Sussex

Just a short hop from the capital, and prime territory for day trips and weekend breaks, Sussex covers a huge area, ranging from hardcore commuter territory to some of southern Britain's most uniquely wild and scenic countryside. It's also got an unusually high quota of great places to stay, and Sussex hotels include everything from classy boutique places, gastropubs with rooms, achingly hip B&Bs, not to mention boutique accommodation in all sorts of locations from an old railway carriage to a Gothic mansion or even a Lighthouse.

A large chunk of visitors head straight for vibrant, artsy Brighton, but there's a great deal more to Sussex than this. It is actually two separate counties these days – East Sussex and West Sussex – over a quarter of which lies within the South Downs National Park, a beautiful landscape of rolling chalk downlands, wildflower meadows and sleepy villages: great territory for hiking and biking and all sorts of outdoor activities and home to some quintessentially bucolic English landscapes. The county's coastal strip is more developed, with some stretches a continuous ribbon of development where only the town signs indicate you've left one place and arrived in another, but even here you’ll find spectacular soaring white cliffs at the Seven Sisters County Park, beautiful estuarine creeks around Chichester Harbour and a couple of sandy beaches at Camber Sands and West Wittering. Add into this rich mix a handful of crumbling castles, some magnificent country estates and a couple of picture-perfect medieval towns – Rye is pick of the bunch – not to mention vineyards, corking country pubs and great local produce and you’ll see why Sussex deserves to be explored slowly and savoured.

