Barnham combines a rural village character with several clearly distinct traces of its history. Barnham Church Lane Conservation Area encompasses the original medieval settlement of Barnham. Agricultural land surrounds the area and defines its distinctly rural character. St Mary the Virgin, Barnham Court and the windmill add buildings with different historical dates. Two named route connections add specific routes to this local history.
Medieval settlement and open countryside
St Mary the Virgin in Barnham was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 and is a Grade I listed building. The church’s mention and the medieval settlement thus represent different aspects of local history: one date refers to the church’s early written mention, while the conservation area encompasses the original settlement core.
The landscape is also part of the conservation area’s character. The open field north of St Mary’s Church is a particularly attractive feature of Barnham Church Lane. Together with the surrounding agricultural land, it creates a picture in which the historic settlement and the rural surroundings are equally important. When considering Barnham, you can therefore take this landscape context into account alongside its buildings.
Barnham Court and the history of the windmill
Barnham Court was built between 1630 and 1650 from hard red Sussex brick. The house is unique in Sussex. Its construction period can be clearly distinguished from the early mention of St Mary the Virgin in 1086: the two places point to different centuries of local history rather than representing a single historical era.
The new tower windmill was built at the same site in 1829 by Henry Martin, a millwright from Bognor. The use of wind power in Barnham ended around 1926; after that, milling was carried out with an auxiliary engine. During the Second World War, the mill served as an observation post to warn nearby RAF Tangmere of approaching air raids. Its recorded stages thus span the construction of the mill, the change in its power source and its wartime use.
Routes around Barnham
A designated cycle path runs between the A259 at Flansham and Barnham and follows footpath No. 146. A section of the Sussex Hospices Trail also passes through Barnham and Walberton. The details provide different points of reference: the cycle path’s endpoints and connection to the footpath are named, while Barnham and Walberton are named as places along the trail.
If you are interested in routes, you can consider these two details separately rather than combining them into a single route. The route information adds specific names and route connections to Barnham’s local history, while the descriptions of the conservation area offer a distinct perspective on the settlement and landscape.
Staying overnight in Barnham
Barnham Shepherds Huts offers luxury shepherd’s huts for a secluded stay in open, natural surroundings. If you are considering Barnham for its rural character, you can weigh up whether this type of accommodation, as described, suits your travel plans.
Discover more destinations: Lyminster, West Wittering, Angmering, Storrington, Hurstpierpoint, East Grinstead, Rusper, Hassocks
For the main travel overview: West Sussex.
