West Sussex

Near Denmans Garden

Denmans Garden is a tranquil Grade II-listed garden on the South Downs, featuring innovative gravel gardens, faux riverbeds, a walled garden, ponds, and a conservatory. It showcases diverse and unusual plants with a focus on design and year-round interest, welcoming dogs and offering refreshments and plant sales.

Near Borde Hill

Borde Hill is a Grade II* listed English Heritage Garden set within 383 acres of woodland and parkland, famous for its diverse collection of unusual trees and shrubs and distinct garden 'rooms'. Visitors can enjoy scenic views, wheelchair accessible facilities, and family-friendly amenities including a cafe and picnic area.

Near Fungi Walk

10 Oct (this Saturday)

A local mycologist leads a circular walk through the woods and meadows of Borde Hill’s South Park to explore fungi. Afterwards, attendees can ask questions over tea, coffee and cake inside the Ginkgo Coffee Shop.

Located in Bognor Regis

Bognor Regis is a historic seaside resort town in West Sussex known for its sandy beaches, cultural festivals, Butlin's holiday camp, and a vibrant arts scene including theatres and music events.

2 miles from Uppark

Uppark is a Grade I listed 17th-century historic house museum in West Sussex, open to the public as a National Trust property. It features extensive collections from the 18th century, has been carefully restored after a major fire in 1989, and holds historical significance including ties to writer H. G. Wells.

3 miles from Stansted Park: Scandal and Society

16 Oct (next Friday)

A talk by Stansted Park’s Collections Coordinator explores the people who owned the estate before the Earls of Bessborough arrived in 1924, and the historical events and stories associated with them. Tickets include a drink on arrival.

Located in Littlehampton

Littlehampton is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, known for its historic harbour, beachside attractions including Britain's longest bench, vibrant arts and cultural events, and good public transport connections.

3 miles from Bramber Castle

Bramber Castle features the ruins of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle with a well-preserved gatehouse tower and historic earthworks in West Sussex. Visitors can explore the outdoor remains overseen by English Heritage, including the original motte and foundations, alongside an adjacent historic church still in use.

2 miles from Marley Common

Marley Common is a historic mixed woodland and heathland open to the public for walking and wildlife observation, featuring managed grazing and part of a larger national nature reserve.

Near Cissbury Ring

Cissbury Ring is a large prehistoric hillfort and Neolithic flint mine in West Sussex, offering extensive earthworks, rich biodiversity and panoramic views. It is a notable archaeological and biological site owned by the National Trust, with deep historical significance from Neolithic through Iron Age periods.

3 miles from Arundel Castle Gardens

Arundel Castle is a historic castle with an 11th-century Norman Keep set in over 40 acres of gardens and parkland, featuring grand State Rooms, art collections, and beautiful views over the South Downs. It offers a mix of indoor and outdoor experiences and includes facilities for visitors of all ages.

2 miles from Ditchling Beacon

Ditchling Beacon is the highest point in East Sussex offering extensive panoramic views, historic Iron Age hillfort remains, and scenic chalk downland walks including the South Downs Way. It is popular for walking, wildlife observation, and picnics.

Near Slindon Estate

Slindon Estate offers 3500 acres of woodland, farmland, downland and a charming historic village with paths for walking, cycling and horse riding. Visitors can explore historic landscape features including a medieval deer park and a Roman road, enjoy seasonal woodland displays, and experience stunning panoramic views across the Sussex countryside.

Near Selborne Common

Selborne Common is a protected biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire, featuring ancient beechwood, diverse wildlife including rare butterflies and birds, wildflowers, and historic field systems. It offers outdoor exploration within a nationally managed nature reserve accessible via public footpaths.

3 miles from Blackcap

Blackcap in East Sussex is a 623-acre hilltop area along the South Downs ridge featuring scenic views, ancient history, wildflower walks, and diverse wildlife. It's an outdoor destination rich in natural beauty and historic significance.

Near Bignor Park

Bignor Park is a historic Georgian house set on an eleven-hundred-acre estate at the foot of the South Downs. Visitors can enjoy guided tours of the house with family introductions, explore extensive gardens and parkland, and appreciate the connection to Romantic poet Charlotte Turner Smith. Picnics are welcome on the lawns.

