Editing West Sussex

{{short description|County of England}}
{{for|the former parliamentary constituency|West Sussex (UK Parliament constituency)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox English county
| official_name = West Sussex
| other_name = 
| image_main = {{multiple images|border=infobox|perrow=1 2|total_width=270px
| image1 = South Downs Way - Landale brothers view (cropped).jpg
| image2 = Fishing boats on Bognor Regis beach - geograph.org.uk - 854014.jpg
| image3 = The Old Punch Bowl, 101 High Street, Crawley (NHLE Code 1187036) (August 2016) (5).JPG
}}
| image_caption = The [[South Downs]] near [[Steyning]];<br> the beach and [[Bognor Regis Pier|pier]] at [[Bognor Regis]]; and the [[Old Punch Bowl]] pub in [[Crawley]], a [[Wealden hall house]]
| flag_link = 
| arms_link = 
| locator_map = [[File:West Sussex UK locator map 2010.svg|200px|West Sussex within England]]
| coordinates = {{coord|50|55|N|0|30|W|region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| region = [[South East England]]
| established_date = 1974
| established_by = 
| preceded_by = 
| origin = 
| lord_lieutenant_office = Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex
| lord_lieutenant_name = Lady Emma Barnard<ref>{{cite web|title=The West Sussex Lieutenancy|url=https://www.westsussexlieutenancy.org.uk/copy-of-the-lord-lieutenant|access-date=3 March 2024 }}</ref>
| high_sheriff_office = High Sheriff of West Sussex
| high_sheriff_name = Andrew Bliss QPM<ref>{{cite web|title=The West Sussex Lieutenancy| url=https://www.westsussexlieutenancy.org.uk/high-sheriff |access-date=3 March 2024 }}</ref> (2023–24)
| area_total_km2 = {{English cerem counties|ARE=West Sussex}}
| area_total_rank = {{English cerem counties|ARK=West Sussex}}
| ethnicity = {{Unbulleted list
 | 91.0% [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]
 | 4.3% [[British Asians|Asian]]
 | 2.4% [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|mixed]]
 | 1.3% [[Black British people|Black]]
 | 1.0% [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|other]]
 }}
{{small|[[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]]}}<ref name="2021 Nomis">{{NOMIS2021|id=E10000032|title=West Sussex County|access-date=4 December 2023}}</ref>
| county_council = [[West Sussex County Council]]
| unitary_council = 
| unitary_council1 = 
| government = 
| joint_committees = 
| admin_hq = [[Chichester]]
| iso_code = GB-WSX
| gss_code = E10000032
| nuts_code = TLJ24
| districts_map = [[File:West Sussex numbered districts.svg|200px]]
| districts_key = 
| districts_list = <div style="text-align: left;">
# [[Worthing]]
# [[Arun District|Arun]]
# [[Chichester District|Chichester]]
# [[Horsham District|Horsham]]
# [[Crawley]]
# [[Mid Sussex District|Mid Sussex]]
# [[Adur District|Adur]]
</div>
| MPs = [[List of parliamentary constituencies in West Sussex|8 MPs]]
| police = [[Sussex Police]]
| website = {{URL|westsussex.gov.uk}}
}}

'''West Sussex''' is a [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] in [[South East England]]. It is bordered by [[Surrey]] to the north, [[East Sussex]] to the east, the [[English Channel]] to the south, and [[Hampshire]] to the west. The largest settlement is [[Crawley]], and the county town is the city of [[Chichester]].

The county has a land area of {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=West Sussex}}|km2}} and a population of {{English cerem counties|POP=West Sussex}}. Along the south coast is a near-continuous urban area which includes the towns of [[Bognor Regis]] (63,855), [[Littlehampton]] (55,706), and [[Worthing]] (111,338); the latter two are part of the [[Brighton and Hove built-up area]], which extends into East Sussex and has a total population of 474,485. The interior of the county is generally rural; the largest towns are Crawley (118,493) and [[Horsham]] (50,934), both located in the north-east; [[Chichester]] is in the south-west and has a population of 26,795. West Sussex contains seven local government [[Non-metropolitan district|districts]], which are part of a two-tier [[non-metropolitan county]] administered by [[West Sussex County Council]]. West Sussex and East Sussex were historically the single county [[Sussex]].

The [[South Downs]] are a defining feature of the county, crossing it from east to west and dividing the north and south. The downs are a [[chalk]] [[escarpment]] which falls away sharply into the [[Weald]] to the north and more gently toward the south, where there is a narrow strip of flat land between the hills and the coast. The coastal strip widens to the west, where it is punctuated by [[Chichester Harbour]] which is a [[ria]].

