Goodwood

Goodwood

Chichester is a fine West Sussex city, the county town in fact, sitting below the South Downs and not far from the sea, garlanded with another very special cathedral and ancient centre crammed inside intermittent circular walls. To the south are the prosperous indented flatlands along the coast centred on chic villages such as Bosham and Itchenor, with a high pound sterling and yacht per square foot coefficient. I did hear once it's the land where BBC employees live. Chichester itself is pretty easy to navigate, as the road map is centred on the market cross, with spokes going out north, south, east and west forming the main thoroughfares of the town centre. The cathedral sits in the south west quadrant, and as usual is surrounded by an attractive gaggle of dwellings, outbuildings and gardens. The wall walks are well worth doing, the best and most complete sections being around the north side of the town. But enough of Chichester, we can revisit the town later.






If you take a hike out to the north east of the town, first following the road east to the out of town Sainsburys on the route to Brighton, but turning left rather than right when you reach the supermarket roundabout, you hit the country lanes that lead to Goodwood house, seat of the family of the Duke of Richmond, a pleasant old pile that provides a good wedding venue if you fancy playing at aristocrats at your matrimonial celebrations. I myself have attended the odd wedding here. Here also is Goodwood aerodrome and racetrack, where every year petrolheads and lovers of all things fast congregate to pay homage to the Festival of Speed which this year ran from the 23rd to the 26th June.





Heading north from here you hit a classic Sussex road bordered by woodland which arrows north and up onto the downs. When you reach the top of the hill Goodwood horse race course appears to your right, a classic old venue which gracefully and majestically crowns the sweeping downland and forms a wonderful focus for the eye as you drink in the glories of the South Downs National Park. This racetrack hosts the annual Glorious Goodwood meet, and  I think it would be difficult to find a more beautiful setting for such an activity anywhere in the world. The road carries on swinging to the left and here there is a very convenient car park shaped like a large triangle which provides a great place to just sit and gaze at the loveliness of the Sussex downs which at this point are somewhat more wooded and homely than the more open downland to the east of Worthing. A great place to eat your lunch.

Just to the south is the Trundle Iron Age hill fort which provides a natural viewing point down onto the course. Park up at the aforementioned car park and cross the road, then follow the track up the hill, quite a steep climb to a large open area encircled by a path right round the circumference, a nice little stroll all on its own. The word is expansive here, as you are rewarded 360 degree views from a high point, south to Chichester and the sea, and west, north and east to admire the rolling curves of the South Downs National Park. With the race track as a backdrop, it must be one of the finest vistas West Sussex has to offer. If you're small and horse loving, you might even be tempted to become a jockey when you as you contemplate Goodwood in all its glory.