Prices from:
£140 per night
Inn Places PerkGlass of Local Sparkling Wine
A charmingly wonky brick pathway leads up to the sprawling Halfway Bridge Inn, Lodsworth, a peaceful stop-over for over 275 years and still a magnet for locals and visitors to this part of the South Downs National Park. After years of neglect, owner Sam Bakose has lovingly restored this atmospheric old inn, uncovering original wood floors (natty parquet included), discovering old photos dumped in the cellar (now on the walls) and decorating the place with natural shades. The pub is a warren of little corners with real fires, reclaimed wooden tables made from old farm gates, bar stools crafted from discarded whisky barrels, and the original kitchen range. There are boxes of dominoes and board games on the pub tables to entertain drinkers, but food is very much the focus, the kitchen turning out everything from updated pub classics to global favourites, with a good showing of local ingredients on the menu. With a pretty enclosed garden and some stylish contemporary bedrooms in the converted former stable block, the Halfway Bridge goes the whole hog.
Children are welcome in the pub and can stay over in the rooms which have sofa beds or can provide z beds for an additional £30 per night. They also have a children’s menu and can serve smaller portions off the main menu.
Dogs are welcome in the pub (dog biscuits are available) but cannot be accommodated in the bedrooms.
Rather like the Halfway Bridge’s interior, the lovely garden is a quirky mix of areas, with original brick cobbles, paved terraces and grassy areas.
There is an early-bird deal on Monday nights between 6pm – 7pm. Is there any better way to keep in with the locals than offering a take-away version of classic pub dishes? That’s what they do at the Halfway Bridge, confirming its role as a hub of the community.
What’s the Damage?
6 doubles £140-£160 (weekdays); £155-£175 (weekends); Suite £190 (weekdays); £230 (weekends). Note: premium rates apply during Goodwood events, Christmas, New Year and Bank Holidays
What Else?
Gongs
Visit Britain & AA 5 Star Inn & 1 AA Rosette; Good Hotel Guide
The six bedrooms and one suite are located in the Cowdray Barn, which is the inn’s former stable yard revamped with bags of style. The single-storey flint and brick building across the road from the pub has been converted to create light and bright rooms with contemporary décor and some original feature in the shape of wooden beams, vaulted ceilings and exposed brick. The overall vibe, though, is chic and modern, with sturdy furniture and some designer touches. Each bedroom has its own separate entrance (a proper stable door at that), while some of the rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over open countryside. It’s a proper little oasis away from the pub. Some of the fashionably neutrally decorated bathrooms have walk-in showers, while others have baths, but it’s the suite that steals the show, providing the possibility of watching the TV while laid out in the tub thanks to a sliding frosted inner window. A footpath at the back of the building leads straight out onto fine walking country.
Artful Teasing bath products made from natural ingredients in Petworth; glossy magazines; high quality tea and coffee with fresh milk and biscuits; small fridge for cold milk and guests to use for wine etc.
Free Wi-Fi; Flatscreen TV; DVD library; iPod docking station.
Buck’s Fizz; poached eggs on a warm toasted muffin; full English – Sussex pork sausages, bacon, mushrooms, tomato, black pudding and a choice of eggs (scrambled, poached or fried); poached natural smoked haddock with poached eggs; The Healthy option breakfast – fruit yoghurts, cereals or muesli, basket of toast, butter and preserves; homemade bread.
What’s the Damage?
6 doubles £140-£160 (weekdays); £155-£175 (weekends); Suite £190 (weekdays); £230 (weekends). Note: premium rates apply during Goodwood events, Christmas, New Year and Bank Holidays
What Else?
Gongs
Visit Britain & AA 5 Star Inn & 1 AA Rosette; Good Hotel Guide
Chef Gavin Rees was previously at the Crab & Lobster in Sidlesham, which is under the same ownership, and he’s passionate about seasonality and provenance: at appropriate times of the year a forager delivers mushrooms and samphire, local gamekeepers provide pheasants and partridges in winter, and Selsey crabs arrive fresh from the boats in summer. Find a cosy corner in the bar or restaurant, hunker down at a large trestle table, or seek a spot in the garden, and tuck into well-crafted dishes that show respect for British classics and add some global flavours to the mix. Potted game terrine with Cumberland sauce and Melba toast might precede twice-cooked belly of pork, bubble & squeak and cider Sauce, but then again you might plump for salt-and-pepper calamari with chorizo mayonnaise followed by Thai green curry. Pan-seared calves’ liver is on the menu all year round due to popular demand, and all the bar snacks are available for lucky villagers to take-away (fish & chips and scampi are the faves). Puddings aim for comfort in the form of apple and blackberry crumble with homemade bay-scented custard.