The county has a long history of human settlement dating back to the [[Lower Paleolithic]] era. During the [[Roman conquest of Britain]], Romans conquered the [[Atrebates]], West Sussex's indigenous Britons, and incorporated the area as a [[Regni|Roman province]]. During the [[Early Middle Ages]], the [[Anglo-Saxons|Saxons]] settled the area, establishing the [[Kingdom of Sussex]] in 477, which lasted until {{Circa|827}} when the kingdom was annexed by [[Wessex]]. It is home to [[Gatwick Airport]], the UK's the second-busiest airport by total passenger traffic. The county has a number of [[stately home]]s including [[Goodwood House|Goodwood]], [[Petworth House]] and [[Uppark]], and [[castles]] such as [[Arundel Castle]] and [[Bramber Castle]].

==History==
{{main|History of Sussex}}

The name Sussex, derived from the [[Old English]] 'Sūþseaxe' ('[[South Saxons]]'), dates from the Saxon period between AD 477 to 1066, and the history of human habitation in Sussex goes back to the [[Lower Paleolithic|Old Stone Age]].<ref name="armstrong18">Armstrong. History of Sussex. Chapter 2. The first Inhabitants</ref> The oldest [[Homo heidelbergensis|hominin]] remains known in Britain were found at [[Eartham Pit, Boxgrove]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=SSSI Citation — Eartham Pit |website=Natural England |url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/2000065.pdf |access-date=4 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525105028/http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/2000065.pdf |archive-date=25 May 2011 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>A History of Britain, Richard Dargie (2007), p. 8–9</ref>  Prehistoric monuments include the [[Devil's Jumps, Treyford|Devil's Jumps]], a group of [[Bronze Age Britain|Bronze Age]] burial mounds, and the Iron Age [[Cissbury Ring]] and [[Chanctonbury Ring]] hill forts on the South Downs.

The [[Roman Britain|Roman]] period saw the building of [[Fishbourne Roman Palace]] and rural villas such as [[Bignor Roman Villa]] together with a network of roads including [[Stane Street (Chichester)|Stane Street]], the [[Chichester to Silchester Way]] and the [[Sussex Greensand Way]]. The Romans used the Weald for [[Wealden iron industry|iron production]] on an industrial scale.<ref>H. Cleere & D. Crossley, ''Iron industry of the Weald'' (2nd edn, Merton Priory Press, Cardiff, 1995), 79–84; based on work by H. F. Cleere, including 'Some operating parameters for Roman ironworks' ''Inst Archaeol. Bull.'' 13 (1976), 233–46.</ref>

The foundation of the [[Kingdom of Sussex]] is recorded by the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'' for the year AD 477; it says that [[Ælle of Sussex|Ælle]] arrived at a place called [[Cymenshore]] in three ships with his three sons and killed or put to flight the local inhabitants. The [[foundation story]] is regarded as somewhat of a myth by most historians, although the archaeology suggests that Saxons did start to settle in the area in the late 5th century.<ref name="asc477">[[s:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle|Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]] Parker MS. 477AD.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Welch|first= M.G.|title= Anglo-Saxon England|publisher=English Heritage|year=1992|isbn=0-7134-6566-2}} pg&nbsp;9</ref> The Kingdom of Sussex was absorbed into [[Wessex]] as an earldom and became the county of Sussex.

With its origins in the [[kingdom of Sussex]], the later county of Sussex was traditionally divided into six units known as [[Rape (county subdivision)|rapes]]. By the 16th century, the three western rapes were grouped together informally, having their own separate [[Quarter Sessions]]. These were governed by a separate [[county council]] from 1888, the county of Sussex being divided into the [[administrative counties]] of East and West Sussex. In 1974, West Sussex was made a single [[ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] with the coming into force of the [[Local Government Act 1972]]. At the same time a large part of the eastern [[rape of Lewes]] (the [[Mid Sussex District|Mid Sussex]] district which includes the towns of [[Haywards Heath]], [[Burgess Hill]] and [[East Grinstead]]) was transferred into West Sussex.

Until 1834, provision for the poor and destitute in West Sussex was made at parish level. From 1835 until 1948 eleven [[Poor Law Union]]s, each catering for several parishes, took on the job.<ref>{{cite web|title=West Sussex County Council: Poor Law Records|url=https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/leisure-recreation-and-community/history-and-heritage/west-sussex-record-office/record-office-sources-and-collections/poor-law-records-record-office-collection/|access-date=17 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213210137/http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/leisure/record_office_and_archives/collections_and_research/poor_law_records.aspx|archive-date=13 February 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Settlements==
{{See also|List of places in West Sussex|List of settlements in West Sussex by population}}
[[File:Chichester - Market Cross - geograph.org.uk - 1350884.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Chichester Market Cross]]]]

