West & East Sussex Chichester Worthing Hastings Lewes Eastbourne Brighton Horsham

Brighton & Hove

Brighton is one of Britain's great cosmopolitan seaside cities. An early riser amongst British seaside resorts, Brighton's Royal Pavilion designed by John Nash led the way in a particular British Seaside architectural style that was to be evident in the many piers, pavilions and palaces to appear around British seaside resorts through the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Brighton retains much of its splendid Regency architecture with majestic crescents and squares overlooking the sea. Offering a choice of museums and galleries alongside world famous shopping district The Lanes and a full programme of festivals and events including the outstanding Brighton Pride, Brighton is a seaside city break hard to beat.

Around Brighton a host of attractions and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty await. To the north of the city sits the South Downs AONB, to the east the great drama of the chalky white cliffs at the Seven Sisters Country Park and to the West more spectacular Regency architecture at Hove around Brunswick Square and beyond the Adur District and stunning estuary and mudflats at Shoreham-by-sea.

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East Sussex Coast

The East Sussex coast is rich in both history and family seaside holiday resorts. William the Conqueror first landed in Pevensey, establishing a timber-framed fort at Pevensey Castle, before moving inland to meet King Harold and his English forces for Britain's most famous Battle on British soil, the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Pevensey Castle is essential viewing on the 1066 trail as is Hastings Castle on West Hill. To the far east medieval Rye and Winchelsea are further East Sussex coast historic locations, once mighty Cinque Port centres. Both Rye and Winchelsea contain a superb selection of specialist shops, restaurants, tearooms and historic inns.

The best of Sussex family seaside holidays are at both Camber Sands with its award winning sand dune backed beach and at family favourite Hastings where the Pelham Beach seafront is lined with funfair rides and family restaurants with further attractions in the resort including Smugglers Adventure and the Blue Reef Aquarium. Bexhill-on-Sea and Eastbourne offer a more leisurely pace. Spectacular seaside heritage architecture and glorious beachfront promenades are in both these East Sussex resorts. Heritage architectural highlights include the beautifully renovated De La Warr Pavilion at Bexhill and Eastbourne's heritage Victorian Pier and Victorian architecture in the Devonshire area and lining Eastbourne Promenade. Eastbourne also boasts one of Europe's largest marinas - Sovereign Harbour Marina, and the resort is a hub for watersports. Just west of Eastbourne sits one of England's designated heritage coastlines culminating in the breathtaking chalk cliffs at Beachy Head. The South Downs Way National Trail begins at Eastbourne and runs parallel to the cliff edge at Beachy Head en-route to the Seven Sisters Country Park.

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Inland East Sussex

The heart of East and Mid Sussex features two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the South - The High Weald and The South Downs. A large chunk of the Sussex High Weald is in the east which includes the stunning lowland heath areas in Ashdown Forest which has links with Winnie-the-Pooh and author A.A.Milne. Walking trails in the Sussex Weald include the Weald Way and the High Weald Landscape Trail and a host of idyllic Wealden centres including Crowborough, Heathfield, Uckfield, Battle and Hailsham are superb bases from which to explore the Sussex High Weald area. Attractions across the Weald feature stunning castles at Bodiam and Herstmonceux as well as heritage steam railways, vineyards and family farm parks, stunning Weald gardens and stately homes such as famous Batemans, once home to Rudyard Kipling.

