How to spend a weekend in West Sussex – the laidback rival to the Cotswolds

Something is stirring in West Sussex. Over the past year, a crop of new pubs, restaurants and rural openings has quietly appeared between the chalky hills and flint villages of the South Downs, adding fresh momentum to an already impressive food scene.

The Black Horse in Amberley is among the latest arrivals, while the newly opened Isca at Borde Hill is bringing ambitious, garden-led dining to the Sussex countryside. And Woodcote in the tiny village of Graffham is an understated, produce-focused addition.

Stretching from the Surrey border to the English Channel, with the South Downs rolling through its middle, West Sussex has long attracted a stylish crowd – from artists and actors to designers and musicians – but compared with the Cotswolds, there is refreshingly little fanfare. It’s just not that kind of place. And I should know since I officially joined the ranks of the “Down From Londoners” and moved here myself six months ago after, numerous weekends spent visiting the area had me longing to call it home.

So far, during what is turning out to be one of the warmest summers on record, I’m realising the sheer brilliance of what’s on my doorstep, from excellent vineyards, higgledy-piggledy market towns, smashing pubs and sandy beaches – all within an easy hop of London and its impressive transport links.

There’s no better time to head to the Downs. Here’s my pick of the hottest happenings in West Sussex for 2026 and beyond.

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Where to stay

First things first, if you really want to experience proper Sussex, swap the generic hotel for something more authentic. In this part of the world, it’s all about pubs with rooms, or, increasingly: restaurants where you can bed down.

Last year saw the 14th-century Swan Inn in Fittleworth re-open. The former drinking hole for the likes of JMW Turner and John Constable is still one of the county’s chicest pubs with rooms (think walls painted with Edward Bulmer colours, Penny Morrison curtains, Birdie Fortescue bedspreads and handmade lampshades by Imogen Pope) with a great Provence-inspired garden at the back.

Amberley is one of my favourite villages in the South Downs and perhaps the prettiest (it has bucolic, Cotswolds-esque vibes, minus the coach tours that no one wants). Conveniently it has its own train station with direct services from London Victoria but more importantly – here lies the Black Horse pub, recently revived by brothers, the Gladwin trio (of the Local & Wild restaurant group), who grew up on a family farm five miles away.

Upstairs are 11 deliciously designed bedrooms, with upholstered headboards, blinds by textile designer Molly Mahon and freestanding Albion slipper baths. Downstairs, beneath the frilly Alice Palmer pantry shades, local produce reigns supreme – puffy finger-licking Marmite eclairs, Nutbourne cucumber (from the family farm) and mint gazpacho, buttery just-caught grilled lobster, and a sticky, torched marshmallow chocolate tart.

Elsewhere in Amberley, if you’re searching for solitude, there’s a magical hideaway with sweeping views over the Arun valley named Upper Barn. This self-contained off-grid barn conversion sleeps up to four, and the rental also encompasses a shepherd’s hut, which is the perfect place to dig into the last remaining chapters of your yet-to-be-completed bestseller. In the summer, its part-walled garden is wrapped in a meadow of wild flowers, with the backdrop of the spectacular South Downs Way walking and biking trail.

In the village of Graffham, on the northern slopes of the Downs, lies another new restaurant with rooms that is worth shouting about; The Woodcote is a place that manages to be smart-as-a-pin but not at all fussy. New chef director Nathan Cornwell (of The Silver Birch, Moor Hall, Kadeau), whips up celebration-worthy dishes with Sussex produce – from Goodwood lamb to Duncton Mill trout. You can rest your head in elegant rooms swathed in pieces by a roll call of great British designers: wallpaper from Robert Kime, bedside tables by Alfred Newall and fabrics from Caroline Inchyra. During the summer months, there’s also a pop-up summer cafe for laidback coffees and pastries, with views worth lingering over.

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Eat and drink

Alongside the brilliant line-up of pubs and restaurants with rooms, great places to eat and drink are not hard to winkle out among the hills and valleys of West Sussex.