Most settlements in West Sussex are either along the south coast or in Mid Sussex, near the [[Brighton Main Line]] and [[M23 motorway|M23]]/[[A23 road|A23]] corridor. The town of [[Crawley]] is the largest in the county with an estimated population of 106,600.<ref name="office1">{{cite web|last=Office for National Statistics|title=Census 2011 result shows increase in population of the South East|date=16 July 2012|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/mro/news-release/census-2011-result-shows-increase-in-population-of-the-south-east/censussoutheastnr0712.html|access-date=13 December 2012|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/mro/news-release/census-2011-result-shows-increase-in-population-of-the-south-east/censussoutheastnr0712.html|archive-date=5 January 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The coastal settlement of [[Worthing]] closely follows with a population of 104,600.<ref name="office1"/> The seaside resort of [[Bognor Regis]] and the market town of [[Horsham]] are both large towns. Chichester, the county town, has a [[cathedral]] and [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]], and is situated not far from the border with [[Hampshire]]. Other conurbations of a similar size are [[Burgess Hill]], [[East Grinstead]] and [[Haywards Heath]] in the [[Mid Sussex District|Mid Sussex]] district, [[Littlehampton]] in the [[Arun District|Arun district]], and [[Lancing, West Sussex|Lancing]], [[Southwick, West Sussex|Southwick]] and [[Shoreham-by-Sea|Shoreham]] in the [[Adur (district)|Adur]] district. Much of the coastal town population is part of the
[[Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton]] [[conurbation]].

[[Rustington]] and [[Southwater]] are the next largest settlements in the county. There are several more towns in West Sussex, including [[Arundel]], [[Midhurst]], [[Petworth]], [[Selsey]], [[Steyning]], [[Henfield]], [[Pulborough]] and [[Storrington]]. Other notable villages include [[Billingshurst]], [[Copthorne, West Sussex|Copthorne]], [[Crawley Down]], [[Cuckfield]], [[Hassocks]], [[Hurstpierpoint]] and [[Lindfield, West Sussex|Lindfield]].

==Geography==
[[File:West Sussex 1813 One Inch to the Mile map scan.jpg|thumb|1813/54 one inch to the mile OS map]]

===Physical geography===
{{See also|Geology of West Sussex|List of hills of West Sussex}}
[[File:West Sussex general map.svg|thumb|left|General map of West Sussex.]]

West Sussex is bordered by Hampshire to the west, Surrey to the north and East Sussex to the east. The [[English Channel]] lies to the south. The area has been formed from [[Upper Jurassic]] and [[Lower Cretaceous]] rock strata, part of the [[Weald–Artois Anticline]]. The eastern part of this ridge, the [[Weald]] of Kent, Sussex and Surrey has been greatly eroded, with the chalk surface removed to expose older Lower Cretaceous rocks of the [[Wealden Group]].<ref>Gallois R.W. & Edmunds M.A. (4th Ed 1965), ''The Wealden District'', British Regional Geology series, British Geological Survey, {{ISBN|0-11-884078-9}}</ref> In West Sussex the exposed rock becomes older towards the north of the county with [[Lower Greensand Group|Lower Greensand]] ridges along the border with Surrey including the highest point of the county at [[Blackdown, West Sussex|Blackdown]]. Erosion of softer sand and clay strata has hollowed out the basin of the Weald leaving a north facing [[Escarpment|scarp slope]] of the [[chalk]] which runs east and west across the whole county, broken only by the valleys of the [[River Arun]] and [[River Adur]].<ref name="MantellJones">{{cite book|last=Mantell|first=Gideon Algernon|author2=Jones|others=Thomas Rupert|title=The Wonders of Geology|publisher=Henry G. Bohn|location=London|year=1857|edition=7th|volume=I|pages=371|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uh0OAAAAQAAJ&q=Wealden+geology&pg=PA370|access-date=27 October 2013|archive-date=21 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421175920/https://books.google.com/books?id=uh0OAAAAQAAJ&q=Wealden+geology&pg=PA370|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to these two rivers which drain most of the county a [[winterbourne (stream)|winterbourne]], the [[River Lavant, West Sussex|River Lavant]], flows intermittently from springs on the dip slope of the chalk downs north of Chichester.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.ceh.ac.uk/products/publications/documents/hydrometricregister_final_withcovers.pdf |title=UK Hydrometric Register |last=Marsh |first=Terry |author2=Hannaford, Jamie |year=2008 |publisher=Natural Environment Research Council |pages=122 |isbn=978-0-9557672-2-7 |access-date=27 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005215639/http://www.ceh.ac.uk/products/publications/documents/hydrometricregister_final_withcovers.pdf |archive-date=5 October 2013 }}</ref> Some intermittent streams are known in the local dialect as "rifes".<ref name="rife">{{cite web|title=British Government catchment planning|url=https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/OperationalCatchment/3534|access-date=5 November 2023}}</ref>

