Findon is a semi-rural clustered village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Worthing.

Governance

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...

in the same name. This ward stretches south west to

Patching Patching is a small village and civil parish that lies amid the fields and woods of the southern slopes of the South Downs in the National Park in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It has a visible hill-workings history going back t ...

with a total ward population as at the 2011 census of 2,557.

Geography

The parish is on the slopes of and between two hills: Cissbury with its Iron Age hill fort to the east and a steep knoll Church Hill to the west. A further escarpment to the West and North stretches along the borders of the area. On the two named hills are remains of prehistoric flint mines where shafts were sunk about to reach the best seams of flint which were mined from radiating galleries. Near

Muntham Court Muntham Court was a country house and estate near a village of Findon, West Sussex, England. In the 1800s the estate covered . Following the death of Colonel U.O. Thynne in 1957 the estate measuring about was split up and auctioned off. In 196 ...

to the west of the village can be found a late Iron Age and Romano-British settlement site designated as a scheduled monument. The village is now bypassed by the A24 as it crosses the South Downs: the bypass was constructed in 1938. A modern settlement to the south of the village, inside the boundary of the Borough of Worthing is called

Findon Valley Findon Valley is a neighbourhood of Worthing, in the borough of Worthing in West Sussex, England. It lies on the A24 road 2.9 miles (4.7 km) north of the town centre. The settlement of Findon Valley is named after the dry valley through the ...

. The parish is settled as a nucleated village at between and above sea level (Ordnance Datum) and the South Downs rise to and to west and east respectively.

Localities

Contiguously to the south-east is the sole sub-locality, Nepcote which faces Nepcote Green, the public parkland venue for the annual Findon sheep fair held in early September. Originally a charter fair dating from as early as 1261 many thousands of sheep were penned on the green for sale in earlier times. Wooden hurdles for pens were stored in the purpose built Wattle House on the green which also included living accommodation. Nowadays the fair is a sheep show and funfair.

Amenities

The parish church, dedicated to St John the Baptist, stands to the west of the village and the A24 road near the 18th century mansion Findon Place. The church is built of flint to an unusual design, the nave and north aisle having been given a single span roof with king-posts resting on the arcade, probably in the 15th century. The screen is a rare 13th century example, but heavily restored. There are four public houses, the ''Gun Inn'', the ''Black Horse'', the ''Village House'', the ''Snooty Fox'' (part of the Findon Manor Hotel) all of which are located in High Street. The village has a small primary school, situated on School Hill, called Saint John the Baptist. It boasts many annual events, including a fireworks display and May Day celebrations.

Sport and recreation

The Monarch's Way long-distance footpath crosses the village which is the only significant settlement on the route between

Arundel Arundel ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Arun District of the South Downs, West Sussex, England. The much-conserved town has a medieval castle and Roman Catholic cathedral. Arundel has a museum and comes second behind much large ...

and

Bramber Bramber is a former manor, village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It has a ruined mediaeval castle which was the ''caput'' of a large feudal barony. Bramber is located on the northern edge of the South Downs ...

Culture

Nationally famous stage and screen Actress, Nancy Price, lived with her husband for many years in 'Arcana', a house in Heather Lane, till her death, in 1970.

References

External links

{{authority control Villages in West Sussex Arun District