Built to defend an important port on the River Adur, Bramber Castle was constructed as a motte and…read morebailey castle around 1073 by William De Braose, who fought alongside William the Conqueror at the battle of Hastings in 1066. Apart from a period of confiscation during the reign of King John, it remained in the ownership of the De Braose family until themale line died out in 1324. Thereafter, it passed via the Mowbray and Howard families into the estate of the Dukes of Norfolk, who held it until it until 1926. It was given to the National Trust in 1946. Very little survives of the original castle, thanks to a gradual decline over the years, damage during the Civil War in 1642 and looting of the stones as a quarry for building by the locals. The most prominent feature is the tall and unsteady-looking fragment of the Gatehouse tower, still standing to almost its full original height. In the centre of the grounds is the impressive original motte, its earthen mound rising some 30ft (10m). A short distance away is a section of the curtain wall which survives up to 10ft (3m) in places. Around the perimeter are also the remains of the castle's impressive moat. (NB be careful with small children, as there are some sheer drops in places). Although the ruins are rather fragmentary, the grounds are beautifully kept by the National Trust, and make a wonderful place for a picnic, as well as affording excellent views of the surrounding countryside.

This place is a bit of a let down. There seems to be no effort to make it obvious where/what parts…read moreof the ruins were. They have a lame sign at the entrance but little else. It just seems like an enclosed play field.

Southwick is now firmly part of the suburban sprawl running from Brighton and Shoreham, and is…read moreknown to most people for the power station that dominates the far side of Shoreham Harbour. But there was a community here in Saxon times, and its church is surprisingly ancient. In fact, the walk from the station crosses the Green, an attractive and villagey stretch of tree-lined common which splits Southwick into two halves. There are some handsome cottages surrounded by well appointed semi-detached suburban homes, and a rather less appealing row of post-war shops. St Michael and All Angels was, until the 18th century, dedicated to St Margaret, and sits among a very pretty churchyard, thickly studded with trees. Although there was probably a church here in Saxon times, it first recorded in 1086, and in 1206 the right to appoint the rector was granted to the Templars, and then to the Hospitallers, although much of the early mediaeval period was taken up with disputes over these rights with the monks of Sele Priory. The ownership passed from Sele Priory to Magdelene College at the Dissolution, and patronage thereafter passed to the Crown until the 20th century. Fire in the 19th Century damaged the nave and an unexploded bomb (and the subsequent excavation to remove it) damaged the tower in 1941. The church itself is built of flint, and is essentially in three parts: the tower, nave and chancel. The tower is by far the most impressive part: its foundations and lower walls are said to be Saxon, although it mostly dates from the late 12th and 13th centuries. It is an attractive composition, with paired round-headed arches with narrow openings surmounted by paired gothic lancets and, above that, a shingle broach spire. The west door is also attractive, but a modern addition: the tower was carefully taken down and faithfully rebuilt in 1950 after the bomb damage, with vestries built either side. The chancel is mostly 13th century, with two original lancets, framed by a 14th century chancel arch. There are two round headed arches to the south, although the central column probably dates from the Victorian rebuilding. A 14th wooden screen with narrow lancets also survives in the south aisle. The nave burned down in the 1830s and was rebuilt with narrow lean-to aisles in 1834, with round-headed arcades and lancet windows. Pevsner's Buildings of England described the nave as a 'loveless cover for pew-space', which I think is a bit harsh, although there's no doubt it doesn't match the quality of the tower. The furnishings other than the south aisle screen - are limited in interest to what appears to be a mediaeval aumbry, some 18th and 19th century tombs and memorials, and a sturdy, square font, probably from the 13th century. The church is today the centre of large and busy parish, and has a vibrant church life, with services daily through the week.

