Hurstpierpoint is a bustling village in West Sussex. The name derives from both Saxon and Norman words (Herst meant wooded hill and Pierre Pont meant stone bridge) and the village gets a mention in the Doomsday Book. Pierre Pont was the Norman family who owned much of the village land.
The main village surrounds a long and pretty High Street which has lots of interesting architecture and a good mixture of independent shops, cafés and restaurants.
At first glance, you may not think there is much to do in Hurstpierpoint, but scratch the surface and there is plenty to explore in the area.
Heritage Trail
Start with the village Heritage Trail. The start point is at the foot entrance to the Trinity Road car park (long-stay parking is free) – What3Words: soaps.trail.swims. There is a QR code that takes you to the Hurstpierpoint Society website where you’ll find more details of the trail but also lots of other information about the village. The trail is marked with green markers and there are 32 places to visit. In particular, don’t miss the castellations and Tower House.
St Lawrence Fair
Try and coincide a visit with the village’s famous St Lawrence Fair which has been held here since the 14th century. It’s spread over several days and includes a carnival procession and lots of other activities. It’s held in July and there is a sculpture that commemorates the event. You’ll find this in the Village Garden just by the entrance to the car park. It’s one of the oldest fairs in the country.
Cinema
Hurstpierpoint is lucky to have a beautiful cinema in the Players Theatre. It’s an award-winning, volunteer-run, not-for-profit community cinema, with a dynamic programme. The Players Theatre building dates from the 1820s and has been a non-conformist chapel, a school, and even a wine store.
Danny House
Just south of Hurstpierpoint is Danny House, a magnificent, Grade I listed Elizabeth mansion. Unfortunately, these days it’s been transformed into private retirement apartments so you can’t visit but you can walk past it on the various public footpaths. There are also the remains of a Roman villa nearby, but they are not visible. But watch out because there are llamas!
Wolstonbury vineyard
Just the other side of Danny House are Wolstonbury vineyard and Wolstonbury Hill. The vineyard is open for prebooked tours between May and September. The tours are followed by a guided tasting and a cheeseboard lunch. The vineyard is also fast gaining a reputation for its art and they have a studio on site.
Wolstonbury Hill
Wolstonbury Hill is part of the South Downs National Park and is a National Trust site. It’s also a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Scheduled Monument. It’s a National Trust site as well as the site of a Bronze Age enclosure. Above all else, it has fabulous views and is strangely evocative and mysterious.
Washbrooks Family Farm
Just outside the village is Washbrooks – a family farm with lots of animals, and indoor and outdoor play areas. These include pirate ships, trampolines, zip wires, jumping pillows and climbing areas. It’s good old fashioned family fun.
Singing Hills Golf Course
South west of Hurstpierpoint is Singing Hills Golf Club, a 27-hole, parkland course where you can play three loops of nine holes. They also have a covered and floodlit driving range.
Further afield
A short drive south east of Hurstpierpoint and you arrive at Clayton. Here you’ll find a little church with Medieval frescoes, a haunted Victorian tunnel and the famous Jack and Jill windmills.
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