Visitors can easily spend a relaxing day just around the cottages or have a great day at the beach or conquering the Downs but here are some suggestions for a day out in Sussex from your holiday cottage…
Day 1: With children aged approx. 3 – 11 years… Fishers Adventure Farm Park – the children love it! Allow a whole day and arrive early as it gets full. There is quite a lot to do on rainy days but, of course, best on sunny days!
Day 2: Weald and Downland Living Museum – an open air museum of around 50 historic buildings showing how life used to be over the last 500 years at home and at work. Also, north of Chichester, West Dean gardens are glorious. In Chichester enjoy the Cathedral, Pallant House Modern Art Gallery which is really excellent, Roman wall walks and Novium Museum. If you are really clever you could end the day at Chichester Festival Theatre.
Day 3: West of Storrington… take in a few of the pretty, historic settlements of Sussex. Start in Storrington with Parham House and garden with its Wendy house in the wall, Pulborough Wildbrooks RSPB, Amberley village with pottery, tea room, pretty thatched cottages medieval wall paintings in the church and walk around the back of the castle (now a hotel and accessed from A283 and great for a luxurious afternoon tea) plus the Sportsman pub with fabulous views across the wildbrooks. Don’t forget Arundel with its imposing castle, river, rowing lake, crazy golf and interesting shops and cafes and the pub on the river at South Stoke.
Day 4: East of Storrington… Bramber Castle and St Mary’s House, Bramber are great to visit. Head off for a farm tour at Coombes (in lambing season), then Shoreham airport with 1930s viewing building and cafe, Shoreham beach and Steyning – a very pretty village with great cafes and tea rooms. Could include Brighton too but it’s probably worth a separate trip if you are keen to go there. On the way home, walk up to Chanctonbury Ring at Wiston and visit tiny, 12th century Buncton church.
Day 5: Around Lewes… is well worth a visit. Lewes has lots of individual shops, plus some more familiar retail names. The Grange is the home of the Sussex Guild of Craftsmen and there is a great café there. The castle is a very interesting visit and there is also Anne of Cleves House in the town centre. Lewes is famous for its Bonfire processions on the Saturday closest to November 5th but the huge crowds make this unsuitable for small children. There are several lovely places around Lewes, the Ram at Firle is a popular pub and there is a lovely walk on the top of the Downs at Firle Beacon.
Day 6: Around Lewes with the Bloomsbury Group… Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group used Charleston Farmhouse as their weekend retreat and it is almost untouched and worth a visit. They used the nearby church at Berwick which features murals by Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. Farley Farm was the home of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose. Ditchling Museum is an award winning conversion and focuses on the craftspeople of Ditchling in the early twentieth century. Monk’s House at Rodmell was the home of Virginia Woolf. You can walk upto the Long Man of Wilmington, an ancient chalk figure carved into the ground. Lots to do…
Day 7: Around Petworth… Petworth is famous for its antique shops and you can find anything from exquisite Tudor tables to bric-a-brac. The other shops are individual and of high quality. and there are several good restaurants. Petworth House is the home of the Egremont/Leconfield family who owned Sullington Manor Farm from 1789 – 1920. It is now owned by the National Trust.