West Chiltington is located between Pulborough to the West and Storrington to the South, West Chiltington lies in the lea of the South Downs. It is a hidden treasure, full of charming cottages, winding lanes and friendly shops and pubs. This sprawling village has a 12th century church, a quiet charm and like many Sussex Villages provides a tranquil retreat from the pressures of modern living. West Chiltington is situated about 50 miles directly south of London, close to Gatwick Airport. That places it about 10 miles north of Worthing. The nearest large town is Horsham and it is close to the junction of the A29 and A283, south-east of Billingshurst; click here to view a map.
For getting around the area by Public Transport, please see our Transport page.
The attractive church of St Mary is un-restored and has a spire covered with oak shingles and a roof of Horsham Stone. Ancient paintings dating from the 12th, 13th and 14th century can be clearly seen on the walls inside the building.
The village stocks and whipping post are preserved outside the church and are believed to have been constructed in the mid 17th century. A small very interesting museum stands behind the church. The village is also home to a smock windmill which was working up to the 1920's when it was converted to a private dwelling. Apart from the older buildings there are modern houses dating from the 1920's.
West Chiltington is a village full of charming cottages, winding lanes and friendly shops and pubs. It is this unique charm that makes the village so special. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book as Cilletune and one of the earliest buildings must have been the beautiful little church which still stands centre stage in the midst of the village.
One of the first things that really grabs the visitors eye in high summer are the number of beautifully kept gardens, window boxes and carefully trimmed hedges. Even during the day the village has a quietness often missing in modern living. Here is a place where you can still hear birds singing. It is a place where one can walk in the peace and quiet of Sussex, without much traffic, and unlike any town, here is a place where people greet you with a cheerful smile. In the short space of a mile walking through the back lanes each of the people I passed bid me a 'good-morning', something so sadly lacking in England these days.
It is as if West Chiltington still enjoys the friendliness of the 1950's without losing it's grip on modern times. There are houses here that you would die for, grand houses with lots of room to breathe - there are modern houses on modern estates, with space between them - so unlike houses found in other parts of Sussex. West Chiltington is not just a nice place to live - it is a joy to see. Nowhere are you more than a few minutes walk away from real countryside, where the farmer still ploughs his field, where birds still fly through the air and where the scent of new mown hay and countryside flowers still conjures up days gone by.
Lord Ponsonby once said "If West Chiltington Church was in Italy, people would make pilgrimages to it".
This is a lovely village - whether you live here or are just a visitor it is a place to savour and to enjoy. There is a wealth of clubs, societies and organisations, many of which are listed on this site.
A map of historical sites and landmarks throughout West Chiltington can be found here.
West Chiltington, (population of about 3500) has two centres. The original village has a number of old buildings and there are 12th century paintings on the church walls. There is also the more modern West Chiltington Common area, built from the 1920s onwards. The village is quite spread out and has a network of narrow lanes. It lies about equidistant between Storrington and Pulborough, both of which are about two miles away from the village. From certain parts of the village there is a view of the downs and there is easy access to the downs from Storrington. There are plenty of walks in and around the village.
There are two pubs in the village, a Village Hall with playing fields, a Church Hall and two post offices (one in each centre). Both post offices double up as general stores and newsagents and Cherilyn's in Haglands Lane has recently had a major make-over and expansion (now a 'Nisa' store). In addition we have a butcher, a hairdresser and a Beauty Salon. There is also a local garage which services cars and motor cycles and sells petrol. On the way to Pulborough (where there is a railway station) there is a farm shop which sells the usual items you would expect to find.
Supermarkets can be found in Pulborough and Storrington and both places provide a reasonable range of shops. For more major shopping people travel to Horsham or to Worthing, both about twenty minutes by car. The village is well served by a number of estate agents in nearby Storrington and Pulborough - Mansell McTaggart kindly sponsors this site.