The county makes up 1.52% of the total land of [[England]], making it the 30th [[List of counties in the United Kingdom|largest county in the country]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Barrow|first1=Mandy|title=Project Britain British Life and Culture|url=http://projectbritain.com/counties.html|website=Project Britain|publisher=Mandy Barrow|access-date=24 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006235530/http://projectbritain.com/counties.html|archive-date=6 October 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

{{climate chart
| [[Bognor Regis]]
|3.1|7.8|76.2
|2.7|7.9|49.6
|4.3|10.2|56.1
|5.8|12.8|46.8
|9.0|16.0|44.4
|11.7|18.6|44.0
|14.0|20.9|40.9
|13.9|21.0|51.3
|11.9|18.8|58.9
|9.3|15.3|91.9
|5.8|11.3|83.4
|3.6|8.6|81.8
|float  = right
|units  = 
|source = Met Office<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/bognor-regis-west-sussex#?tab=climateTables|title=Bognor Regis Climate|publisher=Met Office|access-date=8 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213150855/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/bognor-regis-west-sussex#?tab=climateTables|archive-date=13 December 2013|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
}}

===Climate===
West Sussex is the sunniest county in the United Kingdom, according to [[Met Office]] records. Over the 29 years to 2011 it averaged 1902 hours of sunshine per year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bognor Regis the sunniest spot in Britain |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/8593378/Bognor-Regis-the-sunniest-spot-in-Britain.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=28 December 2011 |access-date=28 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111206062640/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/8593378/Bognor-Regis-the-sunniest-spot-in-Britain.html |archive-date=6 December 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Sunshine totals are highest near the coast with [[Bognor Regis]] often having the highest in mainland England, including a total of 2237 hours in 1990. Mean annual temperature for southern coastal counties is around 11&nbsp;°C. The coldest month, January, has mean daily minimum temperatures of around 3&nbsp;°C near the coast and lower inland. July tends to be the warmest month when mean daily maxima tend to be around 20&nbsp;°C. A maximum temperature of 35.4&nbsp;°C occurred at North Heath, [[Pulborough]] on 26 June 1976. Coastal high temperatures are often moderated by cooler sea breezes.<ref name=MetOff>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/so/|title=Southern England: climate|publisher=Met Office|access-date=29 October 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605044019/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/so/|archive-date=5 June 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Monthly rainfall tends to be highest in autumn and early winter and lowest in the summer months, with July often being the driest month. There is less rainfall from summer convective showers and thunderstorms than in inland areas. The county can suffer both from localised flooding caused by heavy rainfall and from water shortages caused by prolonged periods of below average rainfall. Winter rainfall is needed to recharge the chalk aquifers from which much of the water supply is drawn.<ref name=MetOff/>

==Communications and transport==
The [[M23 motorway]] runs from London to the south of [[Crawley]]. The [[A23 road|A23]] and [[A24 road (England)|A24]] roads run from London to [[Brighton]] and [[Worthing]] respectively with the [[A29 road|A29]] a little further west ending in [[Bognor Regis]]. Other major roads are the [[A272 road|A272]] which runs east to west through the middle of the county and the [[A27 road|A27]] which does the same but closer to the coast. The [[A259 road|A259]] is a local alternate route to the A27 in the eastern coastal strip.

[[Gatwick Airport]], which handled over 33 million passengers and had over 250,000 aircraft movements in 2011, is located within the borders of [[Crawley]], and is the second largest airport in the United Kingdom. There is also a considerably smaller local airport at [[Shoreham Airport]] and a grass airfield handling [[light aircraft]] and helicopters at [[Chichester/Goodwood Airport]]. There are three main railway routes: the [[Brighton Main Line]], the [[Arun Valley line]] and the [[West Coastway line]]. The [[Portsmouth Direct line]] serves and occasionally enters the westernmost part of West Sussex, although it has no railway stations in the county.

==Politics==
{{Further|History of local government in Sussex}}

=== Members of Parliament ===
Since the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]], West Sussex has been represented by two [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]], Three [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] and three [[Liberal Democrat (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs).<ref>{{cite web |title=General election 2024 in maps and charts |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4nglegege1o |website=BBC News |date=4 July 2024 |access-date=15 July 2024}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Constituency
!Member of Parliament
!Party
|-
|[[Arundel & South Downs (UK Parliament constituency)|Arundel & South Downs]]
|[[Andrew Griffith]]
|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
|-
|[[Bognor Regis & Littlehampton (UK Parliament constituency)|Bognor Regis & Littlehampton]]
|[[Alison Griffiths (politician)|Alison Griffiths]]
|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
|-
|[[Chichester (UK Parliament constituency)|Chichester]]
|[[Jess Brown-Fuller]]
|[[Liberal Democrat (UK)|Liberal Democrat]]
|-
|[[Crawley (UK Parliament constituency)|Crawley]]
|[[Peter Lamb (politician)|Peter Lamb]]
|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
|-
|[[Horsham (UK Parliament constituency)|Horsham]]
|[[John Milne (British politician)|John Milne]]
|[[Liberal Democrat (UK)|Liberal Democrat]]
|-
|[[Mid Sussex (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Sussex]]
|[[Alison Bennett]]
|[[Liberal Democrat (UK)|Liberal Democrat]]
|-
|[[East Worthing and Shoreham (UK Parliament constituency)|East Worthing and Shoreham]]
|[[Tom Rutland]]
|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
|-
|[[Worthing West (UK Parliament constituency)|Worthing West]]
|[[Beccy Cooper]]
|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
|}

