The wider West Sussex area covers some of the most beautiful coastline and countryside that England offers. It boasts the South Downs, historic forests as well as the breathtaking natural beauty of its sandy and pebble beaches with views across the Channel. Other highlights include:
The city of Chichester itself is a rich cultural experience with its Chichester Festival Theatre and historic Chichester Cathedral
Amberley Castle isn’t far away and has an interesting calendar of events throughout the year.
The Goodwood Estate nearby is famed for its horse racing, motor sport and vintage car events, plus the historic Goodwood House itself. Annual highlights include the Goodwood Festival of Speed in late June; the Goodwood Revival in early September and the Qatar Goodwood Festival, formerly known as Glorious Goodwood. This year Goodwood has launched a new event for dog lovers called Goodwoof, which is bound to be popular with visitors to the local area.
Also nearby is Portsmouth, a vibrant waterfront city rich in naval and maritime heritage. You can visit the Mary Rose, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyards. Gunwharf Quays is a great place for a spot of retail therapy.
If it is pouring with rain and blowing a gale but you just have to get out of the house, consider a visit to Flip Out in Chichester. This indoor trampoline park is a guaranteed way to exhaust the children…and adults if that is your thing.
The wider area has some excellent places to eat which can be combined with a visit to one of the attractions listed above or just for a good meal. We can highly recommend either The Earl of March in East Lavant or The Richmond Arms in West Ashling. Both serve excellent food and are a good place to enjoy a meal after visiting Goodwood or a long day walking in the South Downs or nearby Kingly Vale Nature Reserve (the views from the top are amazing).
If you want to eat in but don’t want to cook during your stay, we can recommend a few local caterers: Doug Gaunt is very local and is an excellent chef who can do pretty much anything from private event catering to simply baking you some sourdough or making some pre-prepared meals for the freezer. Jemima of Taste Buds is brilliant for any occasion. She will deliver home cooked meals for your freezer, she will cater for a dinner party and she will do everything in between. Clare Doggart of Doggart & Squash is another of our recommended caterers. She can also offer you anything from a dropped-off, home-cooked meal, to a fully catered event.
There are lots of great sources of information and things to do in the area. We recommend visiting Love The Witterings or Visit Chichester.
