Discover Findon: South Downs, walking routes and history

Findon lies entirely within the South Downs National Park. If you are looking for a hotel in Findon, its landscape, walking routes and local history offer practical points of reference when choosing your destination. Findon Dry Valley is the most significant of the local dry valleys. Its species-rich chalk grassland, historic sheep pasture and scrubland provide habitats for a variety of plants, birds and animals. Findon therefore offers a clear focus on landscape for travellers wishing to include nature and local history in their travel plans.

Walking routes into the surrounding landscape

Public rights of way, bridleways and the long-distance trail The Monarch’s Way connect Findon with the surrounding landscape. At the eastern approach, The Monarch’s Way reaches Findon along a rough chalk-and-flint track. The Nepcote Circular Walk is a named route approximately 1.7 miles long. The approximate circular route distance and the specific path surface at the eastern approach offer distinct points of reference when choosing a walk.

Cissbury Ring: prehistory and nature

Cissbury Ring is the second-largest Iron Age hillfort in southern England. In summer, Cissbury Ring is home to chalk downland butterflies, including the Adonis blue and the silver-studded blue. The Cissbury Ring history and nature trail follows the route of an old road that once ran from Broadwater to Steyning. Cissbury Ring’s themes therefore include prehistory, a former road and summer butterflies. The English term “hillfort” refers to a fortified site on a hill.

Architecture and local history

The Parish Church of St John the Baptist has a nave arcade dating from the transitional period to Norman architecture. Findon Place is an example of neoclassical Georgian architecture and is listed as Grade II*. A residence has stood on the site of Findon Place since AD 980. Wattle House was built between 1792 and 1803. These buildings and dates offer different insights into the village’s architecture and history, rather than reducing them to a single period.

Racehorse training in Findon also stretches from 1854 to the present day. Its time span adds an activity continuing to this day to the local history, and sets it apart from the dated buildings.

Findon Sheep Fair: historical stages

The history of Findon Sheep Fair can be divided into several stages. In 1261, a charter authorised an annual three-day fair. The Findon Sheep Fair itself began on Nepcote Green before 1785. Its present-day form developed as a village fete featuring a sheep show and display. The early authorisation of a fair, the later start of the named event and its present-day form are distinct historical milestones.

Discover more destinations: Hunston, Southwick, Funtington, Faygate, East Grinstead, Midhurst, West Chiltington, Albourne

For the regional travel overview: West Sussex.