Graffham

Hotel choice directly in Graffham is limited, as this is a small South Downs village rather than a tourism hub, but its two historic pubs, the Foresters Arms and the White Horse, both offer guest rooms right in the heart of the village, putting you within a short walk of the parish church, the village shop and the paths leading up onto Graffham Common. For a larger choice of hotels, inns and bed and breakfasts, nearby Petworth and Midhurst are both a few miles away and offer everything from historic coaching inns to smaller family-run guesthouses, many set in handsome Georgian or timber-framed buildings. Staying in one of these market towns still puts you within easy striking distance of Graffham and the surrounding downland, while giving you more choice of places to eat, browse antique shops and explore on days when you are not walking. Wherever you stay, the South Downs Way and the open chalk grassland above Graffham are the main draw, so a base within a short drive of the escarpment between Midhurst and Petworth makes the most of the area.

Graffham's own attractions are modest, but it is ringed by some genuinely worthwhile places within a short drive or walk.

• Graffham Common and Graffham Down — a Sussex Wildlife Trust nature reserve of heath and woodland restored from old pine plantation, with waymarked paths, a pond good for dragonflies, and sightings of nightjars, woodlarks and a growing range of butterflies through the summer.
• South Downs Way — the 100-mile National Trail runs along the ridge above the village, giving direct access to some of the best open downland walking and cycling in the South East.
• Petworth House and Park — a National Trust property a few miles north, with a landscape park laid out by Capability Brown, an important collection of paintings and sculpture, and 700 acres of parkland grazed by a historic deer herd.
• Cowdray Ruins, Midhurst — the atmospheric remains of a Tudor courtyard house on the edge of Midhurst, a few miles west of Graffham, set beside the River Rother and the Cowdray Estate.
• Midhurst town — a handsome market town with timbered buildings, independent shops and cafes, a short drive from the village.
• Selham — a neighbouring hamlet within the parish, known for one of the smallest churches in England and a well-regarded village pub.

The village itself has two pubs: the Grade II-listed Foresters Arms, a 1609 country pub with open fires, a garden and guest rooms, and the White Horse, known for its conservatory and garden views out over the Downs. Graffham also has a village shop and cafe serving the local community and visitors passing through on the South Downs Way. For a wider choice of restaurants and cafes, Petworth and Midhurst are both close by.

Graffham sits right at the foot of the South Downs escarpment, which makes it a natural base for anyone wanting to camp within reach of the South Downs Way and the heath and woodland of Graffham Common. As with the rest of England, wild camping is not legal here without the landowner's permission, so a proper campsite or caravan pitch is the way to go rather than pitching up on the open downland itself. There are established camping and caravanning sites in the immediate area geared towards walkers and cyclists using the South Downs Way, with easy access onto the tracks and paths that lead up onto the ridge and across to Graffham Down.

The terrain here is proper chalk downland: steep in places where the escarpment rises above the village, with a mix of open grassland, old plantation woodland and restored heath at Graffham Common. That makes for varied, scenic walking close to any pitch, but it also means paths can turn heavy going after rain, so it is worth checking ground conditions and choosing a pitch with reasonable underfoot conditions if you are bringing a tent rather than a caravan or motorhome.

Late spring to early autumn is the best season for camping here, when evenings are long enough to make the most of the Downs, the reserve at Graffham Common is at its liveliest with butterflies and other insects, and the ground is at its driest. Midsummer weekends see more walkers and cyclists passing through on the South Downs Way, so it is worth booking ahead if you want to camp locally at that time of year. For a softer alternative to a tent, glamping options in the wider Petworth and Midhurst area offer yurts, pods and safari tents with a similar view onto the Downs but rather more comfort, which can suit families or anyone new to camping in the English countryside.