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Historic house
Petworth House and Park
Late 17th-century house with Grinling Gibbons carvings and many Turner paintings, in a Capability Brown deer park with fallow deer.
Directions Website Report a problem with Petworth House and Park
A mini guide to
Midhurst and Petworth
Petworth House and its deer park, the Cowdray ruins, the Weald & Downland Living Museum and Bignor's Roman mosaics
Photos
1 / 3Welcome to the area
Petworth House and its deer park, the Cowdray ruins, the Weald & Downland Living Museum and Bignor's Roman mosaics
Midhurst is a small market town on the River Rother and home to the South Downs Centre, the National Park Authority's base and visitor centre. Across the river are the ruins of Cowdray, an early Tudor house visited by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I and gutted by fire in 1793. To the east, Petworth House holds a large art collection, with many paintings by J. M. W. Turner, in a deer park landscaped by Capability Brown.
South of Midhurst, the Weald & Downland Living Museum at Singleton has more than 50 rescued historic buildings, and West Dean Gardens have restored Victorian glasshouses. Bignor Roman Villa keeps some of the most complete mosaic floors in the country. Uppark, high on the Downs near the Hampshire border, and the Bronze Age barrows of the Devil's Jumps lie to the west.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Ruins
Cowdray Ruins
Ruins of an early Tudor house visited by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, gutted by fire in 1793; open for events and tours.
Visitor center
South Downs Centre
The National Park Authority's visitor centre in Midhurst, with leaflets on walks, OS maps and South Downs gifts.
Museum
Weald & Downland Living Museum
Open-air museum at Singleton with more than 50 rescued historic buildings, traditional crafts, farm animals and a mill pond.
Directions Website Report a problem with Weald & Downland Living Museum
Garden
West Dean Gardens
Restored gardens at the foot of the Downs with Victorian glasshouses, a spring garden and a plant nursery.
Roman site
Bignor Roman Villa
Large Roman courtyard villa near Stane Street, known for mosaic floors that are among the most complete in the country.
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Midhurst and Petworth and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Cowdray Ruins by event only
The Cowdray Heritage Trust says the ruins are closed for general visits but open for heritage events and guided tours. Check the events page.
2
Book Woolbeding Gardens
Pre-booking is required for everyone, including National Trust members. The gardens reopen on Apr 15, 2027.
3
Petworth: allow time to walk
The National Trust says it is a 10 to 15 minute walk from the car park to the house; last admission to the house is 3pm.
4
Start at the South Downs Centre
The centre in Midhurst has leaflets on walks and places to visit, OS maps and staff who can help plan your visit.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
Everything for Midhurst and Petworth
Photo credits
- Midhurst and Petworth (area photo): Martyn Pattison, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Petworth House and Park: Donar Reiskoffer, CC BY 3.0, source
- Cowdray Ruins: Charlesdrakew at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Weald & Downland Living Museum: Adrian Cable, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- West Dean Gardens: Ian Capper, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Bignor Roman Villa: Trevor Harris, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Uppark: EccentricRichard at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Woolbeding Gardens: David Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Devil's Jumps: Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lewes and the Seven Sisters: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring The South Downs