Arundel and Chichester

A rare event for us: a holiday in an area we have never visited before where a genuine sense of exploration and discovery can be had.  We drove down to the Sussex coastal area, calling at Nymans on the way.

Our cottage was a converted coach-house attached to the house of the owner.  This turned out to be a boon because on our first evening there was a lengthy power cut.  The owner was round like a shot with candles, lanterns and a camping stove.  Fortunately it did not come to that as we drove out to a lovely restaurant just out of the area which had power, fortunately.

The next day we began the sight-seeing with Petworth, a National Trust property crammed with Old Master paintings.  The parkland was almost as impressive, with many veteran trees.

But most staggering of all was the life-story of the 3rd Earl of Egremont who not only fathered forty-three children, but maintained fifteen mistresses at Petworth with their various children. He owned land in Sussex, but also around Cockermouth and, of course, Egremont in Cumbria. He was a very busy man as he had a full range of business interests: canals, agricultural innovations, lime-kilns....

Petworth itself is a charmingly quaint place full of nooks and corners.

On our way home we took in the Roman villa at Bignor.  My goodness, the mosaics! 

 

Although some are stained with algae, most are in a wonderful state of preservation.  I don't recall seeing gladiators shown in combat like that.  It really gave an idea of how extensive the use of mosaic would have been in that long hallway carpeted with a plain geometric pattern.