Fun days out in West Sussex
Attractions, places and ideas
Enjoy a trip to a historical site, or a a day in the countryside. Find the best places to shop in West Sussex or get outdoors with a day in the countryside. Perhaps you'd enjoy the quiter pace of the small towns of Sussex or like to visit a garden. Maybe you're up for a trip to a mysterious place or one of the or many other great days out in West Sussex.
We're sure you'll find some ideas for days out here. On the left of the page you'll see more ideas about outings and excursions to leading West Sussex attractions.
VILLAGE DAYS OUT
With so many beautiful villages to choose from it's hard to pick a shortlist of village days out, but here goes:
Amberley is a truly gorgeous village in the Arun Valley with an unusual industrial museum, a medieval castle which is now a luxury hotel and a good place to base a day out walking.
Lindfield is an immaculately kept village on the outskirts of Haywards Heath and regular winner of the best kept village in Sussex.
Hurstpierpoint is a very pleasant and ancient village with its own arts festival.
Slindon is a spectacularly attractive estate village maintained by the National Trust.
You can find out more about each of the prettiest and most interesting villages and hamlets in West Sussex here.
HISTORY DAYS OUT
Bosham is a really beautiful harbourside village. From before King Cnut's time to today, it's a very special place on Chichester Harbour and one which attracts hordes of day trippers.
Boxgrove is a tiny village with historic abbey ruins, a truly enormous church and the place where the remains of Boxgrove Man was discovered.
Singleton is a home of the brilliant Weald and Downland Open Air Museum where old buildings have been rescued and restored.
Bignor is a location of one of the great Roman finds - Bignor Roman Villa - try Bignor as an alternative to the Roman Palace at Fishbourne.
DAYS OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
Levin Down is a small steep sided hill with a special downland nature reserve. Ideal for a short trip to the countryside
Harting Down is a place providing majestic views of Harting and the Western Weald and a true sense of open countryside.
Heyshott Down is a one of the steepest ascents of the Downs and a fabulous small chalk nature reserve.
SHOPPING TRIPS
Chichester is a small cathedral city with a world renowned art gallery, theatre and Georgian buildings - and great city centre shopping
Horsham is a historic market town, named as one of the top ten places to live in the UK - it has a fine range of shops
Petworth is a the number one antique town outside London, and also has a magnificent stately home and deer park.
Arundel is a thriving centre of the arts with a cathedral and fairytale castle and a bohemian feel.
Fin out more about the other main towns in West Sussex.
SUSSEX BY THE SEA - SEASIDE DAYS OUT
Bognor Regis is a Great British seaside resort still providing holidaymakers with seaside fun after 200 years. Littlehampton is a charming port at the head of the River Arun, now reinventing itself as an upcoming holiday destination.
Selsey is a facing an age old battle with the encroaching sea and has miles of beaches along Bracklesham Bay to enjoy - all the way to West Wittering beach. On a much larger scale, with nearly 100,000 people, Worthing is the one of the south's biggest seaside holiday resorts. Its large beach makes for a good family day out.
MYSTERIOUS ATTRACTIONS
Like a ghost story or a touch of mystery? How about a day out at some of the places most associated with Sussex folklore and local legend.
Chanctonbury Ring is a Iron age fort planted with a clump of wind battered 18th century trees - a landmark for miles around and a place rich in Sussex folklore.
The Devil's Dyke is a popular viewpoint above Brighton with an iron age fort and spectacular gorge cut through the South Downs - but was it formed by the devil or the equally strange forces of nature?
The ruined Racton Monument is one of the spookiest places in West Sussex. And for a modern day mystery try a trip to Clapham's mysterious woods, which are reputedly the haunt of UFOs, strange sects and things that go bump in the night.
WILDLIFE ATTRACTIONS
Although Pulborough is fast becoming a small town it's an important place for wildlife. The site of ruined Pulborough Castle overlooks the River Arun which floods in winter and provides an important sanctuary for birdlife - the RSPB Pulborough Brooks.
Further along the Arun look for the Amberley Wildbrooks SSSI and the Arundels Wetlands Centre.
Look out for rare wildlife too at the heathlands of Lavington Common and Iping and Stedham Common - a great way to observe conservation in action and have a great day out at the same time
MARKET TOWN DAYS OUT
The Weald of Sussex has some fine small market towns which are ideal for a day out shopping and soaking up the atmosphere and quite pace of life.
Steyning is a lovely old fashioned Sussex town with a good arts festival - well worth visit. And Storrington is a bustling inland village with good shopping and plenty to see nearby.
In Mid Sussex, Cuckfield, Henfield and Cowfold have a good range of unusual shops, pretty buildings and a relaxed a tmosphere.
Midhurst is rated one of the best places to live in England and is a must see for its broad main street, annual polo tournament and Cowdray Ruins - why not combine it with a tour of the Rother Valley villages like Woolbeeding, Stedham and Iping?
RUNIED CASTLES
Bramber is a pretty small village with a ruined castle which was once the power centre of the Adur valley.
Church Norton is a sleepy place by Pagham Harbour that was the site of Sussex's first cathedral and the site of a former castle.
You can see details of other stately homes and historic buildings in Sussex here.
OTHER DAYS OUT
Rudgwick sits in the northernmost part of the West Sussex, with many 16th century buildings and its very own dinosaur.
South Harting is a large isolated village in the shadow of the Downs, but it's a handsome place with a surprising literary history.
Wisborough Green is a large and pleasant village near Billingshurst with a 9 acre village green.
Clayton is a only a small village but it has the grandest railway tunnel around plus the famous Jack and Jill windmills.
Shoreham-by-Sea is a historic port at the mouth of the River Adur, the gateway to lovely countryside to the north and the biggest working port in West Sussex.
GARDEN DAYS OUT
In Leonardslee, Nymans, Borde Hill and High Beeches West Sussex has some of the best known garden attractions in south east England as well as some less well known gardens which are open to the public and which make ideal day trips
- Arundel Castle
- Arundel Cathedral
- Boxgrove Priory
- Bramber Castle
- Brighton Pavilion
- Chichester Cathedral
- Bluebell Railway
- Parham House
- Windmills
- Beer festivals
- Entertainment
- Goodwood Revival Meeting
- Hurst Festival
- Steyning Festival
- Morris dancing - traditional English dancing
- Festivals of music
- West Dean College has festivals throughout the summer
- Vineyards in Sussex
- The Beach
- Chichester Harbour
- Cissbury
- The Devil's Humps
- Halnaker Mill
- Knepp Castle
- Lipchis Way
- Pagham Harbour
- River Arun Valley
- Salterns Way
- Torberry Hill
- Good places to go walking, cycling and horse riding
- Falconry Centres
- Bonfire night
- Hot-air Ballooning
- Go-Karting
- Family farms
- Learn to sail
- Get sports coaching
- Fontwell Park Races
- Goodwood Races
- Sculpture at Goodwood
- Tilgate Park and Nature Centre
- Weir Wood Reservoir
- Buchan Country Park
- Windsurfing, surfing and watersports
- Kite surfing
Saturday February 04