is the theme park Harbour Park, an ideal place for groups to let their hair down. Admission is free; however Ride Books are available at a discounted rate for groups who purchase 10 or more.
Birds and botany
The High Weald area that runs through West Sussex is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so it is no surprise that the county has an abundance of gardens to visit. In the east, there are five gardens situated between Haywards Heath and Horsham that are now being marketed under a new initiative called ‘Great Gardens of Sussex’; Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens, Nymans Gardens, High Beeches Woodland and Water Gardens, Borde Hill Garden and Wakehurst Place. Next year, to coincide with the 2008 Beijing Olympics, these five gardens will be running a series of Chinese themed events throughout May, including guided walks and talks.
The first of these gardens, Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens, near Horsham, is known for its wild wallabies, brought in 100 years ago. Groups visiting the Gardens can enjoy a walk around the seven lakes surrounded by some of the largest rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias in the country. The 240-acre site also features a permanent Miniature Dolls House Exhibition. Entry to the Gardens is discounted for 20 or more people.
Nymans Gardens, at Handcross village, is set around the ruins of a neo-gothic mansion, destroyed by a fire in 1947. Comprising of a series of ‘rooms’, the Gardens combines the structure of a Walled Garden with the informality of a Wild Garden. In March, the Gardens is introducing specialist guided walks and is also hoping to open a new trail through the Arboretum. Entry to the Gardens is discounted for 15 or more people.
East of Handcross village, High Beeches Woodland and Water Gardens is set in 25 acres of landscaped woodland garden. Featuring ponds and trickling streams, the Garden offers year-round interest. Guided tours can be arranged.
In nearby Haywards Heath, Borde Hill Garden is another garden made up of a series of ‘rooms’. These include a Rose Garden and an Azalea Ring, which can both be explored in more detail on a guided tour. Beyond the Garden is 120 acres of woodland, with a collection of rare and native trees.
West Sussex is also home to Wakehurst Place, managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Set around an Elizabethan mansion, the garden features a variety of rare and exotic plants from across the world and is home to four National Collections. Its Millennium Seed Bank currently holds the largest and most diverse collection of wild species in the world. Guided tours can be arranged.
Elsewhere in West Sussex, groups can visit Denmans Garden, which was re-designed in the 1980s by acclaimed garden designer John Brookes. Nearly four acres in size, the Garden is designed as a showcase for smaller gardens. Groups can arrange guided tours of Denmans, which features a Walled Garden, interesting sculptures and a large pond, home to a family of moorhens.
To the north of Chichester, West Dean Gardens features a restored Walled Kitchen Garden with 16 Victorian glasshouses growing a variety of seasonal fruit and vegetables. The Gardens also feature an extensive arboretum, where groups can enjoy views of the surrounding countryside on a two-mile circular walk. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more people.
Meanwhile, in the Arun Valley, the RSPB Pulborough Brooks Nature Reserve has a two-mile circular nature trail, made up of woodland, heathland and wetland. It attracts a wide range of wildlife throughout the year, including more than 70 species of bird. The Visitor Centre offers a small tea room and guided walks can be arranged.
Through the ages
West Sussex has a number of historic houses to visit, dating from various periods in English history.
Just outside Chichester lies one of the most famous sporting estates in the world – Goodwood – renowned for its horseracing and motor sport events. Goodwood Racecourse’s flat season runs from May to October and one of the highlights is the annual ‘Glorious Goodwood’ meeting, held in July. Groups visiting the venue can receive discounts. Group catering can also be arranged. Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit, meanwhile, holds two of the world’s biggest motorsport events. The annual ‘Festival of Speed’, in June, features historic motor racing vehicles from the past 100 years and its sister event in September, the ‘Goodwood Revival’, celebrates the golden era of motor racing from the 1950s and 1960s. Groups might also like to visit Goodwood House, which has been the ancestral home of the Dukes of Richmond for more than 300 years. Visitors can take a guided tour of the Regency State Apartments, featuring collections of 17th and 18th century art. Groups of 20 or more receive discounted admission.
Located near to Chichester, Stansted House is a stately home dating back to the Edwardian period. Groups can take a tour around six of the State Rooms; however, a highlight is the below stairs Servants’ Quarters. To get a true picture of the House in its Edwardian heyday, groups should visit on a Bank Holiday when the Stewards of Stansted are dressed up in period costume. The estate also features the ancient Chapel of St. Paul, which inspired John Keats to write the famous ‘Ode to St. Mark’. Groups of 10 or more receive discounts.
Moving north, Uppark House has been labelled ‘the Sleeping Princess’, in reference to its preserved Georgian interiors. It is believed that this preservation is due to the fairytale romance of the building’s previous owners, a 70-year old bachelor who married his 20-year old dairy maid. The house remained unchanged up to her death and subsequent owners declined to make any changes due to the ‘uniqueness’ of its decor. Guided tours are offered in the mornings, which give groups a chance to explore the basement servants’ rooms, kept as they were when the author H G Wells’ mother was a housekeeper here. Discounts are available 15 or more people.