We visited Durrington Walls as part of a private day tour that included stops at Stonehenge,…read moreAvebury Stone Circle, Lockeridge Dene, West Kennet Long Barrow, Woodhenge, and Silbury Hill. We felt these stops helped give us context and a better understanding of the time period. Durrington Walls was a large Neolithic settlement. Today you can still see the remains of the henge monument "walls" from across the street at Woodhenge.

Arundel Cathedral is the Cathedral church for the Roman Catholic diocese of Arundel and Brighton…read more It dominates the skyline of Arundel along with the castle, giving it a most European feel. The European element is hardly surprising, as the church was designed by J A Hansom (of Hansom cab fame) in a late French decorated gothic style of the period about about 1300. The Cathedral was paid for by the 15th Duke of Norfolk, and constructed in 1870-73. Experts differ as to how successful the Cathedral is as a piece of architecture: it is too faithful to work as pastiche, and yet many of the details are incorrect for a French copy. Paradoxically, its uniform newness and the very high quality of the stone carving also gives the interior a slightly clinical feel, compounded by the relative lack of ornament (there are few tombs or furnishings, for example). However, there is no denying that its tall and elegant interior is an impressive space, and it is a lot more attractive than many Victorian churches. It also has superb acoustics for choral singing, and a practising choir added greatly to my last visit (and the Cathedral staff are also very friendly, and a good less stuffy than other places I have visited). The church has some lovely stained glass, including a moving depiction of the recently canonised English martyr, St Philip Howard, the 13th Earl of Arundel, who died in prison in 1595 aged 39, awaiting execution, accused of aiding some of the various catholic plots against Elizabeth I.

Have to give the 5-Star Rx because of the wonderful acoustics of the place! Arun Sinfonia, and…read moreoccasionally The Angmering Chorale give concerts here and they are a MUST!! With a huge canopy across the nave, the sound is magnificent. I would recommend taking a soft cushion to sit on.those pews can be a tifle damaging to your rear !!!!

This is an old stone farm tucked in a valley just by Devil's Dyke. It is owned by the National…read moreTrust, as is quite a lot of the land in that area. Walking in to Saddlescomb farm you walk past a duckpond. If you head straight on and round to the right you walk past stone outhouses, and old farming machinery. In one of the fields is a donkey wheel, kind of like a giant hamster wheel but for a donkey, used to grind corn. Chickens run out to meet you. In one of the courtyards is a little trailer selling cakes, cream teas and sandwiches. You can get pots of tea, and on the tables there are cutesy sugar bowls and salt and pepper cellars the likes of which you would find in an old ladies house or at a boot fair; our salt and pepper cellars for example were a pair of Mallard ducks: pepper in the drake, salt in the hen. It's really incredibly quaint, there are a few information boards about the farm, and after tea you can go for a lovely refreshing walk around the downs. Top notch.

This historical building has numerous uses and quirky things to do. As you enter there are…read morewhispering dishes so that people can hear you 20 yards away doing the smallest noise. We once tried farting as kids very comical! Inside it is full of treats with the main attraction being the lens that looks out over the countryside over a vast distance and can magnitise so you can see a person clear as day miles away. I haven't been here for ages so I am sure they have added other bits and bobs that I haven't seen. Get chatting to them and they might give you an individual tour on a quiet day.

Foredown Tower is an old water tower which has been transformed into a local 'Camera Obscura'. For…read morea small fee visitors are allowed to enter the camera and watch a demonstration by the local guides who demonstrate the camera which operates by projecting an image from a lens in the top of the tower onto a concave screen in the centre of the darkened room. It allows full 360 degree viewing of the local landscapes and also views of the sun (on a black card) which allow you to experience solar eclipses. I can recommend a visit, especially with children. Try and find a nice sunny day!

Woods Mill is a lovely nature reserve located in the picturesque village of Henfield. Its the…read moreheadquarters for the Sussex Wildlife Trust and is also an Environmental Education Center so is an ideal place to take the kids for an afternoon out. I'd be inclined to wait for the summer months as you can spend longer looking around at the Nightingales, woodpeckers, warblers, turtle doves and dragonflies that are all on offer to see without developing early stage pneumonia. They have a beautiful lake here as well and there's plenty more wildlife to hunt around for. Its free admission all year round except for two weeks over Christmas. No dogs allowed obviously but it is a must for anyone interested in wildlife.

