Hilaire Billoc (1970-1953)

Hilaire Belloc's connection to West Sussex runs deep - the writer, historian and politician spent much of his life in this corner of England, and his legacy lingers around Arundel and the surrounding villages. Born in 1870 and dying in 1953, Belloc was a prolific figure: essays, poetry, travel writing, Catholic polemic. He walked these lanes constantly, and the landscape shaped his thinking.

Visiting sites associated with Belloc requires a bit of detective work. This isn't a museum with opening hours or a staffed visitor centre - it's more about understanding the places where he lived and worked, the pubs he drank in, the churches he attended. His influence on the area is woven into the local fabric rather than cordoned off behind a till. Arundel itself, with its castle and riverside setting, was one of his haunts.

You'll get the most from this if you're already interested in early-20th-century literature and Catholic thought. Walkers will appreciate that Belloc was obsessed with the South Downs Way and the trails around here - following his footsteps actually works as a decent ramble. History types and anyone curious about how writers saw England will find it rewarding.

The beauty of a Belloc pilgrimage is that it costs nothing and ties perfectly into a caravan holiday near Arundel. Camp at Old Farm Slindon, just over a mile away, and you've got the perfect base for exploring both the man and the landscape that defined him. Expect to spend a few hours if you're doing this properly - it's not a tick-box attraction, but rather a slower kind of literary tourism.