===County Council===
{{update|section|date=July 2024}}
{{main|West Sussex County Council}}
[[File:Arms of West Sussex County Council.svg|thumb|178x178px|The coat of arms of West Sussex County Council]]
West Sussex County Council (WSCC) is the authority that governs the non-metropolitan county of West Sussex. The county contains 7 district and borough councils ([[Adur (district)|Adur]], [[Arun District|Arun]], [[Chichester (district)|Chichester]], [[Crawley]], [[Horsham (district)|Horsham]], [[Mid Sussex District|Mid Sussex]] and [[Worthing]]), and 159 town, parish and neighbourhood councils.

West Sussex County Council has 70 [[councillor]]s; the majority of them being Conservative. There are 46 Conservative councillors, 11 [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], 9 [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] councillors and 4 Green and Independent Alliance councillors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=West Sussex County Council: Council structure<!-- Bot generated title --> |url=https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/about-the-council/how-the-council-works/council-structure/ |archiveurl= |archivedate=}}</ref>  The Chief Executive and their team of executive directors are responsible for the day-to-day running of the council.

West Sussex County Council is based at [[County Hall, Chichester]] and provides a large range of services including education, social services, fire and rescue, libraries, trading standards, town and country planning, refuse disposal and consumer services.

===West Sussex Youth Cabinet===
The West Sussex Youth Cabinet is a group of local representatives and four [[UK Youth Parliament]] (UKYP) representatives, who are elected by young people in West Sussex.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/news/local/could-you-be-a-west-sussex-youth-mp-1-4375922 |title=Could you be a West Sussex youth MP? – News |work=Worthing Herald |access-date=29 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210015018/http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/news/local/could-you-be-a-west-sussex-youth-mp-1-4375922 |archive-date=10 February 2015 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The Youth Cabinet represents the views of the young people West Sussex at county level. Elections for the Youth Cabinet and UKYP in West Sussex run every year in March.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

==Places of interest==

===Nature and zoos===
[[File:Wakehurst Place gardens1.jpg|right|thumb|Wakehurst Place Gardens, [[Ardingly]]]]
* [[Chichester Harbour]]
* [[Pagham Harbour]] – A protected area of wetland that is an important feeding ground for birds.
* [[RSPB Pulborough Brooks]]
* [[Selsey Bill]]
* [[South Downs Way]] – a [[long distance footpath]]
* [[Stansted Park]]
* [[St Leonard's Forest]]
* [[Tilgate Park]]
* [[Wakehurst Place]]
* Warnham Local Nature Reserve, a 92-acre site with visitor centre<ref>{{cite web|title=Warnham Local Nature Reserve|url=http://www.horsham.gov.uk/parksandcountryside/parks-and-countryside/parks-and-countryside-sites/warnham-nature-reserve|access-date=14 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123826/http://www.horsham.gov.uk/parksandcountryside/parks-and-countryside/parks-and-countryside-sites/warnham-nature-reserve|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* [[WWT Arundel]] (a [[nature reserve]] of the [[Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust]])

===Castles, houses and other buildings===
* [[Arundel Castle]]
* [[John Baker's Mill, Barnham|Barnham Windmill]]
* [[Bramber Castle]]
* [[Christ's Hospital]], an old charitable school notable for its archaic uniforms and picturesque campus
* [[Goodwood House]] and [[Goodwood Circuit|Goodwood Motor Circuit]]
* [[High Salvington windmill]]
* [[Hurstpierpoint College]], a public school, notable for its substantial Sussex flint buildings and large campus
* [[Lancing College]], a public school, notable for its substantial Sussex sandstone chapel and large campus
* [[Seaford College]], a public school known for its large campus
* [[Nymans]] house and gardens, a National Trust property near [[Handcross]], [[Haywards Heath]]
* [[Petworth House]] and deer park.
* [[Queen Victoria Hospital]], East Grinstead, where Sir [[Archibald McIndoe]] carried out reconstructive surgery for burns patients during the Second World War
* [[Sackville College]], a Jacobean almshouse in [[East Grinstead]]
* [[Saint Hill Manor]], East Grinstead
* [[Shipley Windmill]], (no longer open to the public)
* [[Standen]], East Grinstead
* [[Uppark]], a 17th-century mansion high on the South Downs