I visited Woods Mill today and was in a very short space of time enraptured with the same sense of…read moreexcitement that I used to feel as a small boy on school trips. This might in part have been brought about by the fact that, for the larger proportion, that's what Woods Mill Nature Reserve is all about. Aside from the preservation of large quantities of birds, fish and amphibians the nature reserve succeeds at every turn to bring you small and interesting amounts of information on each habitat and creature therein. As you enter from the car park there's a notice board with details of events and leaflets for you to pick up. I recommend grabbing the one on the nature reserve itself first as it has a map outlining the route of the winding, sometimes tree covered, path and all the exciting features along the way. In some ways I did get the feeling that the whole place was a little over engineered with so many habitats, which would normally have so much more space, all so close in together. But once you start to see the results of this arrangement such as the lake literally heaving with fish, you soon lose that feeling to fascination. There is also a bird hide, a small wood and perhaps most exciting of all a "Dipping Pond" where in the right months of the year you can head down with your jam jar on a bit of string and catch sticklebacks and newts. All very Gussie Fink-Nottle, but then this is one of the few remaining places where you might still be able to train boys to be the kind more commonly found in a P. G. Wodehouse novel.

Bolney is a village surrounded by big roads: just to the east is the motorway-like A23 from…read moreBrighton to London, and to the south is the A272 from Haywards Heath to Winchester. But it succeeds in hiding itself from both. The village is not mentioned in Domesday, but certainly dates from at least the 11th century. Its few streets are narrow lanes, and many of the houses are ancient - dating from the 14th to 16th centuries, although its popularity with commuters has inevitably resulted in some newer building. But the main thoroughfare is still called simply 'The Street', recalling simpler times. The oldest parts of its church, just to the east of the street and dedicated to St Mary Magdalene, date from the period immediately after the Norman conquest. However, the impression once inside, past the pretty 18th century porch, is of a rather scrubbed interior, much Victorianised. So some detective work is needed to reveal its history. The first thing to notice is the tall, narrow arch of the south door, inside the porch. This is Norman romanesque, and has two orders of primitive reeded banding over the arch for decoration. A walk around the outside reveals two small Norman windows in the chancel, alongside later replacements. In fact, the south wall and the chancel are the oldest parts of the church, and date from around 1100. The walling is in the lovely local stone, all golden browns, ambers, greys and creams, and shades between. At some point around 1300, a new chancel window was added, a perfect example of early Gothic 'Y' tracery, with a 'bulls-eye' oriel window above in the rafters. Another trefoil-headed light in the south wall of the chancel is later, 13th century. Unfortunately, the chancel arch itself was tidied up by the Victorians when they added the large north aisle (1853); the handsome, plain three-bay arcade supported on rounded piers between the nave and aisle is therefore also from this date. Records show the attractive tower was built in 1536-38: it was paid for by one John Bolney, and his coat of arms are carved above the handsome Tudor Gothic west doorway. Above it is an attractive Perpendicular window from the 15th century. According to Pevsner, the distinctive conical pinnacles on the tower corners may date, perhaps, from the 16th Century. The little porch was built in 1718; the date is carved above the door, as well as the names of the Churchwardens: Drury Bird, John Dunnett (or Dennett?) and Thomas West. Above this is a sundial dated 1850, making a most attractive composition. The furnishings are mostly modern, and include a rather peculiar font. The Royal Coat of Arms on the south wall of the Nave depicts those of Queen Anne (reigned 1702-1714). Outside is an attractive sloping churchyard, full of 17th and 18th century table tombs and planted thickly with trees. To the east is the village cricket ground; what could be more quintessentially English than this?