You’ll want to hotfoot it to the just-opened Isca at Borde Hill, on a 400-acre estate dating back to the 16th century. In a handsome glasshouse overlooking a walled garden, estate-plucked herbs, flowers, fruit and vegetables find their way onto plates and into cocktails, from chalk stream trout to a pea-pod martini. Nicola Harding’s plant-filled interiors are suitably polished, while a seasonal kids’ club with Treehoppers Forest School (running from July until September in 2026) offers parents the ultimate golden ticket: an uninterrupted meal.

Another West Sussex estate offering impressive dining is Knepp, the pioneering rewilding project near Horsham. Its Michelin Green Star Wilding Kitchen puts the estate itself at the heart of the menu, with meat from its free-roaming herds, and vegetables from the market garden appearing alongside sustainably-sourced British fish, while much of the cooking is done over fire. In summer, nab a table in the courtyard and combine lunch with a wander along one of the estate’s walking trails.

For something more low-key, there are plenty of independents worth seeking out. In Amberley, locals rallied to save community-run The Sportsman when its future was threatened in 2024. Today, its spectacular views across the RSPB Wild Brooks make it one of the loveliest spots for a pint. Nearby, The Boathouse Amberley, which was a long-popular riverside spot before it closed earlier this year, is set to open under new management in the coming months, this time as an easy-going neighbourhood Italian. Watch this space.

Over in South Harting, rustic La Follia, owned by former fashion creative director Mariana Newton, is perennially packed with locals, who settle beneath the hanging baskets and fairy lights for coffee and cicchetti. And in Arundel, tiny independent Juniper is part cafe, part bakery and part restaurant, turning out freshly baked pastries, including its famous cinnamon buns alongside seasonal breakfasts and lunches. On Friday evenings there are wine and snacks.

What to do

The South Downs are made for exploring on foot, with trails unspooling across chalk ridges, through ancient woodland and along the banks of the River Arun. The 100-mile South Downs Way cuts straight through the county, but fear not, you needn’t commit to the whole thing: there are plenty of gentler circular walks linking villages and pubs. One of my favourites takes you from Bignor Hill through rolling downland towards The Pig in the South Downs, where a cold drink on the sweeping terrace is a fitting finish.

If pedal-pushing and lycra is your idea of a fun day out, take to the Downs Link, a 37-mile bike-friendly trail largely following the course of two former railway lines, or try the shorter family-friendly Centurion Way, which runs along a dismantled railway between Chichester, Lavant and West Dean.

If you prefer to get out on the water, hire a self-drive boat from Riverside South Downs at Amberley, or a kayak or paddle board from Pulborough Paddles at Stopham Bridge and potter along the River Arun, spotting kingfishers and rare dragonflies as you go.

Coming to this part of Sussex without sampling its wine is practically illegal. Family-run Nutbourne Vineyards, near Pulborough, offers tours and tastings among its vines, wildflowers and lakes, followed by a tasting of its still and sparkling wines. Better still, order one of its picnics or sharing platters and settle in with a bottle.

The grand estates could occupy a weekend in themselves. At Cowdray pick up a walking map and yomp the 16,500-acre estate, taking in the historic Cowdray Ruins and deer park before refuelling at the cafe.

If you’re visiting in summer, expect polo, the annual Maize Maze (which has a new theme every year) and wildflower picking patch (every August).

Over at Goodwood, there’s horse racing, including family race days, alongside the estate’s packed calendar of motoring events.

Treasure hunters (with deep pockets) will love mooching around the cobbled streets of Petworth, packed to the rafters with antique shops and excellent independent boutiques. Two of my favourites are Tallulah Fox, where shelves are laden with pretty linens, glassware and decorative finds, and Maker’s Barn, a beautifully curated showcase of contemporary British craft, from ceramics and textiles to furniture and art. It also hosts a brilliantly eclectic roster of workshops, spanning everything from making traditional gate hurdles and stools to basket weaving and paper flowers.

For a lungful of fresh sea air, hop aboard Chichester Harbour Charter’s newly launched ferry from Sparkes Marina on Hayling Island to East Head at West Wittering (running until 25 October), where the sandy Blue Flag beaches and coastal walks await.

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