===Religious buildings===
{{See also|Category:Churches in West Sussex}}

The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called [[Chichester Cathedral]], is the seat of the [[Church of England|Anglican]] [[Bishop of Chichester]]. It was founded as a cathedral in 1075, when the seat of the bishop was moved from [[Selsey Abbey]].<ref name=TTB>Tim Tatton-Brown and John Crook, ''The English Cathedral'', New Holland (2002), {{ISBN|1-84330-120-2}}</ref> The cathedral has architecture in both the [[Norman architecture|Norman]] and the [[English Gothic architecture|Gothic]] styles, and has been called by the architectural historian [[Nikolaus Pevsner]] "the most typical English Cathedral".<ref>Nikolaus Pevsner and Ian Nairn, ''Buildings of England: Sussex'', [[Penguin Books]] (1965) (now published by [[Yale University Press]]) {{ISBN|0-300-09677-1}}</ref> The [[Arundel Cathedral|Cathedral Church of Our Lady and St Philip Howard]] in [[Arundel]] is the [[Roman Catholic]] [[cathedral]] of the [[Diocese of Arundel and Brighton]]. Built in French Gothic style and dedicated in 1873 as the Catholic parish church of Arundel, it was not designated a cathedral until the foundation of the diocese in 1965.<ref name="VCH22936">{{cite web|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/Sussex/vol5/pt1/pp7-9|title=A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 5 Part 1 – Arundel Rape (South-Western Part) including Arundel. Arundel Rape: South-Western part|editor-last=Hudson|editor-first=T. P. |year=1997|work=[[Victoria County History]] of Sussex|publisher=[[British History Online]]|pages=7–9|access-date=28 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108001623/https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/Sussex/vol5/pt1/pp7-9|archive-date=8 January 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

[[Holy Trinity Church, Bosham|Bosham Church]] is partly of [[Anglo-Saxon architecture|Saxon]] construction and is shown on the [[Bayeux Tapestry]] as the local church of late Saxon and Danish kings of England.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/Sussex/vol4/pp182-188|title=A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 4 – The Rape of Chichester. Bosham|last=Salzman|first=Louis|author-link=Louis Francis Salzman|year=1953|work=[[Victoria County History]] of Sussex|publisher=[[British History Online]]|pages=182–188|access-date=30 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108004009/https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/Sussex/vol4/pp182-188|archive-date=8 January 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Many other Saxon and early Norman churches have survived in the county with little alteration including the [[Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin, Sompting]], an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon church with a [[Rhenish]] helm unique in England and [[St. Nicholas Church, Worth]], a 10th-century church in [[Worth, West Sussex|Worth]], [[Crawley]]. Some Anglican churches and many of the numerous nonconformist chapels in the county have been converted to residential use. [[Chithurst Buddhist Monastery|Cittaviveka]] is a Buddhist monastery in [[Chithurst]].

===Museums===
*[[Worthing Museum and Art Gallery|Worthing Museum & Art Gallery]]
*[[Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre]]
*  Manor Cottage<ref>{{cite web|url=http://southwicksociety.btck.co.uk/TheManorCottage|title=Southwick (Sussex) Society – The Manor Cottage|access-date=7 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413003506/http://southwicksociety.btck.co.uk/TheManorCottage|archive-date=13 April 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*  Steyning Museum<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.steyningmuseum.org.uk/|title=Steyning Museum Home Page|access-date=14 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827163824/http://steyningmuseum.org.uk/|archive-date=27 August 2008|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* [[Tangmere Military Aviation Museum]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/|title=Welcome to Tangmere|access-date=6 January 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321165813/http://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/|archive-date=21 March 2008|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* [[Horsham Museum]]
* [[Weald and Downland Open Air Museum]] of historic buildings at [[Singleton, West Sussex|Singleton]]
* [[Wings Museum]], [[Balcombe]]

===Arts===
[[Pallant House Gallery]] in Chichester houses one of the most significant collections of 20th-century British art outside London. It includes a substantial body of early and mid-20th-century work bequeathed by [[Walter Hussey]] and many later works donated by [[Colin St. John Wilson]].

[[Worthing Museum and Art Gallery]] houses a large collection of Georgian and Victorian costume. The [[Cass Sculpture Foundation]] has an outdoor sculpture park at [[Goodwood, West Sussex|Goodwood]].