Nearby Midhurst, with its 17th and 18th century buildings, also has connections with HG Wells, who lived in the village during the late 19th century and used it as inspiration for many of the settings in his novels.
Cowdray Ruins, located close by, is a new visitor attraction that opened this year following a two-year restoration project. The Tudor house dates back to 1520; however much of the building was destroyed in a fire in 1793. Built around a central courtyard, the house has hosted visits from Elizabeth I and Henry VIII, which groups can learn more about using inclusive audio tours. Groups of 20 or more receive a 10% discount.
Adjacent to this lies The Walled Garden at Cowdray. The once neglected site, complete with original Tudor brick walls, has been transformed into a geometric design in keeping with the Tudor style. Groups can arrange guided tours and a tearoom serves homemade dishes from produce cultivated here.
Moving eastwards, Petworth House and Park is set in a 700-acre deer park landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown. The 17th century House contains the largest painting and sculpture collection in the care of The National Trust including pieces by Turner and Reynolds. Guided tours are available out of hours and groups can also explore the 30-acre pleasure ground.
In Storrington, Parham House and Gardens dates back to 1577. The 12 rooms of the House contain important collections of paintings, furniture and needlework, which can all be explored further on an out-of-hours guided tour. Groups can also explore the organic Gardens. Discounted entry to the House and Gardens is offered to 20 or more people.
Further east in the village of Bramber, St. Mary’s House and Gardens has interesting literary connections. It was the setting for two of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles’ Sherlock Holmes novels and two of its previous owners were the inspiration for characters in Oscar Wilde’s play, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. The 15th century timber-framed House is still a lived-in home and many of its panelled rooms can be seen on a guided tour. Groups can also arrange a tour of the ‘secret garden’.
Situated between Worthing and Brighton, Shoreham Airport is the oldest licensed airfield in the UK. Its main draw is its Grade II-listed art deco style terminal building, with an outdoor terrace area, ideal for watching aircraft activity. Groups can also arrange guided tours of the Visitor Centre, learning more about the history of the airfield, and tour the hangars to see some of the resident aircraft such as the Sussex Police Helicopter.
In East Grinstead, Saint Hill Manor is a sandstone building dating back to 1792. The Manor is known internationally as the final home of L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion, and on a tour of the House, groups will visit the library housing all 560 of his published works. The highlight of the tour is a visit to the renowned ‘Monkey Room’, featuring a mural painted by Sir Winston Churchill’s nephew, John Spencer Churchill in 1945. Entry to the Manor is free; however groups might like to arrange cream tea on the terrace overlooking the rose garden.
At nearby Standen House, groups can arrange guided tours of this late Victorian building designed by architect Philip Webb. The House is decorated in the Arts and Crafts style and features textiles and wallpapers by William Morris and his contemporaries. Groups of 15 or more receive discounts.
A look at the past
West Sussex has a wealth of museums to explore, which trace its history back to Roman times.
Based at a former Battle of Britain airfield, Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, near Chichester, explores the airfield’s important aviation history, from its involvement during World War II to its role in breaking the world air speed records in 1946 and 1953. Free guided tours can be arranged.
For a historic view of Sussex rural life, groups can visit the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, also near Chichester. The 50-acre site features a collection of nearly 50 historic buildings from the area, dating from the 13th to the 19th century, all of which have been dismantled at their previous site and rebuilt here. Groups of 15 or more receive discounts.
Bignor Roman Villa, near Pulborough, comprises five buildings that have been constructed in the style of Roman country houses to cover the remains of eight mosaics. The site was discovered in 1811 and archaeologists believe that it was inhabited during the entire 400-year Roman period. Visiting groups can learn more about the history of the site on a guided tour.
Situated in a former chalk quarry, Amberley Working Museum is an open air museum dedicated to the industrial heritage of south east England. The site features more than 40 exhibits and visitors can travel between them aboard period buses or the preserved narrow gauge railway. Next year, the Museum is hoping to open a new exhibit based on a 1950s fire station. Introductory talks or guided tours can be arranged.
For steam travel, groups can visit the Bluebell Railway, which departs from Sheffield Park Station, in Uckfield. The 18-mile round-trip stops
at Horsted Keynes Station and Kingscote Station and group catering can be arranged for the journey. At Sheffield Park Station, groups can visit the engine sheds, containing locomotives dating from the 1880s to the 1950s. The attraction is hoping to introduce guided tours of Horsted
Keynes Station in the new year. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
West Sussex Tourism,
4 The Chambers,
28 Chapel Street,
Chichester
PO19 1DL
Telephone: 01243 382240
Email: john.gibbs@westsussex.gov.uk
Web: www.westsussex.gov.uk/tourism