Things to Do
Both nearby and further afield there is a huge variety of things to see and do. From arts, crafts and history to wine tasting and country pursuits there is something for everyone. Chichester is the perfect place to visit!
West Dean Gardens - 2.5 miles
West Dean also offers a range of creative short courses in art, craft, design and conservation.
Goodwood Estate - 3.9 miles
Goodwood Estate can be found nestled in the beautiful hills of the South Downs National Park in West Sussex. The 12,000 acre estate has been owned by the Dukes of Richmond since 1697 and has become famous for three of the biggest events in the social and sporting calendar: the Festival of Speed, the Qatar Goodwood Festival and Goodwood Revival.
Goodwood also offers a farm shop, spa, golf and restaurants including Farm Butcher Chef listed on the Restaurant page.
Weald & Downland
Museum -
3.5 miles
The Weald and Downland Living Museum is an open-air museum in Singleton, West Sussex. The museum covers 40 acres, with over 50 historic buildings dating from 950AD to the 19th century, along with gardens, farm animals, walks and a mill pond. The museum is also home to the BBC's The Repair Shop.
Chichester - 4.5 miles
Chichester is a Roman cathedral city and the only city in West Sussex, with the elaborate octagonal Market Cross (1501) marking the town centre. Alongside is the cathedral, founded in 1075. Chichester combines the charm of a traditional market town with the history of Roman streets, walls and gateways. Of the many things to see and do in Chichester Pallant House Museum & Art Gallery and The Chichester Festival Theatre are top of the list.
Pallant House Gallery:
Pallant House Gallery has one of the most significant collections of Modern British Art in the country, with art from 1900 to the present, made up of over 5000 artworks, exploring the contributions of British artists from new perspectives.
Chichester Festival Theatre:
As one of the UK’s flagship theatres, it is renowned for the exceptionally high standard of productions. The Festival Theatre’s bold thrust stage design makes it one of England’s most striking playhouses – equally suited to epic drama and musicals. The studio theatre, the Minerva, is particularly noted for premieres of new work alongside intimate revivals.
The annual summer Festival season runs from April to October, during which all productions are originated at Chichester and frequently transfer to the West End. Year-round programming continues through the winter with the Theatre presenting high-class touring drama, music and comedy.
Vineyards & Wine Tasting:
Ashling Park - 4.9 miles
Tinwood - 6.2 miles
Ashling Park vineyard is a 50 acre estate in the charming hamlet of West Ashling, near Chichester in West Sussex, producing still and sparkling English wines along with dining, tours and tastings - both wine & gin!
Ashling Park was awarded a Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Award in 2023 and named as the best NV Sparkling wine in the UK at the Wine GB championships.
Tinwood:
Established in 2007, Tinwood Estate is situated on the edge of the South Downs. The Tukker family grow high-quality grapes that produce award-winning English sparkling wines from Sussex crafted using the traditional method. Open all year round, enjoy a vineyard tour and wine-tasting experience, taste award-winning sparkling wines with food pairings available from the Vineyard Kitchen.
Fishbourne Roman Palace - 5.2 miles
One of the highlights of Fishbourne Roman Palace is its exquisite collection of Roman mosaics showcasing stunning geometric patterns, mythological scenes, and floral designs.
The reconstructed Roman gardens have been recreated to reflect their original Roman style, featuring box hedges, gravel pathways, and a variety of plants that were commonly found in Roman Britain.
Visitors can embark on a guided tour that offers an immersive experience of the palace's rich history.
Uppark House &
Gardens -
6.9 miles
A fine late 17th Century National Trust house and its treasures set high on the South Downs with magnificent views. The fully restored mid-18th Century interior houses rescued Grand Tour paintings, ceramics, textiles, furniture and the famous dolls' house. Extensive servants' quarters are shown as they were in 1874 when H.G. Wells' mother was housekeeper.
The garden is in picturesque style, primarily foliage, with flowering shrubs, bulbs, perennials and herbaceous plants in a woodland & downland setting.
There is also a cafe, second-hand bookshop and many walking routes to enjoy.
West Wittering Beach - 13.0 miles
Offering wonderful views of Chichester Harbour and the South Downs beyond, the natural and unspoilt sandy beach of West Wittering has been a favourite destination for a family day out for generations. The highest water quality and excellent facilities have made it one of the premier Blue Flag beaches in the country.
The extensive acres of neatly mown grass close to the beach are perfect for parking, and picnics. The sea is popular with wind and kite surfers, while shallow lagoons are left on extensive sandy flats at low tide. The whole area is internationally recognised for its wildlife, birds and unique beauty.
Cowdray Park - 9.6 miles
Cowdray Park offers a range of premium country pursuits from golf, award winning clay-pigeon shooting school, fly fishing on the river Rother, walking, cycling, riding, polo, both spectating and learning to play, to hospitality at the Farm Shop & Café, all set in the back drop of the stunning Cowdray House, at the heart of the Estate.
Arundel Castle & Gardens -
14.0 miles
Overlooking the River Arun in West Sussex, Arundel Castle has nearly 1,000 years of history, having been built by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel at the 11th century.
The Castle grounds and Gardens at Arundel, together with the keep and gatehouse, have been open to visitors since 1800 and the gardens since 1854. Today the stunning and inspirational walled gardens include the internationally renowned Collector Earl’s Garden, The Stumpery, the hot and cool Herbaceous Borders with contrasting foliage plants and The Cut Flower Garden and Organic Kitchen Garden, that supply the Castle with fresh fruit, vegetables and cut flowers.
Arundel has an exciting calendar of events year-round, from live action history, demonstrations and jousting tournaments at Arundel Castle to local farmers’ markets in the town and activities for your little ones to get their hands dirty at the Wetlands Centre. Plus, look out for annual celebrations such as the popular Arundel Festival in the summer or the castle’s Tulip Festival taking place throughout spring.
Petworth House - 17.2 miles
Inspired by Baroque palaces of Europe, the 17th-century Petworth House displays one of the finest art collections in the care of the National Trust, with the state rooms featuring paintings and sculpture, including artwork by Van Dyck, Turner, Reynolds and Gainsborough.
Petworth House’s history has been created by one family over 900 years, with the collection highlighting a journey through history including the Gunpowder Plot and Napoleonic Wars. Collection highlights include the earliest English globe in existence, dating to 1592, and carvings by Grinling Gibbons.
Outside, the Pleasure Garden features formal borders, woodland walks, and architectural features, such as the Ionic Rotunda. The 700-acre Deer Park, which was transformed in the 1750s and early 1760s by the landscape architect Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, is home to ancient trees and fallow deer.
Portsmouth Historic
Dockyard -
23.2 miles
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is the UK’s premier destination for exploring 500 years of naval history and a must-see for anyone visiting the South of England. A visit to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard allows you step on-board world-famous ships, explore heroic submarines and uncover some of the Navy’s best-kept secrets with first-hand accounts from the Royal Navy’s finest, past, and present.
The historic attractions include:
HMS Victory, The Mary Rose, HMS Warrior, HMS M.33, The National Museum of the Royal Navy Portsmouth, HMS Alliance at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower & Harbour Tours