Spend a week or two tuning into nature in Sussex. This itinerary invites you to slow down, take a breath and reconnect – with yourself and your surroundings.
Sussex’s Horsham district is like a gentle exhale after a hurried breath. Horsham town is only an hour from London but it feels a million miles away from everyday hustle. It's easier to live life in the present here.
Here are five different ways to slow down in Sussex. Choose the experiences that resonate deeply with you and use them to shape a trip that gives you what you need most right now. This is your chance to rest, recover and discover new a hobby to help plant you firmly in the moment, such as beekeeping, stargazing or simply learning to appreciate nature’s slower pace.
Wellness in the wild
Sessions at the Yoga Garden take place in a handcrafted yurt in a wildflower meadow on The Knepp Estate, a deeply peaceful spot that’s home to a pioneering rewilding project. It’s the ultimate place to reconnect body and mind through movement in nature. Afterwards, linger in the wood-fired Kindred Sauna, soaking in warmth as you gaze across the landscape.
Book into the Spa at South Lodge for a blissful blend of nature and indulgence. There’s a tingle-inducing thermal experience and treatments that use natural and organic products but the real stars of the spa are the wild swimming options. Take a dip in the “almost-as-nature-intended” outdoor wild swimming pool, which is kept at around 14C, or book a swim in the natural lake for something a little more invigorating.
Need something even more immersive? Check into an adult-only nature retreat at Cattlestone Farm. Their luxurious camping experiences harmonise mindfulness, yoga and meditation with the rhythms of the countryside. Choose one of their glamping options (we love the shepherd’s huts) then tailor your retreat to meet your needs. There’s massage, reiki and indoor and outdoor yoga. You can even “hug a Highland cow” – an incredibly joyful experience, apparently!
Travel at nature's pace
If nature is your balm, Sussex is your sanctuary. Glide at a paddler's pace on the River Arun with Pulborough Paddles. You could spot damselflies and herons skim over the water as you float your kayak, canoe or paddleboard peacefully beneath overhanging branches and old brick bridges.
For more wildlife spotting on the River Arun, head to Amberley Wildbrooks Nature Reserve. Here, you can while away a tranquil few hours, binoculars in hand, spotting lapwings, kingfishers and swallows weaving across the marshland skies. At RSPB Pulborough Brooks, follow one of the self-guided trails through the wetlands, heath and woodlands and spot acrobatic lapwings, twinkling glow-worms or wintering wildfowl. What you see depends on the time of year you visit, of course.
For wanderers, the South Downs Way unfolds gently through rolling chalk hills, ancient woodland and vineyards. For shorter routes you can meander in a day, stroll the leafy trails in Leechpool and Owlbeech Woods or follow the ‘oak leaf over water’ signs that mark the 13-mile, circular Horsham River Walk along the town’s watery edges. There’s plenty of space for your thoughts to drift freely as you walk. Pause often. The panoramic views shift subtly with each step, bringing new perspectives.
Learn natural talents
Events at RSPB Pulborough Brooks will further deepen your appreciation for the natural world. Try their birding for beginners classes, go on a reptile safari or join their birdsong masterclass, which teach you to identify the distinct calls of local birds. Depending on when you visit, you could hear the gentle whistle of a wigeon, the chur of a nightjar or even the serenade of a nightingale.
At South Downs Honey, step into a beekeeper’s boots and discover the gentle art of tending hives. The Bee a Beekeeper experience is a hands-on way to learn to read and nurture the health of a hive.
Join one of the Knepp Estate’s expert-led safaris and workshops to deepen your understanding of rewilding. You could encounter roaming longhorn cattle, majestic white storks and purple emperor butterflies drifting above wildflower meadows – just some of the species now thriving as part of this visionary wildlife project.
As night falls, look up at some of the darkest skies in southeast England. On Pied à Terre’s guided dark sky tours or your own self-led stargazing adventure, constellations seem brighter, closer. If you let it, time spent gazing at the stars can feel like quiet reassurance from the universe.
Slowly savour local flavours
Take your palate on a slow journey through Sussex’s finest produce. Head to Trenchmore, a farm where agriculture restores rather than takes away, for regeneratively farmed beef and crisp Silly Moo Cyder. Buy their produce at the yard shop, or feast on the juicy burgers and crisp apple cider on site at their regular community events, including vibrant seasonal markets and supper clubs. At Knepp Wilding Kitchen, you can sample dishes crafted from wild-range meat and organic produce, raised and grown on their own rewilded land.
Kinsbrook Vineyard offers leisurely vineyard tours capped off with leisurely lunches overlooking lush vines. Tours of the Wiston Estate winery and dinners in its elegant Chalk restaurant showcase dishes and sparkling wines crafted from the chalky earth below. And don't miss Horsham’s vibrant farmers markets. Across the district, they form a delicious spread of seasonal produce, local cheeses, artisan breads and handmade treats – perfect for a picnic or a relaxing night in.
Craft slow, craft local
Take your time exploring traditional crafts in the Horsham district. At Chalk Pit Forge in Amberley Museum, you can have a one-to-one lesson in the art of blacksmithing. Transform glowing metal into unique keepsakes under the expert guidance of a local blacksmith. Courses can take as long as you want, from one day to however long you need for a bespoke project.
Theatre, art exhibitions and a lively programme of workshops and talks fill the quiet corners of the barn at Sullington Manor Farm. It’s the perfect place to lose track of time while steeped in creativity.
Sleep soundly
Rest comes easy at Horsham's unique retreats. Choose camping, glamping and stays that respect the surrounding nature for the deepest sleeps.
Drift off in the off-grid domes at Zephyr Domes, set to a natural soundtrack of whispering woodland and hooting owls. Another off-grid option is Skoolie Stays’ thoughtfully restored and playfully nostalgic American school bus.
Pitch up at Cattlestone Farm and camp in your own text, glamp in a boutique bell tent or stay in one of their shepherds huts or log cabins. Knepp is also a great choice for glamping, with shepherd’s huts, bell tents and yurts – but perhaps you’ll feel closest to nature in one of their treehouses, with unrivalled views of the rewilding project.
For groups, South Downs Bunkhouse offers a cosy, convivial stay, surrounded by farmland trails and star-filled skies.
Keep nature happy
Take a leaf out of the rewilders’ and regenerators’ books and aim to leave nature in a better state than you found her – after all, nature does exactly that for you!
Before you go on your getaway in Sussex, read these 10 tips for keeping nature happy, from the experts at the South Downs National Park.
Getting there and around
It’s easy to reach many of the places on this itinerary by train. You can take the train from London to Horsham, Pulborough, Amberley and Arundel – and listen to the Arun Valley Line podcast series, Beyond the Rails, as you travel. However, for many other places, it’s easier to travel by road, whether that’s on a bike or in a car.