==Economy==
{{Table section needs prose|date=September 2024}}
{{Update|section|date=September 2024}}

{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|+ Trend of regional [[gross value added]] of West Sussex at current basic prices published by ''Office for National Statistics'' with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/RegionalGVA.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728091019/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/RegionalGVA.pdf|date=28 July 2011}}</ref>
|-
! scope=col width=20% | Year
! scope=col width=20% |  Regional gross value added{{efn|group=gva|Components may not sum to totals due to rounding}}
! scope=col width=20% |  Agriculture{{efn|group=gva|includes hunting and forestry}}
! scope=col width=20% |  Industry{{efn|group=gva|includes energy and construction}}
! scope=col width=20% |  Services{{efn|group=gva|includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured}}
|-
! scope=row | 1995
|style="text-align:right;"| 8,564
|style="text-align:right;"| 208
|style="text-align:right;"| 2,239
|style="text-align:right;"| 6,116
|-
! scope=row | 2000
|style="text-align:right;"| 10,576
|style="text-align:right;"| 162
|style="text-align:right;"| 2,545
|style="text-align:right;"| 7,869
|-
! scope=row | 2003
|style="text-align:right;"| 12,619
|style="text-align:right;"| 185
|style="text-align:right;"| 2,520
|style="text-align:right;"| 9,915
|}
{{notelist|group=gva}}

Significant companies in the county include [[Rolls-Royce Motor Cars]], a substantial employer near Chichester. [[Gatwick Airport]], with associated airlines including [[British Airways]] and [[Virgin Atlantic]], is a major source of direct and indirect employment. [[Thales Group]] also has a presence in the county. [[Nestlé]] has their UK headquarters in Crawley.

===Agriculture===
West Sussex developed distinctive land uses along with its neighbours in the weald. The [[Landrace]] cattle transformed into [[Sussex cattle]] and [[Sussex chicken]]s emerged about the time of the Roman conquest.<ref name=hobson>Hobson, Jeremy and Lewis, Celia.  ''Choosing & Raising Chickens: The complete guide to breeds and welfare''.  Daniel and Charles Publishing.  London. 2009. p 94-95</ref> Some of the earliest evidence of horses in Britain has been found at [[Boxgrove]], dated to 500,000 BC. Viticulture is a part of the economy, with wineries producing mainly sparkling wine of varied quality.<ref>{{cite web|title=VisitSussex: Sussex Wine & Beer|url=http://www.visitsussex.org/page/sussex-vineyards/|access-date=22 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225031702/http://www.visitsussex.org/page/sussex-vineyards/|archive-date=25 February 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Table section needs prose|date=September 2024}}
{{Update|section|date=September 2024}}
The table below shows the population change up to the [[2011 Census for England and Wales|2011 census]], contrasting the previous census. It also shows the proportion of residents in each district reliant upon lowest income and/or joblessness benefits, the national average proportion of which was 4.5% as at August 2012, the year for which latest datasets have been published. It can be seen that the most populous district of West Sussex is [[Arun District|Arun]] containing the towns of [[Arundel]], [[Bognor Regis]] and [[Littlehampton]]:

{{See also|List of settlements in West Sussex by population}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" 
|+ Population from census to census. Claimants of JSA or Income Support ([[Department for Work and Pensions|DWP]])<ref name=ons>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk Key Statistics: Population; Quick Statistics: Economic indicators] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030211201309/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/ |date=11 February 2003 }}. ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] and [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 census]]) Retrieved 27 February 2015.</ref>
|- 
! scope=col width=20% |Area
! scope=col width=20% | Population (April 2011)
! scope=col width=20% | JSA or Inc. Supp. claimants (August 2012)  % of 2011 population
! scope=col width=20% | Population (April 2001)
! scope=col width=20% | JSA and Income Support claimants (August 2001) % of 2001 population
|-
!West Sussex
|style="text-align:right;"|	806,892
|style="text-align:right;"|	2.7%
|style="text-align:right;"|	753,614
|style="text-align:right;"|	5.1%
|- 
! scope=row |Adur
|style="text-align:right;"|	61,182	
|style="text-align:right;"|	3.2%
|style="text-align:right;"|	59,627
|style="text-align:right;"|	6.3%
|- 
! scope=row |Arun
|style="text-align:right;"|	149,518
|style="text-align:right;"|	3.0%
|style="text-align:right;"|	140,759
|style="text-align:right;"|	6.4%
|- 
! scope=row |Chichester
|style="text-align:right;"|	113,794
|style="text-align:right;"|	2.3%
|style="text-align:right;"|	106,450
|style="text-align:right;"|	4.8%
|- 
! scope=row |Crawley
|style="text-align:right;"|	106,597
|style="text-align:right;"|	3.8%
|style="text-align:right;"|	99,744
|style="text-align:right;"|	5.3%
|- 
! scope=row |Horsham
|style="text-align:right;"|	131,301
|style="text-align:right;"|	1.9%
|style="text-align:right;"|	122,088
|style="text-align:right;"|	3.3%
|- 
! scope=row |Mid Sussex
|style="text-align:right;"|	139,860
|style="text-align:right;"|	1.6%
|style="text-align:right;"|	127,378
|style="text-align:right;"|	3.6%
|-
! scope=row |Worthing
|style="text-align:right;"|	104,640
|style="text-align:right;"|	3.6%
|style="text-align:right;"|	97,568
|style="text-align:right;"|	6.7%
|}

The current total population of the county makes up 1.53% of England's population.

