West Sussex

The county of West Sussex in the South East region of England was created in 1974 when the county of Sussex was divided in two. However, the separation of East and West Sussex councils occurred in 1888, along similar lines to the division lines centred around the two archdeaconries created in the 12th Century - Chichester and Lewes. Prior to the unification of England, Sussex was a kingdom, said to have been founded in 477 AD and is Old English for "South Saxons".

The City of Chichester is the county town. Other major towns are Crawley, Worthing, Bognor Regis, Horsham, Burgess Hill, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath, Littlehampton, Lancing, Southwick and Shoreham.

The M23 motorway that links to the M25 reaches down to the south of Crawley, where it becomes the A23 to Brighton. The A24 runs from London down to Worthing, whilst the A29 runs London to Bognor Regis. The A272 runs east to west - straight through Haywards Heath town centre, the A27 runs close to the coast from Chichester to Brighton.

The Brighton Main Line runs through Hassocks, Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and Crawley and on to London. The Arun Valley Line deviates from the Brighton Main Line in Crawley, passing through Horsham, Billingshurst, Pulborough and Arundel. Trains run on to Portsmouth and Southampton as part of the West Coastway Line. In West Sussex Sussex, the West Coastway Line runs from Chichester and Bognor Regis, through Arundel, Littlehampton, Worthing, Shoreham, Southwick, Portslade and into Brighton and Hove. Southern Railway manage all the stations in West Sussex and operate most of the train services, apart from the Gatwick Express from London Victoria (which now continues down into Brighton), and First Capital Connect that runs trains on the Brighton Main Line, across London and up to Luton and Bedford (the Thameslink City Flier).

Gatwick Airport, the second largest airport in the United Kingdom is on the outskirts of Crawley. The county also has a very small local airport at Shoreham and a grass airfield at Goodwood.

Places of interest:-

• Arundel Castle
• Goodwood
• Amberley Museum and chalkpits
• Pulborough Brooks (RSPB)
• South Downs Way / South Downs National Park
• Wakehurst Place
• Chichester Cathedral
• Plumpton Racecourse

West Sussex has two tiers of local government. West Sussex County Council is primarily responsible for roads, footpaths, education and library services. Local district and borough councils are mainly responsible for planning regulations:-

• Adur District (Shoreham-by-Sea, Sompting, Lancing)
• Arun District (Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Arundel)
• Chichester District (Chichester, Midhurst, Selsey, Petworth)
• Crawley Borough
• Horsham District (Horsham, Billingshurst, Cowfold, Henfield, Pulborough, Southwater, Steyning, West Grinstead)
• Mid Sussex District (Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, East Grinstead, Hassocks, Cuckfield, Lindfield, Wivelsfield)
• Worthing Borough