York Association of the National Trust
YANT Holidays 2022
Holidays Organiser: holidays@yant.org.uk
Historic West Sussex
22 - 26 September 2022
WEST SUSSEX 22nd - 26th September 2022
Nineteen of us with Michael Gill our Tour Manager journeyed down to Sussex for our trip. We had a variety of experiences while we were there. Over five days, we visited two cathedrals, a castle, four stately homes, two gardens, an open air museum, a vineyard and had a boat trip on Chichester Harbour! The weather was warm and mainly sunny.
Our hotel was adequate, but there were a few niggles (no lift!) and the evening meals were definitely not 4* standard.
However the visits we made were really good. We were fortunate that Michael Gill knew the area really well so was able to take us to some interesting places which were not on our itinerary. As ever he was attentive and good humoured and the banter between him and Peter Drew was very amusing.
The four stately homes were all very different. Standen House, where we broke our journey on the way down, was Arts and Crafts with lots of William Morris fabrics and wallpapers. Goodwood, mainly Georgian, was stuffed with priceless art - Van Dyke, Stubbs, Lely and Canaletto to name but a few. We were greeted by the butler who provided us with coffee and biscuits before having a really interesting guided tour of the house. Tudor Parham was smaller but full of exquisite embroideries and wall hangings. It has an extremely long gallery with an amazing ceiling. It also has a lovely walled garden. Petworth, on the way home, was full of amazing art and sculpture. It houses the most significant collection of art owned by the National Trust. The Grinling Gibbons wood carvings were really beautiful. The whole place was really overwhelming.
Arundel Castle was grand and large. We had an informative tour but it was difficult to keep up with all the long line of Dukes and Earls who lived there and added to the collections! The relatively new garden was full of Autumn colour. After visiting Chichester and Portsmouth Cathedrals and the Bishop’s Garden in Chichester we had some free time in Chichester and Portsmouth Old Town.
The trip around Chichester harbour involved a very good picnic lunch on board. The Weald and Downland Museum was full of vernacular buildings, saved from demolition elsewhere, set in parkland. We were able to see the barn where the TV programme 'The Repair Shop' is filmed. They were preparing for a Christmas edition so there were Christmas trees, fairy lights and wreaths outside. While we were there, there was a barrel organ festival going on so there was a cacophony of noise as they all played at the same time.
On the way home we called in at Upperton vineyard for a talk and a tasting of their sparkling wine. We were invited to buy a bottle at £29.50!
Then the long journey home. Our Greek driver Nicos was friendly and good humoured and negotiated some tricky roads well.
All in all it was an enjoyable break - not restful, but great for exploring a lovely part of the country with lots of treasures to be enjoyed.
Gill Jones
22 September 2022 - Standen House (NT)
23 September 2022 - Arundel Castle and Gardens
23 September 2022 - St Nicholas Church Arundel and Boxgrove Priory Church
24 September 2022 - Chichester Cathedral
25 September 2022 - Goodwood House
25 September 2022 - Filming The Repair Shop at The Weald and Downland Museum
25 September 2022 - Parham House
26 September 2022 - Petworth House (NT)
Holiday Itinerary: Historic West Sussex
22nd – 26th September 2022
from £795.00
Thursday 22 September 2022
We depart from York and begin our journey to West Sussex, where we begin with a visit to Standen House (NT), designed by Phillip Webb as a family home and containing many beautiful William Morris furnishings and decorations. There are magnificent views from the informal garden surrounding the house. Here we will have a light lunch on arrival followed by a guided tour of the house.
Following our visit we continue to our hotel, the 4-star Hilton Avisford Park, Arundel. All rooms are en-suite with television, Wi-Fi and tea/coffee making facilities. The hotel also has a pool and sauna.
This evening we will enjoy a drinks reception after which dinner will be served. We will then be treated to an evening walk around Arundel in the company of our tour manager Michael Gill.
Friday 23 September 2022
This morning after breakfast we visit the breath-taking Lancing College Chapel, an architectural masterpiece which attracts several thousand visitors fascinated by its attractive interior, in addition to its regular worshippers.
We then head for Itchenor where we join our boat for a leisurely cruise around Chichester Harbour. Lunch is included on board and if we are lucky we may even see some seals.
This afternoon we visit Arundel Castle and Gardens for a guided tour. Set high on a hill, its aspect gifts it with spectacular views across South Downs and the River Arun. It has been home to the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors since its founding in the 11th century.
Following our visit we return to our hotel where dinner will be served this evening.
Saturday 24 September 2022
Enjoy your breakfast. We depart this morning for a visit to West Dean Gardens near Chichester, one of the greatest restored gardens open to the public today. There are a wide range of historic features to explore on a gentle walk around the grounds. From surreal trees to the restored walled garden, West Dean Gardens proudly presents its rich creative and social heritage. Lunch is available here (not included)
We return to Chichester this afternoon for a visit to Chichester Cathedral, which has welcomed people through its doors for nine centuries. With fine architecture in both Norman and Gothic styles, it has been described as the “most typical of English cathedrals”. Despite this, Chichester has two architectural features that are unique among England's medieval cathedrals - a free-standing bell tower (or campanile) and double aisles. The cathedral contains two rare medieval sculptures, and many modern art works including tapestries, stained glass and sculpture, many of these commissioned by Walter Hussey, a former Dean.
We conclude with a visit to the nearby Bishop’s Palace Garden. A hidden treasure within the city walls, the garden – with its wildlife-friendly area, colourful planting, and zones for rest and reflection – an oasis of calm in the centre of town.
We then return to our hotel where dinner will be served in the evening.
Sunday 25 September 2022
After breakfast this morning we begin with a visit to Parham House and its award-winning gardens. It was featured in Simon Jenkin’s England’s Thousand Best Houses, where he wrote that “nothing at Parham is superfluous, nothing unloved. It is a house of magic.”
Our afternoon visit is to Goodwood House, where we will have a guided tour. Here, the glamour of the great English country house is tempered by the warmth of a family home, that of the Earl and Countess of March. Don’t let the cosiness fool you though, Goodwood House is also home to one of the most significant private art collections in the United Kingdom, and the State Apartments remain a paean to the opulence of the period in which it was built.
Dinner is served in the evening.
Monday 26 September 2022
Following breakfast this morning we check out of the hotel and depart for Upperton Vineyard, where we will have a tour of the scenic slopes on which the vines can be found, followed by a tasting.
Our final visit will be to Petworth House (NT). We will have lunch on arrival (not included) before touring the mansion, along with its 700-acre deer park landscaped by none other than Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. The house itself is in possession of arguably the finest collection of art in the care of the National Trust, including works by Turner, Reynolds, Blake and Van Dyck.