If you are going to explore Sussex in any level of detail, you’ll undoubtedly want to visit some of the big-ticket places that make you go wow! Those places that are quinessentially Sussex.
But an essential part of your exploring should also be to get off the well-worn track and visit some of the places that will still elicit a wow, but with no other people around. Those lesser known but equally fascinating places of Sussex.
So set aside a little time this year or next, and make yourself a promise that you won’t just explore Sussex, but that you’ll combine those heady wow places with some of these more eclectic hidden Sussex gems. And here are a few easy ideas.
Seven Sisters and a King
Two of the most iconic sites in Sussex are the rolling white cliffs of the Seven Sisters Country Park and the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. For a heady day out, start your day at Beachy Head and walk along the cliff tops past the famous red and white lighthouse and Belle Tout lighthouse to Birling Gap.
The Seven Sisters start at Birling Gap and if you want to tackle walking them, now is your chance. Alternatively, just admire them with a cup of coffee in your hand from the coffee shop before walking back to Beachy Head. It’s still a hearty walk. Or, if you want something a little less standard, climb down onto the beach and walk along to the Beachy Head lighthouse. It’s not a long walk but it is rocky and it is essential that you check tide times and allow yourself plenty of time. It’s a remarkable feeling standing at the very foot of a lighthouse.
It’s a 4 km walk from Beachy Head to Birling Gap. It is 6 km from Birling Gap, along the Seven Sisters to the Visitor Centre at Exceat but allow plenty of time for the dips and dives of the Downs. There are shuttle buses that will take you to Brighton.
There is plenty to explore in Brighton, but any visit should include the opulent overindulgence of the Regency Royal Pavilion, bedecked in Indo-Chinese style. Originally built as a seaside retreat for the Prince Regent, later King George IV, it was transformed into an exotic palace with Indian-inspired domes and minarets and lavish interiors influenced by Chinese design. Today, you can explore its spectacular state rooms, including the breathtaking Banqueting Room and Music Room, and discover the extravagant lifestyle of its royal owner.
Once you have explored the Pavilion allow a little time to explore some of Brighton’s lesser known attractions. Down on the beach at the east end of the town you will find the extraordinary Flint Grotto created by local fisherman Rory McCormack. Or why not visit the Old Police Cells at Brighton Town Hall, the pet cemetary in Preston Manor or the burial vaults near St Nicholas Church.
Normans, monks and smugglers
There are few prettier places than the well-worn cobbled streets of Rye, complete with haunted inns, mermaids and smugglers’ trails. Visit off-season for a quieter experience and it is perfect for a morning spent exploring the back streets, visiting the castle and climbing the church tower for incredible views.
And you also cannot visit this part of East Sussex without a stop at another of the county’s defining destinations, Battle Abbey and Battlefield, where it all happened in 1066. But leave enough time to head north to Bayham Abbey, your off-the-beaten-track venue. Tucked right up against the Kent border, the quietly haunting ruins date from the 13th century and provide a unique insight into life as a monk as well as life in the 18th century as a landscape designer.
The lost gardens of Ashdown Forest and Uckfield
If it’s romance and mystery you are after, then Ashdown Forest has a secret. Tucked away in between Chelwood Gate, Nutley and Wych Cross is an abandoned Edwardian Garden, Chelwood Vachery Forest Garden. The garden was first built in 1910, extended in the 1920s, but by the 1950s was pretty much forgotten. Discover waterfalls, follies and waterways in this enchanting hidden corner.
From there head south to Lake Wood just west of Uckfield, where you’ll find hidden caves and boathouses, and near-perfect reflections in the water, in a long-forgotten garden of the early Victorian era. Both gardens are free to visit.
Majestic grandeur, Medieval frescoes and great works of art
Whilst Parham House near Pulborough is an exceptional Elizabethan manor with beautiful parklands and gardens, for a real cultural wow factor, start simple with a visit to the quite incredible St Botolph’s Church at Hardham, tucked down a quiet by-road just south of Pulborough. Inside a small and simple 11th century building, the incredible paintings date back to the 11th and 12th centuries and are simply jaw-dropping with both a combination of poignancy, vibrancy and history.
From your visit here, the next stop must be Petworth House, a magnificent, 17th century mansion which is home which is home to works of art by such greats as Turner, Reynolds, Gainsborough and Van Dyck as well as one of the great families of Sussex.
But as you travel from Pulborough to Petworth, make sure you detour to admire the medieval bridge at Stopham and the haunting ruins of Bedham Church.
Island hopping, cathedral climbing and ghost hunting
In the west of West Sussex, Midhurst is home to the well-known skeleton of the Cowdray ruins which echo with curses and ghosts, but just a short walk away is the lesser-known, St Ann’s Hill. Hidden away on an arboreal hill overlooking the ruins are the foundational remains of a Norman motte and bailey castle. Shaded by trees, there is a sense of magic in a place that was possibly also once inhabited by pre-Norman pagans.
A major and iconic landmark of Sussex is Chichester Cathedral, built in the period following the Norman conquest in a blend of Romanesque and Gothic style. These days, the cathedral remains are inspiring and as part of a visit, you can climb the spire and view the town from above.
South west of Chichester, is Chichester Harbour, where you’ll find sandy beaches, hidden inlets and Thorney Island. Once an actual island, the land was gradually reclaimed to form a peninsula, but the people who lived there were moved as the military moved in for WWII. Now owned by the Ministry of Defence, you can walk around the perimeter of this last bastion of Sussex (before it morphs into Hampshire), but only once you’ve passed through the military security gate.
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