Holiday rentals and lettings in Sussex

Once an ancient kingdom in its own right, Sussex is a large county in the south east corner of the UK, with Hampshire to the west, Kent above and a long coastline facing the English Channel. It's a county known for its white chalk cliffs, the sweeping hillsides of the South Downs and the age old farmlands of the High Weald.

It's also a county strongly associated with the English seaside. If you want to spend some time on the beach with the family, you can take your pick of popular resorts such as Eastbourne, Hastings and Bognor Regis, towns which have been catering to kids and adults alike for over a century. Then there are cathedral towns like Chichester, great for a shopping expedition, a pub lunch and a tour of the sites. And for the best of all worlds, head to Brighton, where you can splash about in the sea, immerse yourself in the quirky boutiques of the Lanes, take in a show or marvel at architectural wonders like the Royal Pavilion.

If you're looking for the Great Outdoors, here it is. The South Downs Nature Park covers over 600 square miles, much of it in Sussex, including beautiful chalk cliffs such as the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head. Lace up your hiking boots and stroll along a part of the South Downs Way, a 100 mile bridleway that runs from Winchester to Eastbourne. Or for a change of scene, visit the Romney Marshes, an atmospheric area of wetlands, lagoons and waterways in East Sussex.

Sussex has been continuously inhabited for over 2000 years, and all around you see remnants from many different phases of its history. At Fishbourne are the remains of a Roman palace dating from 75 AD, including elaborate floor mosaics. A relative newcomer by comparison, Arundel castle was established in 1067. The original motte and bailey (tower and moat) still exists, as well as the magnificent wings and courtyards added in the subsequent centuries.

From April to December, the Chichester Festival Theatre puts on a roster of productions, with a fine array of onstage and backstage talent. With a mix of musicals, modern plays and classics, there's usually something for committed theatre buffs and general audiences alike.

Glyndebourne opera festival takes place every summer in a lovely country estate near Lewes. People come from all over the country to enjoy a champagne picnic on the lawn before listening to some great music. Top international singers grace the stage in lavish productions of Mozart, Handel and others composers.

Sussex has no shortage of horse racing venues, but the undoubted champion of them all is the Goodwood Racecourse near Chichester. The season runs from May to September, culminating in the Glorious Goodwood meet, usually in late July.

In the East Sussex town of Rye you'll find Lamb House, a handsome villa which was owned first by the novelist Henry James and then by the humorous writer E.F. Benson, who in turn used it as the home of his comic character Miss Mapp of the Mapp and Lucia novels. Fans of the books can have fun wandering the streets and working out where the other characters in the novels lived too.

For a trip back into the past, head to Sheffield Park for a jaunt on the Bluebell Railway. Lovingly restored by amateurs, these fully working steam locomotives are something to behold.