| WEST SUSSEX |
| Arundel Castle |
In centre of Arundel |
This great castle dates from the Norman
Conquest. In 1643, during Civil War, the original castle was badly damaged
and it was later restored in the 18th and 19th centuries. The castle
contains a very fine collection of furniture and paintings and amongst the
treasures are the personal possessions of Mary Queen of Scots and a
selection of historical, religious and heraldic items from the Duke of
Norfolk's collection. |
| Arundal Cathedral |
In centre of Arundel |
A great rose window
dominates the west front of Arundel's Roman Catholic Cathedral, which was
built by 15th Duke of Norfolk. Begun in 1869, its designer Joseph Hansom,
gave the cathedral a medieval style with a spacious and light interior.
The principle memorial is the shrine of St Philip Howard who died in 1595. |
| Bignor Roman Villa |
Off A29, 5 miles
south-west of Pulborough |
The mosaics are the glory
of this Roman farmstead. For more than 1500 years the glowing pictures in
multicoloured stones lay buried until uncovered by a farmer. The Ganymede
mosaic is the first sight visitors see when entering the villa through was
used to be the dining room. Nearby are the remains of an elegant hexagonal
fountain surrounded by mosaics. The villa is one of the largest to be
discovered in Britain, with traces of 65 rooms apart from the outhouses
for cattle. |
| Chichester Cathedral |
In centre of Chichester |
Although more than 900 years old, Chichester
Cathedral owes much of its present fame to Dean Hussey, a 20th century
man. Dean Hussey was a connoisseur of art and the cathedral is in
consequence a treasure house of painting, sculpture and stained glass. The
cathedral stands in the centre of the Roman city: excavations near the
high alter uncovered a mosaic pavement which has been left exposed under a
glass cover. Most of the present building was completed in 1123, and the
cathedral contains two of the most important Norman sculptures surviving
in Britain. |
| Fishbourne Roman Palace |
On A27, 1.5 miles west of
Chichester |
Fishbourne was the
residence of a local pro-Roman local king, and its interior was
accordingly sumptuous. The mosaics are world-famous for they are both
extensive and sophisticated. In the garden excavations have determined the
position and shape of the original Roman flowerbeds and these have been
replanted with original Roman plants. At the entrance is a model showing
how Fishbourne would have looked in AD 75. Other displays show the many
objects found at the site. |
| Goodwood House |
Off 286, 3.5 miles north-east of Cichester |
Tsars, kings and queens have made Goodwood
House their home every July for the horseracing and all left a thank you
in the form of jewellery or other rich presents. The 3rd Duke of Richmond
was a great traveller and collector, and it was he that brought back
priceless collections of Sevres porcelain and Gobelins tapestries. He also
planned out the great ballroom as a gallery of portraits of his ancestors.
They are still on view and form a nationally important collection of
works. |
| Parham House |
On A283, 2.5 miles south
of Pulborough |
This Elizabethan manor
house is approached by a long drive past Bronze Age barrows. The heart of
the house is the Great Hall, and it was here the Elizabeth I dined in
state in 1593. At the east end of the hall is the carved oak screen put in
when the house was built. Scattered throughout the house are many historic
paintings including one of a kangaroo, it was the first representation of
a kangaroo seen in Europe. In the 160ft Long Gallery at the very top of
the house there are a number of display cases containing mementos of the
house's history. |
| Petworth House |
On A272, 7 miles east of Midhurst |
Although there has been a building on the
site of Petworth House since the 14th century, most of the present
building was done in the 17th century. The West Front, begun in 1688, is
magnificent by contrast the back is a hotchpotch of styles; only the
chapel and the cellars survive from the original building. In the Carved
Room there are superb limewood picture frames emphasising the portraits of
the Duke's of Somerset. The Turner Room is devoted to the works of the
painter J.M.W. Turner. |
| St Mary's, Bramber |
On A283, 0.5 miles east of
Steyning |
This half-timbered house
bears evidence of seven centuries or architectural history. Underfoot lies
the foundations of a 12th century building erected by the Knights Templar.
The present building was erected in 1470 as a gatehouse in which the monks
from a nearby priory lived. One of the original carved entrances is on
show. On display, too, is a remarkable 'shutting window' in 12 folding
sections. Throughout the house is a wealth of carving and artefacts, but
even in this richly decorated house the Painted Room stands out with its
trompe l'oeil panelling. |
| Standen |
Off B2110, 2 miles south of East Grinstead |
This Victorian gentleman's country villa is
the only house designed by Philip Webb to have survived with most of its
original decoration and furniture. Many of the textiles and wallpapers are
William Morris. Outside, the house appears a solid four-square structure
was a curious, squat tower. Webb's design was influenced by his
determination to incorporate into the new house the medieval farmhouses
that stood on the site. |
| Tangmere Military
Aviation Museum |
Off A27, 3 miles east of
Chichester |
A Hawker Hunter jet of
1956 guards the entrance of this former RAF fighter aerodrome, a key
station during the Battle of Britain and now the home of a museum of
aviation history. The Tangmere Hall tells the story of the station through
its 50-odd years of existence. The Battle of Britain Hall displays the remains
of aircraft, personal effects, photographs and paintings as lasting
reminders of the critical air battles of 1940. There is also a
reconstruction of the famous raid on Mohne Dam by the 'Dambusters' of 617
Squadron. |
| Uppark |
On B2146, 5 miles south-east of Petersfield |
Uppark was built on the crest of a hill by
1st Earl of Tankerville in 1690. The view stretches beyond Chichester to
the sea and the Isle of Wight 20 miles away. Visitors approach the house
along an arcaded corridor designed in 1811. Though the domestic rooms of
the house have changed over the years the ceremonial rooms still look as
they would have done in the 18th century. An excellent example of 18th
century taste is the red drawing room with its flock wallpaper, original
festoon curtains and rococo furniture. |
| Weald and Downland Open
Air Museum |
Off A286, just west of
Singletown |
Curving hills surround a
40 acre bowl which is the setting for this collection of domestic
architecture and country workshops, trades and machinery. The Weald and
Downland Open Air Museum is a perpetual rescue operation that seeks out
native buildings of historic importance and re-erects them. The collection
includes a reconstructed 14th century cottage, and the 15th century
Bayleaf Farm. |
