Sussex

Sussex is a place of beautiful coastline, gardens, literary greats, rolling South Downs, vast art collections and a castle. Discover what to see and do and plan a day out to remember.

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Nymans

A garden lovers' home for all seasons, with an extensive yet intimate garden set around a romantic house and ruins.

Sheffield Park and Garden

Acres of Grade I listed landscaped garden and lakes, surrounded by historic parkland and woodland

View from First Bridge towards Middle Lake at Sheffield Park East Sussex

Petworth

A magnificent 17th-century house displaying one of the finest art collections in the care of the National Trust, nestled in a 700-acre deer park

Bodiam Castle

Step into history at Bodiam Castle. This 14th-century moated castle with a ruined interior features spiral staircases, battlements and a portcullis.

Standen

Arts and Crafts family home with Morris & Co. interiors, set in a beautiful hillside garden

Child smelling the flowers in a tropical flower bed.

Bateman's

The family home of world-famous writer Rudyard Kipling, known for The Jungle Book and Just So Stories. Built in 1634, this Jacobean house is in the Sussex countryside.

Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters

A popular coastal hub, where the South Downs meet the sea

Uppark

Uppark is currently closed for essential repairs until summer 2025.

Wakehurst

Wild botanic garden, managed by Kew and home to the Millennium Seed Bank

Lamb House

Celebrating 300 years of history and literary connections in a stunning Georgian house

Trees display their autumn colour by the lake at Sheffield Park and Garden

Family friendly places to visit

A view of the ruins of the old house in Nymans Garden, West Sussex

Houses and buildings in Sussex

Public footpath signpost at Devil's Dyke, West Sussex

Countryside and woodland in Sussex

Signpost and stile on Ditchling Beacon, East Sussex

Turner’s Vision at Petworth exhibition

21 June – 16 November: for the first time in over twenty years, a selection of JMW Turner’s studies of Petworth’s extraordinary landscape are exhibited in the very place that inspired him. Discover more about Turner’s experiments with colour, use of materials and artistic vision, in this 250th anniversary celebration of the artist’s birth. Normal admission plus adult £10, child £5 (including National Trust members).

The Art of Illusion: The Theatrical World of Oliver Messel

A new exhibition delving into the work of Oliver Messel opens on Saturday 14 June and will celebrate the life of Britain’s leading stage designer of the mid-20th Century. The displays will explore the designer’s lifetime of creative output which was influenced by his childhood spent at Nymans. The exhibition will cover his work in interior design, film and theatre. Some of the objects on public display for the first time include a newly acquired portrait of his sister Anne, plus theatre props for Glyndebourne performances and a recreation of an opera set.

Garden for the Future revealed at Sheffield Park and Garden

We're excited to announce that Garden for the Future has officially launched at Sheffield Park and Garden. Designed by three-time RHS Chelsea award-winner, Joe Perkins, the Garden for the Future is a garden within a garden and will help inform our ongoing approach to climate resilient planting. It's a space inspired by the heritage arboretum that surrounds it and encourages people to connect with nature and each other in tranquil and beautiful surroundings. 

An aerial view of the garden for the future.

How to train your dragon at Bodiam Castle

Until 7 September: Join Hiccup and Toothless the dragon on an adventure around Bodiam Castle. Let your imagination run wild and channel your inner Viking as you pick up tips and tricks to master the art of dragon training. Discover different dragon species, learn the forgotten language of Dragonese, find out gruesome facts about Vikings – and so much more! Do you have what it takes to become a dragon trainer?

An illustration from How to Train Your Dragon. Including Hiccup riding a dragon against a red scale background.

Ghost Written: An Exhibition

This exhibition explores the written heritage of Lamb House, home to some of the leading literary voices of the 20th century, through its ghost stories. 28 February - 22 December.

Discover shifting sands, salt marshes and a vibrant coastal hub on the Sussex coast.

Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters

Discover what to see and do at Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters. Fossil hunt on the beach, walk on the historic downland or enjoy the views as you spot birds.

Woman walking her dog on the beach, with chalk cliffs behind, at Birling Gap, East USsex

The beach at East Head

Explore East Head beach. With space to play, scenic walks and interesting wildlife to discover, there's lots to see and do at this popular spot.

Two people walking across the sand at East Head in West Sussex with the rough wooden posts of an old groyne in the foreground and the sea sparkling in the distance

Sussex is home to one of the National Trust's top castles.

Bodiam Castle

With its full moat, original wooden portcullis, murder holes, spiral staircases and battlements, a visit to Bodiam Castle provides a glimpse back in time to the 14th century. Enough of the interior ruins survive to give an impression of castle life, and on selected dates, look out for tours, talks, armour demonstrations and family trails to find out more about the people who lived and worked here.

Woodlands Cottage

This gamekeeper’s cottage is surrounded by woodland on the Nymans estate.

The Morris Apartment

A one-bedroom apartment in trademark Arts and Crafts style, on the second floor of Standen House.

Find out about the conservation, biodiversity, community, wildlife and nature work taking place in Sussex

Changing Chalk partnership

The South Downs have been a place to live, work and play for thousands of years. Together we can make sure they will be enjoyed for thousands more. Learn how the projects of the Changing Chalk partnership, led by the National Trust, are restoring lost habitats, bringing histories to life, and providing new outdoor experiences across the eastern South Downs, and discover how you can get involved.