Got a couple of weeks down there coming up very soon and have done nicht-all research. Family of 4 with 2 teens. We like historical stuff, old towns, National Trust/English Heritage, crazy golf and water activities.

Looking at :

Arundel Castle
Brighton Pavilion
Weald and Down
Amberly Museum
Chichester inflatable water park thingy
Tangmere Aircraft Museum (for me, can’t see the rest being that arsed!)
Portchester Castle / Fort Brockhurst

The kids also like jumping off sea walls if there are any suitable and we’ll be taking wetsuits and body boards

Anything else to consider?

Lovely area to explore by foot and bike, South Downs has loads of scope for walking, as well as bridleways and old rail trails, if you need bike hire there is https://www.riversidesouthdowns.com/bikes

I’d suggest buying the OS 1:25k maps and enjoying the countryside a bit, linking up historical sites by a few pleasant walks and rides with the odd pub thrown in for good measure 🙂

Amberley is a great spot too!

cheers,

Keith

Book a day down West Wittering? Do beachy/watery stuff down there.
https://www.westwitteringestate.co.uk/how-to-book

The beaches tend to have a lot of shingle – bring suitable beach/surf shoes.

You are not far from Portsmouth which has loads of interesting stuff in addition to what you’ve already listed – and I think the whole family will like Tangmere. There is also an interesting Roman villa at Fishbourne about 3 miles SW of Chichester that should be interesting for families. If you have bikes there is an easy flat ride the family can do from Chichester to West Wittering beach. And you can hire paddle boards at Chichester to take down the canal.

Thanks, keep ’em coming!

Don’t mind a bit of walking. Won’t be doing any cycling though.

Goodwood, L’Eroica is on this month there I think – not sure what dates though.

(I did clock you won’t be riding, but it still might be fun to mooch round and see folk in costume etc.)

West Beach at Littlehampton if you want to avoid the crowds and shops, East Beach if you don’t (both shingle rather than sand though).

If you go to Chichester, the Bishop’s gardens (access via the cathedral) is a lovely spot for a picnic.

Its odd, having lived in the area for 30 years… i am struggling to think of things to do!

Brighton is worth a trip, a varied and interesting city. Got some commercial stuff there too, i360, sealife centre, beach volleyball etc.

If you are coming past Worthing (maybe on route to Brighton) there is Highdown gardens, which is free and worth a walk around, if into flowers n stuff.

Otherwise you have a solid list so far.

I think leroica got cancelled.

witts is a lovely beach. Lewes has nice history. There’s a couple of national trust properties around, the parkland around petworth is nice and relaxed. Brighton pier is good fun with the kids, you can get day tickets for the rides at the end if you want, or just pay as you go. people have been known to jump off the top of the helter skelter into the sea if your kids are feeling brave 🙂 2p machines are fun too. there’s crazy golf on the waterfront down towards the marina (I think, maybe outside concorde 2), The i360 is surprisingly nice, but might be kinda busy.

Also do a search, south downs/ Arundel things to do has come up a few times.

Top tip, if you find a pub you like the look of, book a table! It’s busy down ‘ere.

I think leroica got cancelled.

Oh yeah, ignore that then! https://www.goodwood.com/cycling/eroica-britannia/

Loads of walks/rides around arundel. Walk along the river/swanbourne lake.

Bosham is a nice place – quaint..road that floods. always nice to see a posh car bonnet deep in the salty stuff!!!

The crazy golf on littlehampton front (next to the pitch and putt) is really good!

Worthing is actually pretty cool – nice prom, nice pier, good food. If you like seafood, visit the Crabshack.
I’ve moved from Worthing to Hove – i thinkl worthing is nocer than ‘proper’ Brighton – less busy. But Brighton is cool – classic place to visit…see the lanes etc..

DrP

30 min drive up the road to Petworth – ramshackle old town and Petworth House is NT house with massive grounds.

I drove past Petworth the other week and my goodness the grounds really did look huge. I’d definitely have stopped to visit if I wasn’t part way through 250 miles back to Sheffield.

Historic Dockyard Portsmouth
QE Country Park
Bignor Roman Villa
High Salvington Windmill – check opening days
Amberley Museum +1 – check special events

Rakham woods, nice walk + view over the water meadows.

Remember Sussex is full of pagans – have fun!

You could combine the Knepp Estate and Leonardslee Gardens in one day, both nice. Sussex Prairie Gardens also worth a few hours

The crazy golf on the road from Chichester to Selsey is excellent. 2 courses. One inside (dark with fluorescent lighting) and one outside

Jungle paradise Adventure golf

If you like your stately homes, then Uppark and Stansted House could be worth a visit.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/uppark-house-and-garden
https://www.stanstedpark.co.uk/
Often events going on at Stansted.

New Forest if you can make it that far, is a lovely area for walks and picnics. Also the New Forest Aqua Park is a lot better than the one in Chichester.

