Midhurst Castle

The ruins of Midhurst Castle sit quietly on the edge of town, a reminder that this corner of Sussex once mattered enough to fortify. What remains are fragments of flint and stone walls - enough to trace the medieval layout, but not so much that you'll spend hours picking through rubble. The castle dates to the 12th century and was built to command the approach to Midhurst, though time and neglect have been rather thorough in their demolition work.

It's the sort of stop that works best if you're already in Petworth rather than a destination in itself. History enthusiasts will find it worth twenty minutes or so, enough to walk the perimeter and imagine what the fortifications looked like when they actually kept people out. Children might get a kick out of climbing on the accessible bits and playing among the stones, though there's no visitor centre or interpretation to hold younger attention for long.

Access appears to be free and unrestricted - you can wander down and explore at will. There's a real sense of the landscape around it, with fields visible from the higher ground, which helps you understand why someone chose this spot to build. If you're camping at Graffham Camping and Caravanning Club Site or Woodfire at Westerlands, it's an easy drive to Petworth and worth combining with a proper explore of that town. Petworth House itself is the main draw, but Midhurst Castle makes a decent afternoon add-on for anyone interested in medieval Sussex.