The East Sussex South Downs AONB holds more treasures. Here the Downland is at its most dramatic at popular beauty spots such as the deep dry valley at Devil's Dyke and the nature reserve at Ditchling Beacon. The iconic Sussex Downs chalk engravings are here in the east around Alfriston and the Cuckmere Valley including the Long Man of Wilmington and the Litlington White Horse. Popular East Sussex Downs centres include medieval Alfriston and Poynings, both of which straddle the South Downs Way National Trail. East Sussex is 1066 Country and here in the heart of the High Weald sits one of England's most historic sites, Battle Abbey and the Battle of Hastings 1066 Battlefield site. Ranking with Battle as an important historic centre in East Sussex is Lewes, home to the striking Norman Lewes Castle, the 15th century Wealden Anne of Cleves House and a host of medieval architecture, specialist shops and fine restaurants and inns. Famous literary names also herald from the East Sussex Downs. English Novelist Virginia Woolf lived at Monk's House south of Lewes at Rodmell until her death in 1963. Also around Lewes is the country retreat of the Bloomsbury set of artists and writers at Charleston Farmhouse with nearby Glyndebourne standing as a major centre for opera in the UK.

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Inland West Sussex

Inland Mid and West Sussex is the heart of rural Sussex containing the Sussex Weald historic market town gems East Grinstead and Horsham, a host more historic market towns in the Horsham District and the glorious South Downs AONB as it sweeps west from Steyning and the Iron Age hillforts of Cissbury and Chanctonbury towards East Hampshire. One of Europe's busiest airports, London Gatwick Airport sits on the northern edge of West Sussex near Crawley on the Surrey border and is surrounded by a charming selection of villages and towns including Horley, Crawley Down, Charlwood and Tinsley Green.

The best of the Sussex Gardens are in this most rural of Sussex regions including the stunning Mid-Sussex gardens Nymans, Wakehurst Place, Leonardslee, Borde Hill and High Beeches. Alongside gardens find some of Sussex's most elegant stately homes in the area including Petworth House & Gardens, Parham and Uppark. The landscape gardens of Petworth Park are the work of Britain's best landscape gardener Capability Brown who is also responsible for the outstanding gardens at Sheffield Park near Haywards Heath. Outstanding family attractions include the Bluebell Railway near Haywards Heath and Fishers Farm Park near Billingshurst. Beautiful Arundel on the edge of the Downs boasts a spectacular castle and cathedral and is home to one of Britain's most beautiful wetlands alongside the River Arun. Some of the best of Sussex horse racing is also in this part of Sussex including the family friendly Fontwell Park Racecourse near Arundel, Plumpton and Hickstead near Burgess Hill and Lingfield Park Racecourse just over the Surrey border near Gatwick Airport.

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West Sussex Coast

The West Sussex Coast is home to some of the best family seaside holiday resorts in Sussex including family hotspots Bognor Regis and Littlehampton. Award winning beaches are at both these family seaside resorts as well as popular family attractions such as Butlins open for day visitors at Bognor and Harbour Park Amusements and funfair rides on Littlehampton's seafront. Elegant Worthing with its character pier, charming shops and its fair share of Regency and heritage seaside architecture including the spectacular Edwardian Dome Cinema makes for a relaxing seaside holiday break. Worthing is also a top West Sussex location for theatre with a choice of theatre venues including the deco fronted Connaught Theatre and glorious Worthing Pavilion at the pier entrance.

West of Bognor Regis pushes into the Chichester area and on the coast Pagham Harbour National Nature Reserve, Selsey and the Manhood Peninsula and to the far west the designated Area of Outstanding Beauty Chichester Harbour. Pretty fishing seaside resort Selsey is a popular location for diving and snorkelling off shore from the Lifeboat Station whilst the Chichester Harbour area contains the glorious sands of blue flag beach West Wittering which is popular with families and for watersports including kitesurfing and windsurfing. Boat trips and ferry trips, sailing training and windsurfing are all available around the stunning Chichester Harbour area. Cathedral and Roman city Chichester is a centre for the arts in West Sussex boasting the acclaimed Chichester Festival Theatre, the outstanding Pallant House Art Gallery and a year round programme of festivals. Just west of the city centre sits spectacular Fishbourne Roman Palace with what is essentially one of the finest collection of Roman mosaic floors in the world. To the north of Chichester is the Sussex South Downs AONB containing a number of West Sussex's most popular attractions including the Weald & Downland Museum at Singleton and Goodwood Racecourse and House within the Goodwood Estate.

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