Barnham: rural character and local history

Barnham combines a distinctly rural character with a remarkable local history. The Barnham Church Lane Conservation Area encompasses the original medieval settlement and is surrounded by farmland. North of St Mary’s Church is an open field, considered a particularly attractive feature of the conservation area. The settlement, surrounding landscape and historic buildings give the village its different facets.

Local history: Barnham Court, the church and the mill

Barnham Court was built between 1630 and 1650 from hard red Sussex brick. Its construction period and building material give the house a clear historic character; Barnham Court is unique in Sussex. The church of St Mary the Virgin adds a different point in time to the local history: it was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and is a Grade I listed building. Barnham thus brings together a 17th-century building history and an early written record of the church.

The history of the new tower windmill also reflects several successive uses. Henry Martin, a millwright from Bognor, built it at the same location in 1829. Around 1926, wind power was no longer used; milling then continued with an auxiliary engine. During the Second World War, the mill served as an observation post to warn nearby RAF Tangmere of approaching air raids. Its construction, technical change and later wartime use offer different historical perspectives on the same place.

Rural surroundings and routes

The Barnham Church Lane Conservation Area is surrounded by farmland and has a distinctly rural character. The open field north of St Mary’s Church is one of its particularly attractive features. This landscape perspective complements the history of the buildings: Barnham can be understood through its settlement and structures as well as its open, agricultural surroundings.

For cyclists, a designated cycle route is described that follows the route of footpath No. 146 between the A259 at Flansham and Barnham. The information identifies a specific section and its two endpoints. The Sussex Hospices Trail, which passes through Barnham and Walberton, is a separate route. The two route descriptions offer different guidance: the cycle route focuses on its course along footpath No. 146 and its endpoints, while the Trail names Barnham and Walberton as the places it passes through.

Choose the focus of your trip

If you are looking for a hotel in Barnham, deciding what you want to focus on during your trip can help you find your bearings. If you are particularly interested in architectural history and historical change, Barnham Court, St Mary the Virgin and the windmill each offer a different local topic. If you are more drawn to the rural setting, the conservation area and its surroundings offer a perspective of their own. The named routes, in turn, provide specific points of reference for planning your journey. You can explore Barnham according to your interests in its local history, landscape or different routes.

Discover more destinations: Ferring, Faygate, Merston, Horsham, Albourne, Wisborough Green, Kirdford, Stedham.

For the broader travel overview: West Sussex.