South Harting in West Sussex

Almost a town, South Harting has the most beautiful of settings, folded under the Downs beneath the South Downs Way and Harting Down. Harting's church may not be as evocative as some of the other downland churches but its copper green tower is a major landmark in the Rother Valley and helps give the village its character.

Look out for the village stocks and whipping post which still stand outside the church. The churchyard contains a memorial to the fallen soldiers of the first world war by controversial (alright, weird) Sussex artist Eric Gill.

South Harting has a connection to the Victorian Novelist Anthony Trollope, who spent two of his final years here at the Grange. He finished Mr Scarborough's Family here, as well as some as lesser works.

The main street running through the village is wide and full of lovely Georgian buildings and it's big enough to justify a gentle stroll around the place.

The main attraction nearby is the large country house at Uppark, run by the National Trust and restored after a devastating fire in 1989.

There are decent pubs in South Harting (The White Hart and The Ship) and Harting is a good place to stop for lunch if you are travelling around the north west part of the county or if you are visiting Uppark and don't want to eat prepacked National Trust food.

Also highly recommended is the National Trust tended Harting Down nature reserve. You can drive to the top of the hill and park and it's only a short distance to spectacular views and lovely rolling downland.

To the north west of South Harting lies the iron age hill fort at Torberry Hill which has all sorts of legends associated with it.

Durford Abbey is also nearby, although it is long demolished.

Once each year the village puts on the Harting Festivities which are definitely worth checking out.

Nearby at Nyewood you can find Ballards Brewery - it's not much to look at and certainly doesn't conform to any romantic notions of what a traditional old English brewery might look like (it's in a modern metal industrial unit), but the beer's good and it's fun to pop in to have a look at (but not if you're in a rush).

SOUTH HARTING INFORMATION

Harting Festivities

The cultural highlight of the South Harting calendar.

Harting Down

Information from the National Trust's website about features of interest at the lovely Harting Down, looming above the village and carrying the South Downs Way.

Harting Church

The website of St. Mary and St. Gabriel's Church at Harting Church, which is part of the United Benefice of Harting with Elsted and Treyford cum Didling. The website includes a very good description of the interesting features of the church, including a reproduction of part of Simon Jenkins' well-known book England's Thousand Best Churches, in which South Harting Church rightly features.

Harting School

St Mary and St Paul First School, Tipper Lane, South Harting, Petersfield, West Sussex GU31 5QT

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