==Education==
{{see also|List of schools in West Sussex}}
West Sussex has a comprehensive education system, with a mix of county-maintained secondary schools and [[Academy (English school)|academies]] and over twenty independent senior schools. In addition primary education is provided through a mix of around 240 [[Infant school|infant]], [[Junior school|junior]], [[Primary school|primary]], [[First school|first]] and [[Middle school|middle]] schools.

Colleges include [[The College of Richard Collyer]], [[Central Sussex College]], [[Northbrook College]] and [[The Weald School, Billingshurst|The Weald School]].

Independent schools in the county include [[Christ's Hospital]] near [[Horsham]], whose students wear Tudor style uniform, [[Seaford College]], [[Lancing College]] and [[Hurstpierpoint College]].

Tertiary education is provided by the [[University of Chichester]] and [[Chichester College]].

==Sport==
At least 40 sports are active in West Sussex. [[Sussex CCC]] was the first first-class county cricket club, formed in 1839, and was a cradle for club cricket.<ref>{{cite web|title=West Sussex Info: Cricket clubs, cricket leagues and village cricket in West Sussex|url=http://www.westsussex.info/cricket.shtml|access-date=22 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221112002/http://www.westsussex.info/cricket.shtml|archive-date=21 February 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sussex CCC was the first First-Class County formed in 1839|url=http://www.sussexcricket.co.uk/club-history|access-date=22 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215231037/http://www.sussexcricket.co.uk/club-history|archive-date=15 February 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Sussex is home to [[Fontwell Park Racecourse]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://racegoersclub.co.uk/news/cheltenham-named-racegoers-club-racecourse-of-the-year/|title=Cheltenham named Racegoers Club Racecourse of the Year|access-date=6 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423025438/https://racegoersclub.co.uk/news/cheltenham-named-racegoers-club-racecourse-of-the-year/|archive-date=23 April 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The county has one [[Football League]] club located in [[Crawley]], that is [[Crawley Town F.C.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crawleytownfc.com/|title=Official Website of the Red Devils – Crawley Town FC|access-date=6 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401160957/http://www.crawleytownfc.com/|archive-date=1 April 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Media==
[[BBC South]] television covers the county excluding [[Haywards Heath]], [[Burgess Hill]], [[East Grinstead]] and [[Shoreham-by-Sea]] which are covered by [[BBC South East]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ukfree.tv/maps/bbc/12 | title=BBC South East }}</ref> [[ITV Meridian]] also covers the county. [[Crawley]] is covered by both regions and by [[BBC London]] and [[ITV London]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ukfree.tv/maps/bbc/4 | title=BBC London }}</ref>

[[BBC Radio Sussex]] is the BBC local radio station for the county, broadcast from studios in [[Brighton]]. The commercial local radio station is [[Heart South]], and [[community radio]] stations in the county are [[More Radio Worthing]] (serving [[Worthing]], [[Shoreham-by-Sea|Shoreham]], and [[Littlehampton]]), [[More Radio Mid-Sussex]] (serving [[Burgess Hill]] and [[Haywards Heath]]), [[107 Meridian FM]] (for [[East Grinstead]]) and [[V2 Radio]] (for [[Chichester]]).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/about-the-council/council-news-and-campaigns/local-news-media-links/| title=Local media links|website= West Sussex County Council}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|West Sussex}}
* [[Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex]]
* [[High Sheriff of West Sussex]]
* [[List of hills of West Sussex]]
* [[The Royal Sussex Regiment]]
* [[Healthcare in Sussex]]
* [[Sussex dialect]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.westsussex.gov.uk West Sussex County Council]
* [http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/results.aspx?index=0&mainQuery=&searchType=all&form=basic&theme=&county=WEST%20SUSSEX&district=&placeName= Images of West Sussex] at the [[English Heritage Archive]]
*[https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SSX Further historical information and sources on GENUKI]

{{Geographic Location
|title = Neighbouring counties
|Centre    = West Sussex
|North     = [[Surrey]]
|Northeast = [[Kent]]
|East      = [[East Sussex]]
|Southeast = ''[[English Channel]]''
|South     = ''[[English Channel]]''
|Southwest = [[Isle of Wight]]
|West      = [[Hampshire]]
|Northwest = [[Hampshire]]
}}

{{West Sussex}}
{{Sussex}}
{{England counties}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:West Sussex| ]]
[[Category:Non-metropolitan counties]]
[[Category:South East England]]
[[Category:Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership]]
[[Category:Counties of England established in 1974]]