Arundel is in the pretty but rather unknown county of West Sussex.

Its neighbours have Brighton (East Sussex), Portsmouth (Hampshire) South London (Surrey) but West Sussex has nothing quite so well known.

However it would be a mistake to think it’s not worth the visit.

Here are five places or areas that are great to visit, either on their own or as a day trip from the lovely Arundel we’ve been discussing in the edition:

COASTLINE

The first and most important characteristic of West Sussex is its coastline.

Stretching for 50 miles the West Sussex coast is full of lovely coastal towns, villages and some of the best beaches in England.

Worthing, Littlehampton and the wonderfully named Bognor Regis may not have the pizazz of Brighton to the East, or the history of Portsmouth in the West, but they are lovely examples of the modest, pretty seaside places that dot the English coastline.

Top tip: If you’re interested in wildlife or messing about on boats, Chichester Habour is a lovely place to spend a summer day.

CHICHESTER

Talking about Chichester, the town itself is a highlight of this part of the world.

The town retains much of its Roman heritage with parts of the old roman walls and gateways still part of the streetscape.

Chichester has developed into one of the most stylish towns on the south coast, dominated by one of the prettiest small cathedrals in England.

CASTLES

Speaking of Castles , West Sussex is home to more than its fair share of wonderful castles.

Because it was part of the Saxon Kingdom – Sussex comes from ‘South Saxons’ – it was at the heart of the growing mediaeval English world. It retained this status when the Normans invaded at nearby Hastings.

The Normans brought with them their powerful innovation of the castle – a hastily constructed fort placed in a recently conquered area. They were built all around the south coast of England, to subdue the recently defeated Saxon peoples.

These were mainly wooden structures initially but grew into some of the finest examples of the stone built castles we know and love today.

The finest West Sussex example is the aforementioned Arundel Castle, However there are several other lovely castles in the area too.

For example Amberley Castle was built just after the Norman invasion too, but is now a luxury hotel. If you’ve ever wanted to stay in a medieval castle, then a (albeit expensive) night in the Amberley Castle hotel is the way to do it.

MID SUSSEX COUNTRYSIDE

The rolling hills of inland West Wessex are quintessential England, dotted with picturesque villages, slow moving rivers and some of the most fertile farmland in the country.

Check out the town of Midhurst and anywhere in the chalk hills of the South Downs.

WAKEHURST

Wakehurst is a sixteenth century manor house owned by the National Trust.

The house is lovely, albeit closed for renovation at the time of writing, but the main attraction is the gorgeous gardens managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London.

For that reason the gardens are known as ‘Kew In The Country’ and a must for garden lovers.

(Quiz Answers: 1. Arundel; 2.Cirencester; 3. Bognor Regis; 4.Haywards Heath; 5.Little Hampton; 6. Shoreham By Sea 7. Midhurst; 8. Worthing; 9. East Grinstead; 10. Crawley; 11. Burgess Hill; 12. Hurstpierpoint; 13. Billingshurst; 14. Aldingbourne; 15. Steyning; 16. Storrington 17. Southwick; 18. Selsey; 19. Henfield; 20. Sullington)