West Sussex Activities

Worth getting out of bed for

Viewpoint

Park up at Bignor Hill carpark, off the A29 north of Arundel, and take a wander – you can see for miles in all directions. Signs will show you the location

Arts and culture

There are well‑preserved Roman mosaics at the Roman villa at Bignor (ww.bignorromanvilla.co.uk); and the famous palace at Fishbourne, west of Chichester (www.sussexpast.co.uk). The Cass Sculpture Foundation at Goodwood (www.sculpture.org.uk) is a 26‑acre park studded with monumental artworks – all for sale – by the likes of Antony Gormley and Cathy de Monchaux. In Chichester, Pallant House Gallery (www.pallant.org.uk) has a superb collection of modern art. The Chichester Festival Theatre in Oaklands Park (www.cft.org.uk) is a paragon of a 21st‑century arts centre, with excellent productions.

Something for nothing

There are open‑to‑all lunchtime piano and organ recitals at Chichester Cathedral (www.chichestercathedral.org.uk) on Tuesdays. There is a collection, mind!

Shopping

Big cheese fans might want to visit Horsham Cheese Shop (+44 (0)1403 254272; www.horshamcheeseshop.co.uk), where there are nearly 400 cheeses on offer, many of them British.

Daytripper

Arundel is truly quaint, with a history‑book castle open to the public (www.arundelcastle.org), olde narrow streets and very browsable shops, including the excellent Kim’s Bookshop on the High Street (+44 (0)1903 882680). Antiques outlets occupy at least 10 addresses on the High Street, with a handful more on Tarrant Street. The Arundel Visitor Information Centre is at 61 High Street (+44 (0)1903 882268).

Best beach

West Wittering takes the prize for its Blue Flag beach and extensive sandy flats; test your kite‑surfing or windsurfing skills with West Wittering Windsurfing Club (+44 (0)1243 513077; www.2xs.co.uk). From here you can also walk to East Head, a sand‑dune spit with walkways that’s quite perfect for a romantic post-watersports stroll at sunset.

Walks

Minutes from Goodwood (park up at the signposted Triangle carpark), the Trundle, aka St Roche’s Hill, is a knoll topped by an Iron Age monument, with sweeping views of the South Downs, Chichester harbour and – on a good day – the Isle of Wight.

Road trip

From Milford to West Wittering via Henley. 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. read more…

Children

The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum in Singleton (www.wealddown.co.uk) is the perfect untacky, adult‑pleasing family destination: 50 acres of countryside and woodland where dozens of historic buildings and timber-framed dwellings have been reconstructed or relocated in their entirety. Amble around a Victorian school, visit a working Tudor farm replete with the correct poultry and machinery, or browse a mediaeval shoppe.

Activities

Shed End Bikes (+44 (0)1243 811766) hires out bicycles for adults and children, from about £3.50 an hour, and provides information on local cycle networks, including a pub route. Speed demons should head to Goodwood (www.goodwood.co.uk), where they can push their car to its limits at a track day on the Motor Circuit, or take to the skies with lessons at Goodwood’s Flying School. Blackdown Riding Club (+44 (0)1428 654106) is an excellent stables between Midhurst and Ferndown, where even a beginner can go for a two‑hour hack.

And...

… The headland of Selsey Bill was immortalised by Madness in their 1982 seven‑inch opus ‘Driving In My Car’.