3 miles from Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve

Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve is a significant wetland habitat with trails, a visitor centre, and diverse birdlife including tern colonies. Visitors can enjoy outdoor wildlife watching, accessible paths, and various walking trails, with facilities like a café and picnic areas.

Located in Peacehaven

Peacehaven is a historic and scenic coastal town in East Sussex, known for its unique grid layout, proximity to the South Downs, and the Greenwich Meridian monument. It offers a blend of green spaces, local shops, community events, and cultural heritage attractions suitable for tourists.

3 miles from East Head

East Head is a natural coastline area in West Sussex featuring rare sand-dune habitats, a sandy beach, shingle, and salt-marsh. Visitors can enjoy scenic coastal walks, beach activities, wildlife spotting including seals, and dog-friendly access with some restrictions during bird nesting season.

3 miles from St Mary’s House & Gardens

St Mary’s House & Gardens in Bramber, West Sussex, features a medieval timber-framed house with fine panelled interiors, an Elizabethan Painted Room, and five acres of scenic gardens. The venue offers mostly wheelchair accessible facilities, a cafe, free parking, and a shop, with access for Historic Houses members free of charge.

3 miles from Devil's Dyke

Devil's Dyke near Brighton is a dramatic dry valley and scenic nature spot featuring historic hill fort remains, panoramic views, and rare chalk grassland habitat, ideal for walking, cycling, and exploring nature.

2 miles from Boxgrove Priory

Boxgrove Priory is an ancient 12th-century Benedictine priory ruins located in the village of Boxgrove, West Sussex. The priory church remains in use as the Church of St Mary and St Blaise, with the ruins being a protected Grade I listed building, offering visitors a glimpse into England's medieval religious heritage.

2 miles from Woolbeding Countryside

Woolbeding Estate in West Sussex is a tranquil countryside area featuring lowland heath, diverse wildlife, traditional grazing, and scenic walks along the River Rother. Visitors enjoy outdoor activities including mountain biking and nature walks in a historic rural landscape.

Near Petworth

Petworth House and Park in West Sussex features a 17th-century historic house with a renowned art collection, extensive Capability Brown landscaped gardens, and a large deer park. Visitors can explore the house interiors including historic kitchens, enjoy woodland and garden walks, and relax in the on-site café. The venue offers activities suitable for families and dog walking in designated outdoor areas.

Near We’re Going on a Ghost Hunt™ Halloween Adventure​

10 Oct–1 Nov (next week)

A Halloween trail based on the Bunnies of Hoppity Hill children’s books, with activities including Halloween hoopla, broomstick racing and a celebration party where children can collect a sticker.

Located in Petworth

Petworth is a historic town in West Sussex, England, known for the National Trust's Petworth House and its cultural heritage including art galleries, museums, and an annual traditional fair.

3 miles from Adur Estuary

Adur Estuary is a protected wildlife reserve near Shoreham-by-Sea featuring important wetland habitats with wading birds and wildfowl in a natural outdoor setting. Visitors enjoy scenic views from public footpaths while the reserve itself is closed to disturbance and is free to access.

Near High Beeches Woodland & Water Garden

High Beeches Woodland & Water Garden in West Sussex is a 27-acre botanical garden featuring rare and exotic plants, woodland glades, water gardens, and an ancient wildflower meadow. Visitors can enjoy seasonal displays, owner guided tours, a picnic area, and accessible facilities in a peaceful outdoor setting.

2 miles from We're Going on a Ghost Hunt this Halloween at Nymans

10 Oct–1 Nov (next week)

A Halloween activity trail at Nymans, inspired by the children’s books. Follow the bunnies’ ghost-hunting adventure, try activities including Halloween hoopla and broomstick racing, and collect a sticker at the celebration party.

3 miles from Devil's Dyke, Sussex

Devil's Dyke is a deep dry valley on the South Downs near Brighton, known for scenic views, walking, hang gliding, and historic Iron Age hillfort remains. It is managed by the National Trust and offers a popular outdoor experience for visitors.

