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Amberley
Museum, Amberley
(tel
01798 831370)
(open Wed-Sun, BH Mons mid Mar - Oct)
A large open-air museum featuring traditional craft displays and
workshops, including pottery, cobbling and a working village telephone
exchange.
Arundel
Castle, Arundel
(tel
01903 883136)
(open pm Sun-Fri Apr - Oct)
This magnificent medieval style castle with well-preserved towers
and battlements was largely reconstructed in the 19th century although
the keep is much earlier. Beautifully situated overlooking the River
Arun valley and hilltop town of Arundel. Inside, there is a superb
art collection including portraits by Gainsborough, Reynolds and
Van Dyck in addition to some fine furniture from the 16th century.
Seat of the Dukes of Norfolk for more than 700 years.
Ashdown
Forest
Plenty
of walks and rides through forest and over heathland with some wonderful
views. EH Sheppard's drawings for the Winnie the Pooh's stories
were based on Ashdown Forest - Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood is the Five
Hundred Acre Wood and a memorial to AA Milne is at Gills Lap - the
'enchanted place' at the top of the forest.
Batemans,
nr Burwash
(tel 01435 882302)
(open Sat-Wed Apr - Oct NT)
This 17th century house was home to the writer Rudyard Kipling from
1902 to 1936 and remains much as it was then with early editions
of his work and mementoes from his travels on display. The attractive
gardens feature a working watermill in use every Saturday at 2pm.
Beachy Head
Countryside Centre
(01323 737273)
(open daily end Mar-Oct, Sat/Sun Nov-Dec)
This dramatic headland marks the end of the South Downs, an unspoilt
place with fabulous views. The Countryside Centre here offers a
full programme of guided walks around the cliffs, meadows and beaches
together with enjoyable hands-on exhibitions and play areas for
children.
Bluebell
Railway, Sheffield Park Station
(tel 01825 72377)
(open daily May-Sep, Sat/Sun & school hols. Oct-Apr)
This is one of the loveliest steam railways in Britain passing through
the Sussex countryside and woodland filled with masses of bluebells
in May, hence the name. Small stations along the nine-mile route
to Kingscote display old advertisments, while the period carriages
are beautifully restored to their former glory. The station at Sheffield
Park houses a railway collection including 30 locomotives. Special
events throughout the year - a great family day out.
Bodiam Castle,
Bodiam
(tel
01580 830436)
(open daily mid-Feb - Oct, Sat-Sun Nov-mid-Feb, NT)
A beautiful 14th century castle with a romantic moat, rounded turrets
and crenellated battlements. Interesting video portraying medieval
life in a castle and special events for children. Steam trains run
on the Kent & East Sussex Railway to Bodiam in season.
Bosham
Broad inlet of Chichester harbour with plenty of boating activity
in summer. The pretty village has a Saxon church, interesting antique
shops and craft galleries.
Brighton
Originally
a small fishing village, Brighton today is a bustling seaside resort
with a mix of modern buildings and elegant Regency architecture,
lots of antique and jewellery shops in the old Lanes and a wide
choice of restaurants, cafés and bars. Renowned for its nightlife,
the city has a large gay community and many students due to two
local universities and several language schools. Children will enjoy
the excellent Sea Life Centre in Marine Parade and the attractions
on the Palace Pier.
Palace Pier
Lots of seaside fun including fairground rides and state-of-the-art
video games on Brighton's second pier. The West Pier, one of England's
finest piers, was built in 1866 and is undergoing restoration works.
Royal Pavilion
(tel 01273 290900)
(open daily all year excl. 25-26 Dec)
Built by John Nash, architect of London's Regent Street, as a seaside
home for the Prince Regent. Inspired by India, the Royal Pavilion
is an oriental extravaganza, greatly disliked by Queen Victoria
who sold the building to the town. Now beautifully restored and
floodlit at night, highlights include the unusual 100-tonne chandelier
in the splendid Banqueting Room, the Music Room and South Gallery.
Bignor Roman
Villa & Museum
(tel 01798 869259)
(open daily Mar-Oct, cl. Mon Mar/Apr/May & Oct)
The ruins of this Roman villa, one of the country's largest, were
excavated between 1811-1819. Highlights include wonderful mosaics
including the longest section in England.
Chichester
The county town of West Sussex was formerly a Roman city. Chichester
today is an attractive place, pedestrianised in parts, featuring
some fine Georgian architecture and a Norman cathedral. Boat trips
run in summer from the busy harbour, and in early July the Chichester
Festival takes place focussing on a programme of plays.
Fishbourne
Roman Palace, Fishbourne
(tel 01243 785859)
(open daily mid-Feb - mid-Dec)
The largest and best-preserved Roman palace in the country believed
to be a 100-room palace built for a local aristocrat. Highlights
include the 25 mosaic floors and extensive gardens restored to how
they would have looked at the time.
Leonardslee
Gardens, Lower Beeding
(tel 01403 891212)
(open daily Apr-Oct)
Picturesque 70-acre garden set in a wooded valley with several landscaped
lakes, magnificent rhododendron displays (at their best in May),
magnolias, oaks, a rock garden and a Japanese garden. Wallbies and
deer roam freely, and there is a wild flower walk in summer.
Nymans Garden,
Handcross
(tel 01444 400321)
(open Wed-Sun Mar-Oct, Sat/Sun Nov-Feb, NT)
A series of different garden areas featuring lovely displays of
camellias, rhododendrons, roses and magnolias together with an impressive
collection of rare trees and a large secluded romantic garden, all
centred around a wisteria-covered mock-Tudor manor house.
Pashley
Manor Gardens, Ticehurst
(tel 01580 200888)
(open Tue-Thu, Sat Apr-Sep)
Mainly Victorian formal gardens centred around the house once belonging
to the Bolyn family with a moat and walled garden, shrubs, roses
and old trees. There is a tulip festival in April and a summer flower
festival in June.
Petworth
House, Petworth
(tel 10798 342207)
(open pm Sat-Wed, Apr - Oct, NT)
Impressive stately home built in the late 17th century containing
a superb art collection with paintings by Gainsborough, Reynolds,
Blake and Turner, who often visited. Other highlights include murals
by Louis Laguerre around the Grand Staircase and the Carved Room
with carvings by Grinling Gibbons. Large landscaped grounds by Capility
Brown and deer roaming around.
Rye
Charming small town, one of the Cinque Ports, with a Norman church
and lots of antique, book and craft shops. The harbour is now a
mile or so from the town due to silting, with sea fishing trips
and a nature reserve around the river mouth. The nearby Camber Sands
offer one of the best sandy beaches in the area, popular in summer.
Sheffield
Park
(tel 01825 790231)
(open Tue-Sun Mar-Dec, Sat/Sun Jan-Feb, NT)
Majestic one-hundred acre garden originally laid out by Capability
Brown with displays of azaleas, rhododendrons and water-lilies on
the lakes. Also many varieties of tree especially wonderful in autumn.
Weald &
Open Air Museum, Singleton
(tel 01243 811348)
(open daily Mar-Oct, Wed/Sat/Sun Nov-Feb)
Over forty historic buildings from around the region dismantled
and re-erected here to recreate an authentic village. The interesting
buildings include a Victorian school room, blacksmith's forge and
a working watermill.
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