Sutton

The Inn That Kept Its Place

The sign outside the White Horse shows a groom, and the groom is Sir Ian Anstruther, who saved the pub from closure in 1972. A building has stood on the spot since at least 1608; a map of 1746 records it as a malthouse commonly known as the White Horse, and the present building is 18th-century. Local owners restored it in 2017, and it is now a focal point for the village.

Inside there is a bar, an open fire, a garden terrace and eight bedrooms. The head chef, Ben Miller, builds seasonal menus around Sussex farmers, fishermen and growers, which produces a list that ranges wider than most village kitchens attempt: a Mediterranean fish stew of pollock, king prawn, mussels and chorizo with chickpeas, fennel and red peppers; squid-ink risotto with grilled red mullet, confit squid and king prawn; tandoori roasted cauliflower served with naan, sag aloo and a coconut-cauliflower purée. The kitchen holds a 2024 AA Rosette. Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the bar and, on leads, in the garden.

Practicalities and Ancient Stone

For everyday shopping, Petworth, about five miles off, is the place to stock up before you arrive.

The church, St John the Baptist, is Grade I and reads its own history in its walls. Herringbone masonry in the nave marks the 11th-century work; the south aisle and its arcade are late 12th-century, the west tower dates to about 1300, and the chancel and north transept are 14th-century. Inside are an early-13th-century octagonal marble font, plain 17th-century pews, a set of 14th-century triple sedilia and two medieval piscinae. In 1862 an object described as a Roman urn was dug up beneath the chancel, though its true date has never been settled.

From Village Lanes to Bignor Hill

What most people come for is the ground beyond the houses. From Sutton it is roughly two miles up through neighbouring Bignor to Bignor Hill, the car park and the South Downs Way, which makes a straightforward out-and-back before you commit to the ridge. A longer 5.4-mile circular from Whiteways climbs gently through woodland to the long views on Bignor Hill and returns on rougher ground. Along the top a stretch of Stane Street, the Roman road from Chichester to London, is still clearly visible underfoot.

Bignor Hill is also an official Dark Sky Discovery Site, in the core of the reserve, and on a clear night the Milky Way can show. Bring a torch and let your eyes adjust.

Roman Floors, Great Art and the Way In

Nearby, Bignor Roman Villa has opened its mosaic floors to visitors since 1814, including a Medusa, and keeps a tearoom. Petworth House, five miles away, holds Turner, Van Dyck and Gainsborough inside and a 700-acre Capability Brown deer park outside. The Domesday surveyors counted 48 households here, three mills and a value of ten pounds, unchanged between 1066 and 1086.

Getting here means the A29 or A285; the nearest station is Amberley, about three and a half miles away in a straight line, and the 99 bus runs between Petworth and Chichester, though its demand-responsive version, 99 Flex, needs booking rather than a timetable.

A Cricket in a Jam Jar

Lord's Piece heath is a historic stronghold for the rare field cricket. One local remembers the Rev Daggar arriving with one in a jam jar, showing the children how to coax the insects out of their burrows with a long blade of grass.