Best Places to Stay in Sussex

£295

Looking Glass Lodge

South East England, East Sussex, Hastings

Sleeps 2
Cabin
Lodge
Treehouses

£495

Ditchling Cabin

South East England, East Sussex, Ditchling

Sleeps 2–4
Cabin

£180

The Nest ★★★★★

South East England, West Sussex, Haywards Heath

Sleeps 2–4
Cabin
Cottage

£550

Honeybridge Estate ★★★★★

South East England, West Sussex, Ashurst

Sleeps 25 adults and up to 15 children
Cabin
Cottage
Large Property

£105

Swallowtail Hill Glamping ★★★★★

South East England, East Sussex, Rye

Cabins, Huts & Cottage

£140

Tack Barn ★★★★★

South East England, East Sussex, Lewes

Sleeps 2
Barn

£171

Upper Barn ★★★★★

South East England, West Sussex, Amberley

Sleeps 2–4
Cabin

£160

Nest Stay ★★★★★

South East England, West Sussex, Pulborough

Cottage sleeps 2, Lodge sleeps 6
Cottage

£120

The Crown Inn, Dial Post ★★★★★

South East England, West Sussex, Horsham

3 Guest Rooms, 1 Suite & 2 Cottages
Pub with Rooms

£327

The Rook Retreat ★★★★★

South East England, West Sussex, Amberley

Sleeps 11
Large Property

£125

Trading Boundaries ★★★★★

South East England, East Sussex, Uckfield

8 Guest Rooms
Boutique B&B

£142

15 Bond Street ★★★★★

South East England, West Sussex, Arundel

2-Bedroom house sleeping 4
Cottage

£77

Sage Cottage ★★★★★

South East England, East Sussex, Ditchling

Sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms
Cottage

£140

The Jolly Sportsman ★★★★★

South East England, East Sussex, Lewes

4 Guest Rooms
Pub with Rooms
Restaurant with Rooms

£240

Braganza ★★★★★

South East England, West Sussex, Arundel

4-Bedroom house sleeping 8
Large Property

£95

Artist Residence Brighton ★★★★★

South East England, East Sussex, Brighton

23 rooms and 3 apartments
Boutique Hotel

£842

Fair Oak Farm

South East England, East Sussex, Mayfield

Sleeps 32
Large Property

£275

Hoots Treehouses

South East England, East Sussex, Mayfield

2 Treehouses each Sleeping 2
Treehouses

£170

Gensing Lodge

South East England, East Sussex, Hastings

Sleeps 6
Apartment

£595

The Tennis Shed

South East England, East Sussex, Ditchling

Sleeps 4 + 1
Cabin

£160

Architects Holiday

South East England, East Sussex, Battle

2 Cabins each sleeping 2
Cabin

£145

Kenny's Hut and Cleo's Hut

South East England, West Sussex, Horsham

2 Shepherds Huts
Shepherd’s huts

£175

The Piggery at John Bulls House

South East England, West Sussex, Horsham

Sleeps 2
Cottage

£225

Ockenden Manor Hotel and Spa

South East England, West Sussex, Haywards Heath

27 Guest Rooms & Suites
Country House Hotel
Historic Hotel
Spa Hotel

£45

Bramley & Teal

South East England, Kent

Cottages Sleeping 2–16
Cottage

£160

The Spread Eagle

South East England, West Sussex, Midhurst

39 Guest Rooms & Suites
Coaching Inn

£325

Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa

South East England, West Sussex, Littlehampton

39 Guest Rooms & Suites
Country House Hotel
Historic Hotel
Spa Hotel

£109

The Black Horse, Climping

South East England, West Sussex, Littlehampton

7 Guest Rooms
Coaching Inn

£150

Westgate Gallery

South East England, West Sussex, Chichester

2-Bedroom house sleeping 4
Cottage

£165

The Bell in Ticehurst

South East England, East Sussex, Wadhurst

7 Rooms & 4 Suites
Pub with Rooms

£156.50

The Relais Cooden Beach Hotel

South East England, East Sussex, Bexhill on Sea

45 Guest Rooms
Boutique Hotel

YHA South Downs

South East England, East Sussex, Lewes

YHA Hostel

£225

Herons Wood at Greyfriars

South East England, East Sussex, Rye

Sleeps 5
Apartment
Manor House

£203.50

Eagles Nest at Greyfriars

South East England, East Sussex, Rye

Sleeps 4
Apartment
Manor House

£89

Port

South East England, East Sussex, Eastbourne

19 Guest Rooms
Boutique Hotel

£140

Saddlers B&B

South East England, West Sussex, Chichester

3 Guest Rooms
Boutique B&B

£170

The Grand ★★★★★

South East England, East Sussex, Brighton

201 Guest Rooms
Boutique Hotel

Kipps Brighton ★★★★★

South East England, East Sussex, Brighton

34 Guest Rooms
Independent Hostel

£200

The George ★★★★☆

South East England, East Sussex, Rye

34 Guest Rooms & Suites
Pub with Rooms

£100

Rathfinny Wine Estate

South East England, East Sussex, Alfriston

10 Rooms + 1 Cottage sleeping 4
Restaurant with Rooms

£250

Tinwood Estate

South East England, West Sussex, Chichester

8 Luxury Lodges
Lodge

£375

The Gallivant

South East England, East Sussex, Rye

20 Guest Rooms
Boutique Hotel

£100

House on the Brooks

South East England, West Sussex, Pulborough

3 Properties Sleeping 8–18
Large Property

£120

Regency Rooms

South East England, West Sussex, Littlehampton

7 Guest Rooms
Boutique B&B

£260

Leonardslee House

South East England, West Sussex, Horsham

10 Guest Rooms & Suites
Restaurant with Rooms

£250

The Crab and Lobster

South East England, West Sussex, Chichester

4 Guest Rooms
Pub with Rooms

£250

Richmond Arms

South East England, West Sussex, Chichester

2 Guest Rooms
Pub with Rooms

£100

The Griffin Inn

South East England, East Sussex, Uckfield

13 Guest Rooms

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Sussex Features

All hail the fires of Lewes

Bonfire Night in Lewes, November 5

Walking the dog

Five great Sussex walks for you and your dog with a pub lunch at the end.

Things to Do in Sussex

The Sussex coast was historically the war front of England and now boasts a spattering of relics from this turbulent past. In the town of Battle you can visit the site of the famous battle of Hastings in 1066, whilst throughout the countryside you can explore castles and ruins that have stood for centuries and are now open to the public. Sussex is also home to a growing art scene and has a fantastic amount of galleries and museums to visit, including the famous Pallant House Gallery and Towner Contemporary Art Museum, as well as the chance to walk through an open-air sculpture park in the South Downs. Outdoors there is range of activities to keep you occupied, particularly on the coast where you can hire boats or bikes to take in the famous landscapes or wander the South Downs Way by foot. In Brighton join lively festivals or throw yourself into the vibrant nightlife that buzzes all the way through to sunrise!

1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield

Amberley Museum

Arundel Castle

Ashdown Forest

Birling Gap

Bodiam Castle

Bolney Wine Estate

British Airways i360

Camber Sands

Cass Sculpture Foundation

Charleston Farmhouse

Chichester Harbour Solar Heritage Boat Tours

Cowdray Ruins

De La Warr Pavilion

Devil's Dyke

Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft

Drusillas Park

Fly Sussex Paragliding

Great Dixter

Hastings Contemporary

Hastings Old Town

Lewes Castle

Monk's House

Pallant House Gallery

Pells Pool

Petworth House

Seven Sisters Country Park

Sheffield Park

So Sussex

Standen House & Garden

The Tom Paine Printing Press & Press Gallery

Towner Contemporary Art Museum

West Wittering Beach

Pubs and Restaurants in Sussex

The Sussex countryside is dotted with pubs serving traditional meals, local ales and also (one of few places in the UK) local wines. These haunts are supplemented with newer restaurants and gastro-pubs serving modern british cuisine, often making the most of fresh seafood, in abundance on the South coast. And if it is seafood your after, then you won't feel short changed here; Sussex has a real range of experiences, from fine dining on oysters in the Michelin-starred Curlew Restaurant, to rustic fish and chips, from world famous Maggie's in Hastings. The cosy atmosphere of these local-feeling eateries could not be in more stark contrast to the vibrant centre of Brighton, a city with the greatest concentration of restaurants anywhere in the southeast outside of London. While Brighton is certainly home to some classy establishments, it also boasts a range of cheap bars and cafes that fight hard to attract the large student market with discount deals and drinks offers. The nightlife is hectic and busy throughout the year, while during the daytime there is a growing cafe culture as visitors relax with a coffee on the sea front.

Badgers

Bill’s

Buttercup Café

East Beach Café

Lewes Arms

Maggie's

Pappardelle

Richmond Arms

The Cricketers’ Arms

The Fox Goes Free

The Gallivant Restaurant

The George Inn

The Ginger Fox

The Horse Guards Inn

The Hungry Guest

The Ram Inn

The Tiger Inn

Shopping in Sussex

The small villages of the Sussex countryside offer some unique independent stores, as well as good food shops selling locally farmed produce. The growing quality of British wine is reflected in the rising number of vineyards in the area and Sussex is a good place to find specialist wine shops with bottles from around the world as well as down road. But the real centre for shopping in Sussex is undoubtedly Brighton, home to a pleasing mix of vintage cool, boutique fashion and tacky seaside kitsch. The antique shops and jewelers of Brighton’s famously beguiling Lanes are brimming with one-of-a-kind treasures. It may also surprise you to find high end specialists like Warren Evans and Apple. As befitting its Mod heritage, Brighton has some excellent retro furniture and clothes stores with the excellent Nanadobbie down the North Laine selling everything from Warhol prints to chrome light fixtures straight out of Blow Up. If art is your thing, we recommend a visit in September to the Brighton Art fair where shoppers can indulge their inner Saatchi in any of the city’s many independent galleries selling unique and affordable pieces.