Chilgrove

Most of Chilgrove is hidden to passers by and the village is rather spread out.

North of Chilgrove look out for the Royal Oak at Hooksway - one of a sadly dwindling number of Sussex pubs which sit more or less in the middle of nowhere. Hooksway is so much off the beaten track that even the walkers on the South Downs Way, who comprise much of the pub's summer clientele, have to make a significant detour to reach it.

Also north of Chilgrove is Monkton - the house in which the late great local patron of the arts Edward James chose to live. Monkton is privately owned and is not open to the public - so much so that if you didn't know it existed, you might miss it altogether because of its secluded and remote setting.

Few houses have had so many illustrious contributors as Monkton. The original house was designed by the great British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. When Edward James had the house redesigned in the 1930s, he added the combined talents of Hugh Casson and Kit Nicholson to his own creative impulses, even taking advice from his friend Salvador Dali for good measure. The overall surrealist effect was rounded off by a good proportion of James' own world class modern art collection, much of which was subsequently sold by him and the trustees of the West Dean Estate to help fund West Dean College and Gardens - which now serve as Edward James' legacy.

The parish of Chilgrove also contains the lost medieval village of Monkton. The village is a scheduled monument and contains the remains of about eight or so buildings built around the 17th century. These ruined buildings are in constant danger of being swallowed up by Japanese knotweed and a project has been started to prevent further being damage to this interesting historical site - which now has the status of a scheduled monument.

The former White Horse Restaurant at Chilgrove is one of the classier establishments in this part of West Sussex - it has now been given a major make over and is a fish restaurant.

Chilgrove is a good base for a walk up to the top of Kingley Vale Nature Reserve or a walk northwards towards Harting Hill.

WEST SUSSEX TOWNS