3 miles from Wakehurst

Wakehurst is a historic estate in West Sussex featuring a late 16th-century mansion, extensive botanic gardens, and the international Millennium Seed Bank. Visitors can explore the gardens and mansion, enjoy the woodland and wetland conservation areas, and dine onsite. It offers a rich horticultural experience including the largest Christmas tree in England and national plant collections.

3 miles from Stranger Folk Adventure at Sheffield Park

7 Oct–15 Nov (another 37 days)

Visitors use the Stranger Folk app to take part in an outdoor, games-based adventure inspired by British folklore. Guided by the Old Crone, teams complete magical tasks to find the Stranger Folk and decide their fate.

Near Drovers Estate

Drovers Estate is a scenic South Downs estate offering woodland walks, rolling pastures, and panoramic views from Hat Hill, with rich wildlife habitats and historical features including a medieval deer park and a bat roost in a disused railway tunnel.

3 miles from Monk's House

Monk's House is a 16th-century cottage in Rodmell, East Sussex, notable as the home of writer Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group. Visitors can explore the period interiors, her writing lodge, and the garden with views of Mount Caburn, all operated by the National Trust as a writer's house museum.

3 miles from The Big Draw at Monk's House

9–10 Oct, 16–17 Oct…

The Big Draw at Monk's House offers a range of garden-based art activities themed around making marks, including drawing, sketching and creating pictures from natural forms. Activities are open to all ages and abilities.

3 miles from Pulborough Brooks

RSPB Pulborough Brooks is a family-friendly nature reserve in West Sussex featuring both wetland and wooded heathland trails with rich wildlife including birds, dragonflies, and fungi. Visitors can enjoy accessible paths, bird hides, a visitor centre with cafe and shop, and special events like night-time safaris. Dog access is allowed on specific trails, and facilities support wheelchair and pushchair users.

2 miles from Churchill Square (Brighton and Hove)

Churchill Square is a large indoor shopping centre in Brighton featuring around 85 shops including major chain stores, a food court with multiple restaurants, outdoor seating areas, and an IKEA City Store. It offers ample parking and easy access by public transport.

2 miles from Parham House & Gardens

Parham House & Gardens is a historic Elizabethan mansion with significant collections of needlework, paintings, and furniture, set within extensive gardens including a four-acre Walled Garden. Visitors can explore both the indoor house and outdoor gardens, with accessible facilities and on-site food options.

3 miles from Medmerry

Medmerry is a coastal nature reserve near Chichester offering extensive trails, panoramic views, and excellent birdwatching including avocets and birds of prey. The reserve is free to enter, dog-friendly on public paths, and features multiple car parks. Toilets and refreshments are available at a nearby visitor centre.

3 miles from Saddlescombe Farm and Newtimber Hill

Saddlescombe Farm and Newtimber Hill near Brighton offer visitors a scenic outdoor experience with ancient woodland, chalk grassland, and historic farm buildings including a donkey wheel. The site is part of the South Downs Way and is known for diverse wildlife and stunning views.

2 miles from Harting Down

Harting Down is a large area of ancient chalk downland featuring scenic hilltop views, diverse wildlife, and historical remnants including an Iron Age hill fort and Napoleonic war telegraph station. It offers extensive outdoor walking trails through a pristine natural landscape managed by the National Trust.

3 miles from Stansted House: Celebrating the 1920’s

10 Oct (this Saturday)

Visitors can explore Stansted House as it was in the late 1920s, seeing archival items and learning about the Bessborough family and life among the servants. The day includes piano performances, drop-in Charleston workshops, a children’s trail, an exhibition about Stansted Theatre and talks.

3 miles from Ludshott Commons

Ludshott Common is a large heathland area in east Hampshire, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Protection Area, offering outdoor nature exploration and wildlife viewing in a protected heathland environment.

3 miles from Fort Cumberland (England)

Fort Cumberland is a historic pentagonal artillery fort in Southsea, Hampshire, protecting the entrance to Langstone Harbour and the Royal Navy Dockyard. Now managed by English Heritage, it offers pre-booked guided tours of its extensive masonry fortifications and houses a distillery and veterans charities within its casemates.

