Angmering

Angmering makes a relaxed base for exploring the West Sussex coast without the crowds of the bigger seaside towns nearby. Hotel options directly in the village are limited, with The Lamb at Angmering offering a handful of boutique en-suite rooms above its well-regarded gastro pub, ideal for a short stay with dinner sorted on the doorstep. For a wider choice of hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs, Worthing and Littlehampton are both a short drive or train journey away and offer everything from seafront hotels to independent boutique stays, while Arundel adds some characterful historic options close to its castle. Staying in or near Angmering puts the South Downs National Park, Highdown Hill and the Roman villa site all within easy striking distance, alongside the beaches of Littlehampton and Worthing, so it suits visitors who want a quieter overnight base with the coast and countryside both close at hand. Whichever option you choose, booking ahead is worthwhile in summer, when the Sussex coast is popular with both UK staycationers and visitors making the most of the South Downs.

Angmering rewards a slow pace, whether you are wandering its historic core or heading out to the surrounding downs and coastline. Highlights in and around the village include:

• Angmering Roman Villa site — the remains of a substantial Romano-British villa and bath house, first discovered in 1819 and excavated through the 1930s and 40s; a reminder of just how long this landscape has been settled.
• Highdown Hill — a chalk down capped by an Iron Age hillfort and later a Saxon burial ground, with sweeping views across the coastal plain to the sea and inland to the Downs.
• Angmering village centre — a designated Conservation Area packed with listed medieval, Tudor, Georgian and Victorian buildings along Church Approach, The Square and the High Street.
• South Downs National Park — the northern edge of the park rises just beyond the village, offering walking and cycling routes along the South Downs Way and across open downland.
• Littlehampton seafront — a short drive or train ride away, with a wide sandy beach, harbour, amusements and the East Beach Café.
• Worthing — the nearby seaside town has a Victorian pier, theatre, museum and a long pebble-and-sand beach, all a few minutes from Angmering by train.
• Arundel Castle — the historic seat of the Dukes of Norfolk, with its castle, gardens and cathedral, lies a short drive north-west along the coast road.

The village has a strong pub culture for its size. The Spotted Cow, on a quiet lane on the edge of the village, is a traditional pub with a large restaurant and conservatory dining area, an award-winning beer garden, and a place in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. The Lamb at Angmering is a gastro pub with boutique en-suite rooms, where the kitchen turns out regularly changing menus featuring fresh fish landed along the nearby coast. Beyond the village, Littlehampton and Worthing add a wider choice of cafés, seafood restaurants and coastal dining.

Angmering itself does not offer formal campsites within the village, but its position on the fringe of the South Downs National Park and close to the Sussex coast puts a good choice of camping and glamping options within easy reach. As with the rest of England, wild camping is not legal here without the landowner's explicit permission, so pitching up on the Downs or in fields around Angmering without prior agreement should be avoided; instead, look to licensed campsites and caravan parks in the surrounding countryside and along the coast towards Littlehampton and Worthing, many of which welcome tents, touring caravans and motorhomes.

The chalk downland terrain around Angmering, part of the South Downs National Park just to the north, offers a genuinely rural camping experience, with rolling hills, ancient trackways like the South Downs Way, and long views over the coastal plain to the sea. Sites in this part of Sussex range from simple, small farm campsites to larger family-friendly parks with facilities, and a growing number offer glamping options such as bell tents, shepherd's huts and safari tents for those who want the countryside setting without full camping kit.

The best time to camp near Angmering is from late spring through to early autumn, broadly May to September, when the weather is at its most reliable and the days are long enough to combine a walk on the Downs with an evening on the coast. July and August are the busiest months, particularly on sites near the beaches at Littlehampton and Worthing, so booking ahead is recommended, while May, June and September often bring quieter sites and pleasant walking weather without the peak-season crowds. Whatever the season, the combination of downland, historic villages and nearby coastline makes this part of West Sussex a rewarding base for a camping trip.