Petworth is the antiques heart of Sussex (can you tell I like antique rummaging yet?) It’s also a beautiful small town that has the added bonus of the National Trust’s Petworth Park on its doorstep; a park that seems even grander than Richmond Park.
We visited when the little guy was about 10 months old. I know this as it was mid autumn and a glorious vest and shorts day. Days like this are even better than hot summer days I think, as they are unexpected. I remember sitting lazily in the sunlit gardens at Petworth Park, Freddie content, and thinking ‘this is what happy feels like’.
To earn my rest I trogged round the shops with Freddie in a sling. I managed about an hour before he became too heavy (I’ve always wondered how people manage toddlers in slings? Please tell me the trick. I’ve always wanted to be that mum who carries their kid not pushed them, without success). I would suggest (now that Freddie is a very active 18 month old) that a trip to Petworth shops is only really doable with a immobile baby.
Petworth is an upmarket place. I realised this as soon as I saw the first price tag of £500. Hmm don’t think I’ll be bringing much back. But it’s enjoyable all the same and the stuff for sale is good for inspiration. Plus most of the shopkeepers loved Freddie and he seemed pretty happy to be nosing around too!
I unfortunately didn’t take many pictures (too intimidated!) but here is a list of the key shops.
You can walk round in an hour no problem. There are also some fab places to eat, though we chose to have a picnic in the park.
Back to the park…(and this place is GREAT for older children) as we all know National Trust is a beacon to parents across the land. Even without all the extra kid friendly stuff they put on, just having some safe outdoor green space to run around is worth paying the membership for. Freddie was too young to enjoy the NT for himself at this point so it was a selfish visit for moi.
The park consists of formal gardens and a 700 acre deer park. It was the deer park that captured my heart, probably partly to do with the weather being so blooming glorious for October. Sublime rolling hills as far as the eye could see with a backdrop of Petworth House – a massive 17th century mansion. For the green fingered out there, the gardens were fashioned by Capability Brown. And for the artists, Turner then immortalized these gardens into his famous paintings. If you have time to go inside the mansion, you would also be rewarded with an epic collection of art from Turner, Blake, Reynolds and van Dyck.
Coming here made me realise how much there is going on culturally outside of London. Yes, you may to look for it and drive here there and everywhere, but it’s oh so rewarding when you find somewhere special like Petworth.
