Drovers Estate
Nestled in undulating hills, step back to a timeless rural life
Drovers Estate
Facilities and access
Drovers Estate
Overview
Nestled in undulating hills, step back to a timeless rural life
Drovers is a hidden estate nestling in the undulating hills and valleys of the South Downs. Here you can step back to a timeless rural life, set amidst shady woodland and rolling ancient pastures, punctuated by traditional flint cottages and barns. It provides an insight into traditional management which has formed the working landscape that we see today.
The highest point, Hat Hill, gives panoramic views of the striking Goodwood racecourse, Singleton village and the Roman city of Chichester. Hedgerows and shaws (a small wood or thicket) link many of the oak and beech woodlands with hazel coppice and plantation forestry.
Drovers has long been a sporting estate going back to when a Medieval deer park dominated the landscape. The estate includes a disused railway tunnel, a superb hibernating roost for bats, supporting 12 of the United Kingdom’s 17 species, notably Barbestelle and Mouse-eared. This tapestry of farmland, grassland, woods and hedgerows together with the tunnel and stream provides an excellent diversity of habitats.
Drovers Estate
How to get here
- Address
- Enter Estate behind the cricket pavillion, Sheepwash Meadow, Singleton, West Sussex, PO18 0HA
- By cycle
- Take the Centurion Way cycle-way north from Chichester to West Dean, then roughly 1 mile north on A286 to Singleton village
- On foot
- In Singleton, take footpath across main road from Partridge Inn, go through gate on left, walk behind cricket pavillion and over two stiles, then take sunken track uphill onto Drovers Estate. Alternatively, park at school layby in Singleton and walk up track towards Levin Down. Near top of hill, take signed path to left, into the beech woods of Drovers estate
- By train
- Chichester Railway Station 7 miles south: then see 'By Bus' for regular connection service
- By road
- Take A286 between Chichester and Midhurst; park in Singleton Village. Entrance to estate is behind the cricket pavillion
- SatNav:
- By bus
- There is a regular service by the Stagecoach 60 bus between Chichester and Midhurst.
Drovers Estate
Prices
Admission free
What is Gift Aid?
Most of our places run the Gift Aid on Entry scheme at their admission points. Under this scheme, if you're not a member you have the choice of two entry tickets:
- Gift Aid Admission or
- Standard admission
If the place runs Gift Aid on Entry, we'll offer you the Gift Aid Admission prices. But it's entirely up to you which ticket you choose. If you want the Standard Admission instead, just let us know when you come to pay.
Gift Aid Admission includes a 10 per cent or more voluntary donation. Gift Aid Admissions let us reclaim tax on the whole amount paid* — an extra 25 per cent — potentially a very significant boost to our places' funds.
An extra £1 paid under the scheme can be worth over £3 to the National Trust as shown below: Payment of the additional percentage donation is entirely voluntary, so if you prefer to pay the standard admission please advise our reception staff at the till point.
| Gift Aid | Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount paid by visitor | £11.00 | £10.00 |
| Tax refund from Government* | £2.75 | £0.00 |
| Total received by the National Trust | £13.75 | £10.00 |
Drovers Estate
Opening times
Saturday 1 October
- Countryside Dawn to dusk
Sunday 2 October
- Countryside Dawn to dusk
Monday 3 October
- Countryside Dawn to dusk
Tuesday 4 October
- Countryside Dawn to dusk
Wednesday 5 October
- Countryside Dawn to dusk
Thursday 6 October
- Countryside Dawn to dusk
Friday 7 October
- Countryside Dawn to dusk