Near Farnham Heath

Farnham Heath is a restored heathland nature reserve featuring vast heather expanses and diverse wildlife including rare reptiles, birds, and insects. It offers multiple waymarked trails with wheelchair accessible routes and is free to visit. The site provides outdoor nature experiences with no on-site food facilities, though neighbouring museum amenities are accessible.

2 miles from Goodwood House

Goodwood House is a historic stately home in West Sussex featuring an impressive collection of art and historic artifacts. Visitors can enjoy guided tours of the house and exhibitions, along with a luxury afternoon tea experience in the ballroom. The venue offers good wheelchair accessibility and enriches visitors with a deep sense of aristocratic heritage.

Near Petworth House

Petworth House is a historic late 17th-century country house in West Sussex, renowned for its extensive art collection including paintings by J.M.W. Turner and its Capability Brown landscaped deer park. Visitors can explore both the grand indoor galleries and the expansive outdoor parkland and gardens, with visitor facilities such as a cafe and shops on site.

Located in Arundel

Arundel is a picturesque market town in West Sussex, known for its medieval castle, Roman Catholic cathedral, and rich historical heritage, nestled in the South Downs with scenic river views.

3 miles from Glynde Place

Glynde Place is a historic Tudor house built in 1569, offering guided house tours that explore over 500 years of family life. Visitors can enjoy a basic tea room and beautiful views over the Weald and Sussex Downs. The house is open on select days in May, June, and August with wheelchair limitations due to no lift access.

Located in Lewes

Lewes is a historic county town in East Sussex, England, known for its medieval landmarks, annual Bonfire celebrations, vibrant arts scene, and scenic setting in the South Downs National Park along the River Ouse.

Located in Worthing

Worthing is a historic seaside town and borough in West Sussex, England, known for its long beach, cultural heritage, theatres, and art deco pier. It offers a blend of historic architecture, seaside leisure, and arts and culture attractions.

3 miles from Boxgrove Priory

Boxgrove Priory is a historic small Benedictine priory ruin in West Sussex featuring notable remains including a two-storey guest house and a parish church, set at the foot of the South Downs and open freely during daylight hours.

3 miles from Sheffield Park and Garden

Sheffield Park and Garden is a large landscape and woodland garden in East Sussex, originally designed by Capability Brown. It features a significant collection of rare plants and trees, natural ponds, and extensive grounds for outdoor exploration. The garden remains a National Trust property and offers visitors a serene and historic natural environment.

3 miles from Autumnal Foraging Workshop with Megan Howlett

15 Oct, 3 Nov

Join professional forager Megan Howlett for a walk and talk through Sheffield Park’s gardens, exploring seasonal wild foods and learning about their folklore, history, uses and edibility.

2 miles from Black Down

Black Down in West Sussex is the highest point in the South Downs National Park, offering extensive outdoor opportunities for walking, running, and cycling through landscapes of heather, pine trees, ancient lanes, and flower-rich meadows. The area features historic lanes, inspiring views, and important heathland habitats with a sense of wilderness.

2 miles from Nymans

Nymans is a Grade II* listed English garden in West Sussex, featuring extensive woodland, rare plants, and the picturesque ruins of a mock-medieval stone manor. Managed by the National Trust, it showcases a variety of historic horticultural styles and plant collections.

2 miles from The Art of Illusion: The Theatrical World of Oliver Messel

13 Jun–1 Nov (another 23 days)

An exhibition at Nymans exploring the life and creative work of stage designer Oliver Messel, including objects relating to his work in interior design, film and theatre. A display in the Oriel Room features costumes created by students at Wimbledon College of Arts and inspired by Messel.

3 miles from Stansted Park

Stansted Park is an Edwardian country house set within 1800 acres of landscaped parkland and forest, offering visitors house tours, gardens, a chapel, woodland walks, and various outdoor attractions including a maze and light railway. Facilities include accessible parking, a café, and buggy service, with family-friendly activities and seasonal guided tours.

3 miles from Lavington Common

Lavington Common is a National Trust biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in West Sussex, featuring diverse heathland, acid grassland, and woodland habitats with rich wildlife communities.