The best sport and leisure in West Sussex – Kingfisher Visitor Guides

By Joanne Horne

The South Downs National Park offers more walking routes than any other in the UK. The South Downs Way, 48 miles of which winds through West Sussex, is the most well known. However, there are plenty of others to choose from, including routes suitable for those with impaired mobility. Check out the South Downs National Park website to find out more.

Countryside pursuits

Visitors can also explore the park on horseback. Willowbrook Riding Centre in Hambrook, near Chichester, offers experienced riders an opportunity to discover its bridleway system, as well as local walkouts for novices.

Or you could hop on a bike. The website lists local cycle hire companies and provides details of routes such as the Centurion Way: an old railway trail running from Chichester to West Dean. The five-mile route connects with the South Coast Cycle Route at Fishbourne, should you wish to continue your journey.

Cycling at Devil’s Dyke on the South Downs Way

The coast also offers a number of options for those wanting to get on their bikes. In Worthing, you can hire a Donkey Bike, available 24/7 via the Donkey Republic app. Worthing Borough Council’s Discover Worthing website lists a number of routes, including a seven-and-a-half-mile cruise along the coast and a more adventurous cycle to Bramber Castle.

Fancy a different kind of challenge? Deers Leap Park, near East Grinstead, has 240 acres of dedicated mountain-bike tracks of every grade and offers two-hour, half-day and full-day bike hire.

The South Downs National Park offers more walking routes than any other in the UK. The South Downs Way, 48 miles of which winds through West Sussex, is the most well known

Water sports

If it’s water sports you’re after, then the West Sussex coast affords plenty of opportunities. Learn To Kite Surf, based in Goring, runs courses from April to October. For standup paddleboarding, try K66 Boardsports in Worthing or Goring’s Sussex Surf School. Located within Chichester Harbour, Cobnor Activities Centre offers sailing, paddling and powerboating. As well as teaching basic skills, its canoe safari is an opportunity to see the harbour wildlife at close range.

Inland, Tilgate Park in Crawley, Southwater Park in Horsham and Ardingly Activity Centre offer sailing, windsurfing and kayaking. Based at Ardingly Reservoir, the latter’s two-hour windsurfing taster session uses a dry land simulator to demonstrate the essential techniques before letting you loose on the water.

: Expect a good range of golf courses in West Sussex

: Test your balance with a standup paddleboarding session

Golfers can enjoy scenic countryside and coastal courses. Among those that welcome visitors are West Sussex Golf Club, Pulborough, set among heather and pine against the backdrop of the Sussex Downs, and Littlehampton Golf Club, the oldest club in West Sussex, with views of the sea.

The Cowdray Estate in Midhurst also welcomes individuals to pay and play its par 70 course, while Chichester Golf offers adventure golf and footgolf – a cross between football and golf – in addition to two 18-hole and a nine-hole course. Activities at Out of Bounds in Angmering, near Rustingdon, include footgolf, adventure golf, indoor clip ‘n’ climb and ten-pin bowling, while the Go Ape treetop adventure is available at Tilgate Park. Can’t decide? Nearby Southern Pursuits, based at Tulleys Farm in Crawley, offers action-packed activity days, with everything from off-road karting to clay pigeon shooting and even axe throwing on the menu!