If you’re around the end of Aug, arundel gallery trail is worth a mooch….
https://www.arundelgallerytrail.co.uk/

Also
https://www.brewhouseproject.co.uk/

Traffic on the A27 is pretty bad around Chichester and and Arundel FYI, but trains can get you E and W

There’s the Wildlife and wetland trust at Arundel
Lido at Arundel
Flying Fortress indoor play area for the kids at Ford
Portsmouth museum
1066 Target Sports at Hastings
Butlins at Bognor Regis

“30 min drive up the road to Petworth – ramshackle old town and Petworth House is NT house with massive grounds.”
and the largest collection of Turner’s paintings anywhere, though each one is lit by a single 60W bulb… While there, check out The Horseguards Pub round the corner.
West Wittering is the only sandy beach, with dunes, in the area and is well worth a visit. It’s very shallow and warms up quickly. It can be like swimming in the Caribbean.
There’s a Guitar museum in Worthing, and HMS Victory and the Mary Rose in Portsmouth…
There are vinyards galore on the South Downs, mostly owned by french champagne houses waiting for global warming to make their own fizz undrinkable, and further East around Lewes you have Charlesworth, home to the Bloomsbury set, and Farleys, home to Roger Penrose and Lee Miller, good friends of Picasso, Man Ray, Dali, etc, who thought it would be good to get them to do the wall papering…
The Seven Sisters beteweeen Seaford and Eastbourne is a good long stroll, including Beachy Head
Oh, and Goodwood has, every Sunday morning, the Breakfast Club, where various car owners clubs get the place to themselves. You won’t be bored! This is only the tip of the Iceberg…

Hastings is bloody miles away along some pretty congested parts of the A27! Neither is the Seven Sisters but it is lovely walking across the top on a nice day. If you do get over there stop at the Tiger Inn in East Dean and have a pint on the village green

Not sure if it’s been mentioned but the Weald and Downland Museum is worth a visit. Loved the doing the Arundel art trail when we lived nearby, so recommend that, if you’re around for it.

Add Fort Nelson if you are going to do a day trip towards Fareham/Portchester – you can fit it in along with the Castle in a day. They sometimes do a firing of one of the cannon. Worth checking times.

Portchester has some decent coffee / food options around the castle and you can walk part of the England Coast Path towards Port Solent (more eateries, dull walk imo) or towards Fareham round the harbour (nicer walk but no restaurants). Seahorse coffee van (in the castle grounds), Cormorant pub, 84 by the Shore and Salt at Wicor Marina are all decent. Kayak hire also at Wicor Marina.

Historic Dockyard at Portsmouth is also a whole day out and harbour tour used to be part of the all in ticket.

Sup hire on Hayling if its scorchio.
Spinnaker tower gives great views of the Solent but is expensive.
Harbour tour better value as a standalone ticket imo
Check car parking availability at West wittering before driving down.

From Chichester, there’s a lot thats only a modest drive, because the A27 opens up to a speedier road past Chichester and then into M27. So you can get on that road, and Bournemouth with its huge sandy beaches, especially Hengistbury Head, is not so far time wise – porbably an hour. As is Salisbury. Russians come just to see the famous spire! And then that takes you to the New Forest & Beaulieu.

Actually, from Chichester 30m to Portsmouth or 45 to Souhtampton, even the Isle of Wight is do-able. and theres loads to see there.

I drove past Petworth the other week and my goodness the grounds really did look huge. I’d definitely have stopped to visit if I wasn’t part way through 250 miles back to Sheffield.

There’s a kebab van parked up in a layby opposite the Petworth car park entry. Always worth a stop if you’re passing of an evening!

Arundel festival is great if your visit coincides.

Check car parking availability at West wittering before driving down.

We fell foul of this. Don’t check on the day or the day before, check well in advance!

DrP

Worthing is actually pretty cool – nice prom, nice pier, good food. If you like seafood, visit the Crabshack.
I’ve moved from Worthing to Hove – i thinkl worthing is nocer than ‘proper’ Brighton – less busy. But Brighton is cool – classic place to visit…see the lanes etc..

DrP

My only memory of Worthing is old people, probably as my fathers parents lived there. It was the 70’s though.

Bloody hell I’m supposed to be in Hove on Saturday, so if the person I’m supposed to be meeting can’t make it you can be “sloppy seconds” 😮

Or you can just tell me where to go 😉

Its a nice part of the world. Live in Chichester which is a bit sleepy but has a fair bit to offer. WE do have West Sussex CAMRA pub of the year though amd a few other fairly decent spots.

Well… today is our last day.

In no particular order we have done.

Arundel Castle
Arundel Festival (twice) including the ABBA tribute act last night which was fabulous!
Tangmere
Chichester
Bosham
Worthing
Brighton (Pavilion, pier and Lanes)
Chichester water park
Uppark
Petworth
Bognor (flying visit, but 20 minutes was too long!)
Weald and Downland
Lewes
Portchester Castle and Fort Brockhurst (as part of the journey down)
and we’ve finished it off with a day on Littlehampton beach

Excellent.