Petworth lies in the heart of the South Downs National Park and brings together art and local history with parkland designed by Lancelot “Capability” Brown. The stately home, historic cultural sites and paths through green spaces give a stay a variety of focuses.
Stately home, art and local history
Petworth House is a 17th-century stately home and displays one of the most significant art collections owned by the National Trust. The house has been associated with the same family for over 900 years. The Servants’ Quarters draw attention to another side of its history, offering insight into the lives of the people who worked there. The collection and family history thus stand alongside the working life that was part of the house’s daily routine.
Petworth Cottage Museum also offers a glimpse into history, but on a smaller scale: the cottage on the Leconfield Estate has been restored and furnished to show how it might have looked around 1910. This places an individual cottage on one hand and the stately home with its art collection on the other. St Mary’s Church adds to the townscape with a history dating back to Saxon times.
Parkland and walking trails
The 700-acre Deer Park near Petworth is an outstanding, largely unspoilt surviving example of an English landscape designed by Capability Brown. Petworth Park is open to visitors and their dogs every day throughout the year. The Capability Brown Parkland Circular Walk in Petworth is 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) long.
The Petworth Way offers a different kind of walk: this scenic trail connects Haslemere and Arundel, with historic Petworth at its centre. The route also includes an overnight stay in Petworth. The options are therefore distinct: the parkland circular walk is a measured loop within the parkland, while The Petworth Way connects two places and includes an overnight stay in the town.
Galleries, performances and summer festival
Newlands House Gallery presents modern and contemporary art exhibitions in a restored Grade II listed Georgian townhouse in Petworth. Its combination of exhibitions and historic architecture offers a different focus from Petworth House. As the programme and operating information may change, check the current exhibitions before visiting.
Leconfield Hall is a cinema and arts centre in the heart of Petworth. It hosts films, concerts and performances. Events are also at the heart of the Petworth Festival, which brings performances to unique venues in Petworth and nearby villages and towns over two weeks each summer. Dates and individual programmes change each year, so check the latest festival information before your trip.
Plan your journey
The nearest railway station is Pulborough, 4.6 miles from Petworth. Compass bus service No. 99 runs between Chichester and Petworth. Check the latest timetables for your travel dates before setting off, so you can plan your journey around the available connections.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Rake, Partridge Green, Thakeham, Merston, Rustington, Albourne, Angmering, East Grinstead.
For the wider travel overview: West Sussex.
