East Head
East Head
East Head, Nr. Chichester PO20 8AJ (10 miles)
East Head is an example of the nationally rare and fragile sand dune habitat and one of the last natural coastline areas in West Sussex. It features shingle, sand beach and dunes that graduate into salt-marsh.
Lavington Common
LAVINGTON COMMON
Duncton GU28 0QL (18 miles)
Lavington Common is a rare survivor of an open landscape that once stretched across the Weald. Its sandy soil leads up to the chalk escarpment on the South Downs, creating this renowned lowland heath, rich in lichens and bryophytes (mosses and liverworts). Heathers flourish here providing shelter and breeding grounds for reptiles such as adders and sand lizards, and heathland insects such as the Green Tiger Beetle.
Harting Down
Harting Down
Nr South Harting GU31 5PN (13 miles)
Harting Down is one of the largest areas of ancient chalk downland cared for by the National Trust. A tapestry of pristine downland blends beautifully with scattered scrub and woodland. Experience a sense of timelessness where sheep have grazed for thousands of years. When you reach the brows of the hilltops you are greeted by views north across the Weald and south to the Isle of Wight.
Slindon Estate
SLINDON ESTATE
Slindon BN18 0RG (13 miles)
Slindon Estate is 1,400 hectares of woodland, downland, farmland and parkland. With countless historic landscape features and its unspoilt Sussex village, there is something for every visitor. Take in the long wide views down to the Weald, along the Downs and out across the coastal plain to the sea.
Petworth House and Park
PETWORTH HOUSE AND PARK
Petworth GU28 9LR (20 miles)
The vast late 17th-century mansion is set in a beautiful 283-hectare (700-acre) deer park, landscaped by Capability Brown and immortalised in Turner’s paintings. The house contains the National Trust’s finest collection of pictures, with numerous works by Turner, Van Dyck, Reynolds and Blake, ancient and Neo-classical sculpture, fine furniture and carvings by Grinling Gibbons. The servants’ quarters contain fascinating kitchens (including a copper batterie de cuisine of more than 1,000 pieces) and other service rooms.
Uppark House
UPPARK HOUSE
South Harting GU31 5QR (12 miles)
Perched on its vantage points high on the South Downs ridge, Uppark commands views as far south as the English Channel. The gardens are gradually being restored to their original 18th century design with the nearby meadow and woodland great for exploring. The Houses’ Georgian interior illustrate the comfort of life upstairs in contrast to the servant’s downstairs.
Drovers Estate
DROVERS ESTATE
Singleton PO18 0HA (9 miles)
Drovers is a hidden estate nestling in the undulating hills and valleys of the South Downs. Here you can step back to a timeless rural life, set amidst shady woodland and rolling ancient pastures, punctuated by traditional flint cottages and barns. It provides an insight into traditional management which has formed the working landscape that we see today.