Things to Do Nearby
Knepp, the South Downs, great gardens, vineyards and walks — all on the doorstep of the Crown.
Rewilding on the doorstep
Knepp Wildland
We're the nearest proper pub to Knepp — just 0.6 miles from the walkers' car park at Swallows Farm, about a ten-minute stroll along Worthing Road. We're recommended on Knepp's own Plan Ahead page.
Knepp is a 3,500-acre rewilding project on the old Burrell estate. What was once intensive farmland is now home to free-roaming longhorn cattle, Tamworth pigs, Exmoor ponies and fallow deer. The white storks are the headline act — the first to breed in the wild in Britain for over 600 years — but you'll also find turtle doves, nightingales and purple emperor butterflies. Explore on foot along the public footpaths and permissive trails, or book one of their guided safaris.
If you're visiting Knepp, we're the obvious place for lunch or dinner — and if you're staying the night, our rooms are a short walk from the estate entrance.
Chalk ridge & coastal views
The South Downs
The chalk ridge of the South Downs is visible from Dial Post on a clear day, and the national park begins just a few miles south.
Devil's Dyke is about 20 minutes by car — a dramatic dry valley with panoramic views across the Weald and out to the sea. Chanctonbury Ring is quieter and stranger, a hilltop Iron Age fort ringed with beech trees on the South Downs Way. Both make for a brilliant half-day out with lunch at the Crown either side.
Great West Sussex gardens
Gardens & Estates
West Sussex has some of the finest gardens in England, and several of the best are within easy reach.
Leonardslee Gardens in Lower Beeding is about 15 minutes away — 240 acres of woodland garden famous for its rhododendrons, azaleas and wallabies. Nymans is a National Trust property in Handcross with romantic ruins and one of the great plant collections in the country. Wakehurst, Kew's wild botanic garden near Ardingly, is home to the Millennium Seed Bank and 500 acres of stunning landscape. Any of them pairs perfectly with a meal at the Crown.
South Downs sparkling wine
Vineyards
The South Downs chalk produces some of the best sparkling wine in the world, and the local wine scene is booming.
Bolney, Wiston, Nyetimber, Kinsbrook and Albourne are all within easy reach — between them they cover tours, tastings, vineyard lunches and some of the best sparkling wine coming out of England. A vineyard in the afternoon followed by dinner at the Crown is becoming one of the best day trips in West Sussex.
Footpaths from the door
Walks & Cycling
You don't have to go far from the Crown to find a great walk. The Downs Link — the old railway path running from Shoreham to Guildford — passes right through the area. It's flat, traffic-free and perfect for cycling or a long walk.
Woods Mill in Henfield is about ten minutes away — a Sussex Wildlife Trust nature reserve with boardwalks through wetland and wildflower meadows, ideal if you've got children or just want a gentle hour outdoors. And of course Knepp's own walking trails start practically on our doorstep.
Before you come
Frequently asked questions
The Crown Inn is just 0.6 miles from the Knepp walkers' car park at Swallows Farm — about a 10–12 minute walk along Worthing Road. We're recommended on Knepp's own Plan Ahead page.
