East Dean, All Saints

All Saints Church sits quietly in East Dean, a few miles south of Petworth, with the kind of understated authority that Sussex villages do rather well. It's a proper medieval church - the sort with a tower that's watched over the South Downs for centuries and a churchyard where the graves lean at angles that tell their own stories.

Step inside and you're looking at genuine medieval work: the chancel arch is substantial, the windows let in that particular green-tinted light you only get when you're surrounded by old yew trees, and there's the kind of stillness that makes you understand why people bothered to build these places in the first place. The furnishings are simple rather than showy, which suits the building.

This isn't a destination attraction in the sense that you'd drive forty minutes for it alone. But if you're staying at Bow Hill Farm - the nearby CL site that's only five miles away - or exploring the Petworth area more widely, it's absolutely worth the short detour. The walk to get there through proper Sussex countryside is honestly as rewarding as the church itself, and you'll likely have the place almost entirely to yourself.

Allow twenty minutes inside if you're interested in medieval architecture, less if you're just passing through. Check locally for opening times before you visit - country churches keep their own schedules. Free admission, naturally.