Motte and Bailey Castle Scheduled Monument

The earthwork mound rising from the Sussex countryside near Horsham is what remains of a proper Norman fortification - a motte and bailey castle that once commanded the landscape. There's no grand stonework here, no rooms to wander through with velvet ropes and information boards. Instead, you get the raw bones of medieval military strategy: a raised mound (the motte) where a wooden tower once stood, ringed by a flat-bottomed ditch, with an outer defensive area (the bailey) sprawling beside it. It's the kind of place that rewards actually walking the perimeter and imagining what stood there nine centuries ago, rather than standing at the gate for five minutes.

The appeal depends entirely on who you're with. History enthusiasts and anyone studying the Norman conquest will find it genuinely absorbing - these earthworks are the real archaeology, not reconstructions. Walkers heading out from Horsham might combine it with the surrounding countryside for a decent afternoon ramble. Younger children often lose interest quickly once they realise there are no walls to climb or rooms to explore, though the mound itself can be fun for scrambling about on.

As a scheduled monument, access is free and unrestricted, though there are no visitor facilities to speak of. It's the kind of place you visit because you're passing through rather than a dedicated day-out destination. If you're based at one of the nearby campsites - Sands Farm is closest at just 2.5 miles - it makes a worthwhile walk from your pitch, especially if Norman archaeology is your thing.