The Telegraph’s senior travel writer, Greg Dickinson, has travelled the length and breadth of the county to compile a list of the 10 most picturesque villages in Sussex.
These are the 10 prettiest villages in Sussex, according to Dickinson.
1. These are the 10 prettiest villages in Sussex
The prettiest villages in Sussex have been revealed. Photo: Contributed
2. Stanmer
Dickinson said: "Stanmer village is a peculiar little place – a perfectly preserved toy-town vision of an English village, with a pretty church, a pond, and a single road lined with listed cottages, traditional farmhouses and almshouses. Did we mention that it’s set within the grounds of a great country estate? Today, the village still has a working farm at its centre, with a little tea room serving barista coffee and home-baked cakes to visitors. Such is the picture-perfect nature of Stanmer that it’s hard to believe people actually live here, but they do. All but three of the properties in Stanmer are council-owned. Those who do get the keys to these properties, whether private or council-owned, tend to keep hold of them and pass them down through the generations." Photo: Jon Rigby
3. Ditchling
Dickinson said: "To many people, the village of Ditchling represents a pleasing pit-stop. At either one of the village’s two higgledy-piggledy pubs on a sunny Saturday afternoon, you will no doubt be joined by a troop of lycra-clad cyclists on their way to Brighton, taking a much-needed break before tackling the Ditchling Beacon ascent (with a maximum gradient of 16 per cent) just south of the village. However, Ditchling is also an end in itself and worthy of further exploration. You have the excellent Ditchling Museum of Art & Craft, where there’s currently an exhibition on the cartoonist and illustrator famed for The Snowman, Raymond Briggs, who was a local. You’ll also find a pleasant little café, The Green Welly, which sells cakes and quiches. Up the road, Macs Farm sells free-range eggs and has family-friendly events throughout the year." Photo: Sam Moore
4. Amberley
Dickinson said: "Amberley is a vibrant little spot on the upper reaches of the River Arun, with all the workings of a quintessential English village: a village shop, pubs, a church and a superb museum (with mini steam train, and all) exploring the area’s working past. The village grew around Amberley Castle, a 12th-century manor house that was fortified in 1377 and used by the bishops of Chichester. These days, the castle is an exclusive spa hotel, where you can pop in for afternoon tea even if you aren’t a guest. Unusually for a village with a population of 600 or so, Amberley has a train station with direct links to London Victoria, making it a great start (or end) point for a walk along the South Downs Way which passes through the village." Photo: Derek Martin