Discover Pulborough

Pulborough brings nature watching together with local history. Pulborough Brooks is known for its wildlife, walking trails and views of the South Downs; St Mary's Church and Old Swan Bridge add architectural highlights. Stane Street, a Roman road that ran through Pulborough, adds another dimension. You can explore the area through its landscapes, architectural history or historic routes.

Nature and landscape at Pulborough Brooks

Pulborough Brooks is a family-friendly nature reserve with wildlife and walking trails. From there, you can enjoy beautiful views of the South Downs. Wildlife watching in the reserve and views of the landscape offer different ways to experience nature.

In summer, dragonflies can be spotted around the ponds and ditches at Pulborough Brooks. This opportunity for wildlife watching is seasonal; views of the South Downs provide another, more landscape-focused highlight. Check the latest information on seasonal conditions and facilities before your visit.

The WildArt Trail

The WildArt Trail runs from Pulborough station through the village and across Pulborough Brooks to the RSPB nature reserve. The route is also described in the opposite direction: from the RSPB nature reserve across Pulborough Brooks and through the village to the station. The station and the named nature destinations are therefore part of the same route.

Church, bridge and Roman history

At St Mary's Church in Pulborough, the tower, nave and aisles date from the early 15th century. The church also has a Norman font, and its stained-glass windows are by Sir Ninian Comper. To understand the details, it is worth distinguishing between them: the date applies to the named parts of the building, while the font and windows are specific features of its furnishings.

Old Swan Bridge is a multi-span bridge dating from the late 18th century, crossing the River Arun in Pulborough. Its shape is defined by four semicircular arches. The sequence of arches illustrates the bridge type and offers an architectural perspective different from the building elements and features of St Mary's Church.

A historic route is also part of the area’s history: the Roman road Stane Street ran from Regnum to Londinium through Pulborough. This makes it possible to explore the past not only through individual buildings, but also by following the course of a road between the two named endpoints.

Getting there by train

Pulborough has a mainline rail connection to London Victoria. This is a useful point of reference when planning a rail journey. As train service details can change, check the latest timetable before travelling.

When planning your trip, you can treat nature and history as different areas of interest: dragonfly watching is described as a summer activity, while the church, bridge and Stane Street offer cultural and historical themes. This makes it easy to plan around whether seasonal wildlife watching or architectural and local history is your priority.

Discover more destinations: Petworth, Boxgrove, Worthing, Pagham, Partridge Green, Burgess Hill, Selsey, Southwick

For the broader travel overview: West Sussex.