Upwaltham

Because Upwaltham itself is little more than a church and a couple of farms, hotel options are found in the surrounding towns rather than the hamlet. Petworth, a short drive north, is the most characterful base, with Georgian coaching inns and boutique bed and breakfasts set among its antiques shops and cobbled streets, all within easy reach of Petworth House and Park. Chichester, roughly eight miles south, offers a wider range of hotels, from budget chains to smarter options near the cathedral and Roman city walls, plus good onward links to the coast at Bognor Regis and West Wittering. Smaller villages along the A285, such as Duncton and Sutton, have a handful of pub rooms and guesthouses that suit visitors focused on walking the South Downs Way or Monarch's Way rather than staying in a town centre. Wherever you base yourself, a car is useful for reaching Upwaltham and the surrounding downland paths, since public transport does not run through the hamlet. Booking ahead is worth doing at busy times, particularly around Goodwood's racing and motorsport calendar, when accommodation across the wider Chichester area fills up quickly. For most visitors, the appeal of staying near Upwaltham is the access it gives to quiet, high downland walking rather than facilities on the spot, so a comfortable base with easy road access to the A285 and A27 makes the most sense.

Most of what there is to see lies within a few miles, spread across the South Downs and the market towns that ring them.

• St Mary the Virgin, Upwaltham - a tiny Grade I listed Norman church built around 1120, one of only a handful in West Sussex to retain its original apsidal chancel; the building has barely changed shape since it was built.
• Bignor Hill - a high point on the South Downs Way a few miles east, with sweeping views across the Weald and down towards the coast, and the site of Toby's Stone, a small memorial near the summit.
• Bignor Roman Villa - a large excavated Roman courtyard villa near Bignor, celebrated for some of the most complete and intricate mosaic floors found anywhere in Britain.
• Petworth House and Park - a National Trust property a few miles north, with an outstanding art collection and a deer park landscaped by Capability Brown.
• Chichester Cathedral - the medieval cathedral in Chichester, around eight miles south, with its distinctive detached bell tower and Marc Chagall stained glass window.
• Goodwood Estate - home to horse racing, motorsport and the South Downs' highest point on its land, a short drive to the south-east.
• South Downs Way - the National Trail runs along the ridge above Upwaltham, offering some of the best walking and cycling in southern England.

Upwaltham itself has no pub, café or shop, so eating out means a short drive along the A285. The Cricketers at Duncton and the Badger at Coultershaw are traditional country pubs on this stretch of road, while the Anglesey Arms at Halnaker is a well-regarded dining pub a little further towards Chichester. Petworth's town centre has a good spread of independent cafés and restaurants, and Chichester offers the widest choice, from casual cafés around the cathedral to more formal dining in the city centre.

Camping near Upwaltham means embracing the open chalk downland of the South Downs National Park rather than the hamlet itself, which has no sites or facilities of its own. As in the rest of England, wild camping without the landowner's permission is illegal here, so pitching up on the surrounding hills or farmland is not an option; instead, look to licensed campsites and certified sites scattered around Petworth, Chichester and the villages along the A285, several of which sit within a few miles of the South Downs Way. The terrain is classic chalk downland - close-cropped grazing pasture, steep-sided dry valleys like the one Upwaltham itself sits in, and beech-topped hills such as Bignor Hill and Sutton Down - making for scenic but occasionally exposed camping, so a pitch with some shelter from the wind is worth seeking out. Late spring through early autumn is the best window, when the ground is firmer, the days are long enough for a proper walk on the Downs, and the wildflowers and butterflies on the chalk grassland are at their best; the shoulder months of May and September often bring quieter sites and cooler, more comfortable nights than high summer. Given the lack of shops or pubs in Upwaltham itself, campers should stock up in Petworth or Chichester before heading out, and plan routes around the network of footpaths and bridleways that link the hamlet to the wider Downs. For those who prefer a roof over their heads without giving up the outdoor setting, glamping options in the area - shepherd's huts, bell tents and pods - offer a comfortable alternative to a traditional tent while keeping the same downland views and access to walking straight from the door. Whichever way you camp, respect for the working farmland that surrounds Upwaltham is essential, since much of this landscape remains in agricultural use alongside its national park status.