davek

We are spending time in Sussex seeing theater at Chichester and also going to Alfriston and Rye. What castles and gardens did people enjoy the most?

Also is there a particular B/B that people liked in the Chichester/Arundel area.

Thanks

hetismij

I love Bodium Castle. It brings back happy chilhood memories, as doest the whole coast from Rye through to Dungeness and beyond. Try the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch railway!

chartley

We spent some time in Kent and East Sussex recently, and enjoyed our visits to Bodiam Castle, Batemans (Rudyard Kipling's home near Burwash) Ightam Mote and Smallhythe Place (Ellen Terry's home near Tenterden). There are many other good places in the area.
Further away, we enjoyed our visit to Walmer Castle between Dover and Sandwich. All the places listed are quite small, with visits lasting two hours or less.

janisj

Bodium, Sissinghurst and Scotney Castle make a great day since they are all near each other. Each is amazing in their own right.

But you will not lack for places to visit. Farther north are Hever, Chartwell, Penshurst Place and Knole -- too much to do in the same day but any 3 would work, w/ Hever/Chartwell/Penshurst making an easy"3 fer"

And Great Dixter is wonderful . . .

Nonconformist

Petworth House is nice. Is it specifically castles yopu're keen on?

My favourite garden in Sussex is Leonardslee. Wisley in Surrey isn't that far, and is also lovely.

rickmav

You'll love Sussex. Can't recommend a B&B in Arundel area, we stayed in cottages. Here is my trip report which includes a lot of the castles and gardens you can visit:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34943207

welltraveledbrit

Love Great Dixter, the gardens are rightly famous and Petworth is indeed stunning. I also enjoyed the Charleston farmhouse not far out of Brighton and a center for the Bloomsbury Set includng of course Virginia Woolf. It's a modest building but very interesting.

If you're going to be visiting alot of National Trust properties (and if you're an Ameirican) it may be worth joining their US branch the Royal Oak society. It's $80 for a couple including, among other things free enterance to National Trust properties and it's tax deductible in the US. You will find this cheaper than paying UK rates to join.

Hope this helps!

jody

welltraveledbrit just beat me too it. A membership in the Royal Oak is worth every penny. If you plan on visiting more than 3 NT properties , it will have paid for itself. They also have a very good magazine that comes with a membership .

http://www.royal-oak.org/

janisj

joing the Royal Oak is a great Idea - but not necessarily for the money savings. Strictly speaking the Great British Heritage Pass would probably be a better bargain. It not only covers all of the National Trust Properties but also other "publicly" owned places like RHS Wisley and Dover castle, andd also private ones like Hever, Penshurst Place and Leeds Castle.

RosemaryM

My favourites in this area were Bodiam, Hever and Dover castles, all so different, but I also loved Batemans,and Battle Abbey. All of these are covered by the Great British Heritage Pass. There is just so much to choose from here.
Rosemary

audere_est_facere

If you're in Chichester don't miss the Fishbourne Roman Palace - it's an easy walk from Chichester (or there's a bus or a train)

http://www.sussexpast.co.uk/property...php?site_id=11

moolyn

davek, you've had lots of great suggestions so far and here's one that's a little different that our family especially enjoyed, the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum just seven miles north of Chichester. http://www.wealddown.co.uk/

At least we enjoyed it until our son stuck his thumb into a grinding wheel and we got to visit Chichester Hospital and observe the British Health System first hand.