Walberton: Village Character, Church and Countryside

Walberton offers several specific points of interest to help you plan a stay: designated conservation areas, the Parish Church of St Mary, Walberton Park, public paths and golf. Depending on whether you are interested in architectural history, countryside or a round of golf, these themes give the destination a distinct character.

Village character around Village Green and The Street

There are two designated conservation areas in the parish of Walberton. One is around the village green, the other around The Street. These two areas provide specific reference points for understanding the village’s character: if you want to consider Walberton in terms of its layout, you can look at them separately.

Church and churchyard tell stories of different periods

The Parish Church of St Mary is a medieval church. Its nave dates from the 12th century, and the chancel from the 13th century. Archaeological evidence in the churchyard points to a settlement from the Bronze Age, around 3,500 years ago. Early traces of settlement and a church with building elements from two successive centuries therefore stand side by side here.

The churchyard is also home to the Prime family mausoleum: a solid tomb vault made of pink granite and stone, with a wrought-iron grille. The tomb of Charles Cook records that he died in 1767 when a tree fell on him. St Mary’s Walberton is also a village church that offers both informal and traditional forms of worship.

Walberton Park and its portico

Walberton Park was built around 1817 by Robert Prime, to designs by the architect Robert Smirke. A defining architectural feature is the portico, with eight fluted Doric columns, which extends along the entire length of the house. A portico is a column-supported porch; fluting refers to the vertical grooves on column shafts. At Walberton Park, the row of columns is therefore not limited to a short entrance area, but extends along the full length of the house.

Public paths and countryside

Part of the South Downs National Park lies within the parish of Walberton. Walberton Parish Council provides a map of the parish’s public rights of way. The network connects the villages with the wider countryside and is considered well signposted and free of obstacles. For hikes and walks, both the designated rights of way and the national park’s countryside are important points of reference.

In the area around Walberton, eleven footpaths, including two bridleways, pass through Binsted. They connect the woods and the South Downs National Park with Walberton. These figures refer to the paths at Binsted; they supplement the information about the parish’s public path network with a specific nearby reference point.

Golf with two round options

The Avisford Park Golf Course at the Avisford Park Hotel in Walberton is an 18-hole course measuring 5,800 yards. It is set on 89 acres of gardens and parkland. Visitors can play 9- or 18-hole rounds, offering a clear choice of round length. If you plan to play golf, check the current visitor rules in advance.

Discover more destinations: Kirdford, Ferring, Partridge Green, Crawley, Lurgashall, Haywards Heath, Pagham, West Wittering

For the wider travel overview: West Sussex.