Well, after driving up and down the road several times 😬, what three words finally found our ‘home’ for the next few days. And wow we’d found the perfect place, everything we needed and more, great views and a lovely host. We were all set for this week’s adventures. 👏👏👏

 

Day One

On our way home from several previous trips, we had passed The Sculpture Park in Churt. Like you do, we said “we must come back to visit”, so here we were. At £15 pp (£10 for old people) it seemed good value, but ever the bargain hunter, we used our Gardeners World 2 for 1 card. Win win.👍

Apart from the obvious sculptures, we weren’t sure what to expect, but we weren’t disappointed. As we stepped through the gate, we entered a magical world of art, nature and tranquility. The park has several trails, through what seems like an enchanted forest. The pathways took us up hill and down dale, winding through the trees, the dappled sunlight glistening on the damp leaves. Around every bend, tucked under trees and in the undergrowth were the fabulous sculptures.

The work was by a multitude of artists, and made from a variety of materials, from wood to metal, from stone to resin. They ranged from the beautiful to the bizzare, from mythical to eerie, from natural to colourful. All however were stunning in their own way.

Small coloured arrows kept you on the correct trail, and as you completed one, you could either finish your day, or simply cross over to the next one. Such a clever layout, you didn’t need a map. Wherever you chose to stroll, you were never far from the wonderful artwork. Even the lake was utilised to house sculptures.

In The depths of the “forest” is a clearing, where you can watch artists at work, take a seat for a picnic or just sit and admire some more of the works.

The sculptures are for sale and with new houses being built directly behind our garden, we found one that might deter our new neighbours from peering into our garden, however at in excess of £3000, we might just have to make do with a fence 😂.

Unfortunately the weather turned against us and we had to call it a day. However we had covered a large part of the park and seen some spectacular sculptures. It is an ever changing journey as sculptures are sold and replaced with new exhibits, but it is a wonderful place to visit, both for the walking trails and the artwork.

After a lovely dinner and an evening visit to Clandon Park as part of the Heritage Open Days event, we headed “home” looking forward to what tomorrow might bring.

Day Two

This morning was another long talked about visit, to Petworth House and Gardens. We had always anticipated it would take a couple of days to explore, so it was perfect to include it whilst we were in the area.

 

The weather had improved, so we took the opportunity today to enjoy the gardens. It boasts a vast lake, overlooked from the enormous house and inhabited by a huge flock of geese. The noise of their cackling intensified as we strolled toward the lake from the house.

Beyond the water, the trail continues through a deer park, where we could get up close to the herd. We did however steer clear of the stags and their large antlers 😳 They didn’t seem perturbed by our chattering or us taking photos as they grazed or rested around the park. Such elegant creatures.

The cafe was bursting at the seams at lunchtime, so we strolled into Petworth itself to find refreshments and enjoy a walk around this small but picturesque village.

Returning through the servants entrance, gave us the ideal opportunity to explore the kitchens and quarters used by the staff to run and feed the main house just across the courtyard.

Many of the old ovens and much of the equipment is still in situ and displayed as if it were still a working kitchen. The stores rooms, scullery and servants dining area have all been preserved to give us an insight into how working life may have been.

An amazing coal fired boiler/hot water heater took pride of place in the hearth of the laundry.  Highly polished copper pots stood to attention on every hob and hot plate alongside a vast collection of polished pans.

With the sun still shining, we headed back outside, passed the house’s own fire station, home to an incredibly long fire escape ladder, stored on site in case of emergency.

Heading towards the woods, enjoying the flowers still giving colour along the paths. The fungi were making the most of the warm damp weather we were having and spreading through the undergrowth. It was very tranquil beneath the trees, just our chatter and the crunching underfoot of leaves and small branches, breaking the serenity.

A lovely dome gave us incredible views across the countryside and back towards the gardens. A perfect place to take a seat and enjoy the scenery and listen to the birds chirping in the trees.

A beautiful, interesting way to spend an English Autumn day. However we had a date to tick off something on the Besties ‘to do’ list.

As a lover of horses, well all things with four legs actually, she had hankered for a while to visit Cowdray Park, to see a polo match. Having indulged me and my list over the past several years, it was her turn to fulfil a dream.

 

None of us knew any of the rules of the game, but with welcome signs guiding us to the clubhouse bar, and seating alongside the pitch, we were ready to watch and learn.

 

Gosh the pitch is huge, but at the speed they thundered on by, we quickly understood why. The hubby was quick to pick up the rules and explain the scoring to me. I was quite happy with my Pimms, watching the game unfold and listening to my fellow spectators cheering on their team.

Each match consisted of 4 chukkas (get me 😜) each lasting 7 minutes. It is a fast moving game, with solid mallets used to whack the ball away from your opponent and towards your own goal. After every goal, and at the end of a chukka, the direction of play changes. That initially confused us but we soon got into the swing of it. The riders constantly changed their horses, which not only showed care for the animals it also meant great skill as they adapted immediately to their fresh horse.

We enjoyed a couple of matches before watching the cup presentation. On the stroll back to the car, the Bestie was able to see the horses and their equipment, as they were washed and brushed  down in their cool down area.

What a perfect end to a lovely day

Day Three

We were blessed with another dry Autumn day. The Bestie had found a circular, cross country walk around Midhurst ending in a pub. What better way to spend a morning, enjoying wonderful views, climbing stiles and exploring waterfalls as we edged the Cowdray Park Estate.

The hedgerows along the river Rother were still in full bloom and their scent filled the air as we weaved our way along our route towards our final destination, The Half Moon Pub 🍻, where the locals were very welcoming.

With inclement weather set to roll in, we were off to explore the inside of Petworth House. It has been under the care of the National Trust since 1947, although the Wyndham family still live on the upper floors and still own some of the land that surrounds the National Trust Park.

It is an unusual arrangement, but it seems to work really well. We were therefore only able to enjoy the lower floor, but each and every room has been beautifully maintained and vast portraits fill the walls.

The NT volunteers are incredibly knowledgeable and eager to share stories about the house and family line, should you so wish them to do so. We had an interesting conversation with a volunteer regarding the complicated lineage of the family. Several families appear to have been intertwined, but I have to confess I got a little confused by the time we reached the 20th century 😵‍💫.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every room has its own story and is filled with artwork and exquisite pottery and sculptures. The sweeping grand staircase and hall is decorated from floor to ceiling depicting Greek mythology.

The unique North Gallery is home to a large collection of sculptures, standing amongst a large collection of paintings. It was like walking through a museum, without the glass cabinets. Wonderful.

A family chapel, built in the 1300’s stands at the front of the house. There are entrances on two levels. As we stepped down towards the altar, we walked under a balcony, where the family of the house can enter and be seated. And above the balcony are wooden carved curtains framing the family pews x

Gathering back together as we stepped out into the drizzle, we chatted about the wonders of this remarkable house. Amazing at how we’d all taken the same tour, yet each noticed different things as we moved between the rooms.

Petworth is such an historic home, with some remarkable collections. The additional bonus of the vast gardens and deer park made it such a wonderful place to visit. You definitely need two days though, to give you time to appreciate all it has to offer

And so ended a fabulous four part road trip. We had seen some beautiful parts of our lovely country, using various modes of transport, explored some of its long proud history, seen some wonderful art work and enjoyed local food and brews.

 

A busy but wonderful couple of weeks.