West Sussex

United Kingdom

Countryside: Cow parsley and seaweed
Country life: Sailing, racing, real ale

With the cathedral city of Chichester providing its meanest seaside streets, West Sussex is a green and pleasant county, where seasons and hills roll gently, all against the ever-shifting backdrop of the sea.

Although much of West Sussex is in the South Downs National Park, there are no spectacular peaks or great dramas in this landscape; rather the promise of discovering the unexpected. What you may not expect is the rich quantity of space: a drive between sprawl-free villages may lead you up onto a big-sky point on the South Downs Way, or into ancient woodland. The seaside gets a little more crowded, with sailors, windsurfers and sandcastle-builders thronging the region’s pretty beaches and harbours, but the coastline is studded with ample beachside cafés and pubs. And, this being 21st-century England, there’s no shortage of fine food with which to fuel your explorations of this corking county.

Pictured: West Stoke House

Boutique hotels in West Sussex

Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and boutique hotels in West Sussex

Getting there

Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.

Worth getting out of bed for

Highlights the best West Sussex has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.

Eating, drinking & dancing

We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in West Sussex.

Smith Maps

Here is the map of West Sussex; each Mr & Mrs Smith hotel is marked by a flag; click it for more details.

Road trip

Mercifully accessible from M25 country, the leafy lanes and well-heeled villages of West Sussex are the perfect pottering-pace antidote to urban road hell. Head for Goodwood, drive alongside the ancient South Downs Way, then get your seaside sunset fix among the dunes at West Wittering.

Taxis: Chichester’s Central Cars has an office near the station (0800 789432; +44 (0)1243 780780). Arundel Cars are on +44 (0)1903 883366 (www.arundelcars.co.uk). Avowedly friendly and honest, the Ugly Car Co (0800 091 1912; www.uglycars.biz) operates throughout much of West Sussex.
Tipping culture: 10 or 15 per cent is standard, but many restaurants now add a discretionary 12.5 per cent, so be careful not to tip twice.
Packing tips: Dig out your buckets and spades for long and sandy West Wittering beach (www.westwitteringbeach.co.uk). To get a proper look at the South Downs, you’ll want walking boots, waterproofs, a compass and OS Explorer maps 120 and/or 121. And don’t forget a picnic hamper and golf umbrella if you’re attending an event at Goodwood.
Recommended reads: Fishbourne Roman Palace is the backdrop for parts of A Body in the Bathhouse, a novel by Lindsey Davis. The Racing Post might not be a bad idea before a day at the races.
Regional specialities: Sussex producers are proud of their lamb; and you’ll eat great fish, such as trout and gilthead bream, in season. Scour pub menus for ‘Sussex smokies’ – a baked delight made with smoked mackerel (or haddock) and cheese – and Sussex Pond Pudding, a suet dumpling filled with lemony, sugary butter that oozes out to form said ‘pond’. Among local ales are Horsham Best Bitter, and Sussex Slipcote is a ewe’s milk cheese with a long lineage; get an award‑winning example from High Weald Dairy in Horsted Keynes (+44 (0)1825 791636; www.highwealddairy.co.uk).
Currency: Pound sterling.
Time zone: GMT.
Dialing codes: Country code for the UK: +44. Chichester: 01243.
Do go/don't go: All year round is great, as with much of the temperate south coast, but we particularly love May, when the country lanes are like green tunnels, and the seaside hordes have yet to descend. When there’s a big event on at Goodwood, the country lanes get gridlocked.