Horsham

Horsham has quietly built one of the best food and drink scenes in West Sussex, and it shows the moment you wander off the market square. With dozens of restaurants packed into the town, there is far more choice here than the average county town manages, spanning everything from Artelesi's Italian cooking to the reliable comforts of ASK Italian and Bill's Restaurants. Akash Restaurant covers Indian food well, while Cafe W tucked inside Waterstones and the relaxed Cabin Cafe are good options for something lower key. Out towards Partridge Green, Cadence Clubhouse offers a different pace again, proof that Horsham's dining spreads well beyond the town centre itself.

The town itself is an easy place to like, with a compact centre built around its historic core and Horsham Park providing a proper green lung right in the middle of things. It works well as a base for exploring the wider Sussex countryside while still having plenty to do on foot.

Beyond the table, Horsham has enough to fill a weekend comfortably. Horsham Museum and Art Gallery gives a good grounding in the town's history, while Chesworth Farm and Southwater Country Park are the places to head for open space and a walk. Families tend to gravitate towards Huxleys Bird of Prey Centre and the pottery painting studios at Little Gems and Ceramic Shack, and the Horsham Spy Mission Treasure Trail is a fun way to see the town centre through fresh eyes.

Put together, Horsham works well as a short break destination that does not rely on a single big attraction. It is the combination of decent walking country, a genuinely strong restaurant lineup, and a good spread of places to stay, from country house hotels to farm cottages and campsites, that makes it worth the visit.