Bacon and baked Camembert ciabatta with seasonal leaves
Devilled lamb’s kidneys on toasted wholemeal bread
Chicken Thai green curry and jasmine rice (always on!)
Moroccan-style braised lamb shank, apricot, prunes and toasted almond and minted pearl couscous
Cherry and almond frangipane tart with vanilla tonka bean ice cream
They have at least 2 roasts – always roast Sirloin of Beef and another roast of the week such as pork. In addition, you might find seasonal roasts such as pheasant or partridge sourced from local gamekeepers.
Breakfast is available all week to non-residents, with everything from a muffin topped with scrambled eggs and bacon to a full-on English breakfast with black pudding and hash browns.
Breakfast: 8am – 10am (but flexible)
Lunch: 12 noon – 2.30pm (12 noon – 6pm Saturday & Sunday)
Dinner: 6pm – 9.30pm (10pm Friday & Saturday, 9pm Sunday)
Real ale – Langham Brewery (www.langhambrewery.co.uk)
Spirits – Blackdown Artisan Spirits (www.blackdowncellar.co.uk)
Sparkling wines – Upperton Vineyards (www.uppertonvineyards.co.uk) / Tinwood Vineyards (www.tinwoodestate.com)
Ciabatta – made by local Italian baker trained by the man who created ciabatta!
All duck eggs are local
Wild mushrooms & samphire – from a local forager
Selsey Crab & Lobster – from a local boat
Meat – sourced from a local butcher
Ice Cream – from local Mooka Ice Cream, Petersfield (www.mooka.co.uk)
The ales are so local they only have to travel 500 metres up the road from the Langham Brewery; the staples behind the bar are their Best Bitter and Halfway to Heaven (a nod to the loyalty of the pub). Langham’s supplies beer in the unusual ‘pin’ units, which is smaller than usual and means the pub can get through it faster, ensuring it stays fresher. You might also find a guest beer such as Arundel Gold from nearby Arundel Brewery. It’s not all about beer, though, with an excellent variety of other local and carefully sourced drinks on offer: the award-winning Blackdown distillery’s vodka and gin, for example, and sparkling wines from Upperton and Tinwood Vineyards. If you just fancy a cup of tea, expect organic options sourced from Joe’s in London. The Halfway Bridge also has its own coffee bean mix (roasted and blended for the pub in Littlehampton).
Baked Camembert and grilled sweet marinated pepper ciabatta with mixed leaves
Salmon & haddock fishcakes with French-style peas
Grilled goats’ cheese croûte salad with dressed rocket, pomegranate, grape & toasted walnuts
11am – 11pm
What’s the Damage?
6 doubles £140-£160 (weekdays); £155-£175 (weekends); Suite £190 (weekdays); £230 (weekends). Note: premium rates apply during Goodwood events, Christmas, New Year and Bank Holidays
What Else?
Gongs
Visit Britain & AA 5 Star Inn & 1 AA Rosette; Good Hotel Guide
Take it back home
Tour the brewery that brewed your favourite pint, visit the shop on the farm that reared your delicious Sunday roast beef, and seek out the roadside stalls selling the local crab and samphire on the inn’s menu, the Food Trail features the local artisan producers and suppliers where you can buy to enjoy at home.
Change of scenery
Looking for a pub for lunch following a country walk, a different venue for dinner, or a good café for coffee, light lunch or afternoon tea, then the best in the area are listed below. If you find a new and exciting eatery in the area that’s worthy of a mention on the Food Trail, then please to do let us know – gabrielle@innplaces.co.uk.
Langham Brewery is an award-winning independent brewery producing cask-conditioned real ale. For craft ale lovers, who want to know more about it, a guided tour of the 10 barrel steam-powered brewery is a perfect treat. Groups of all sizes are welcome, so please call the brewery to book: 01798 860861. Friday night and Saturday tours are particularly popular!
On the edge of the South Downs National Park, Tinwood's has a swanky tasting room where you can sip on sparkling wine while gazing over the vines (after a tour of the vineyard of course).
The Cowdray Farm Shop and Cafe, is the hub of the 16,500 acre Cowdray Estate set in the South Downs. The shop is famous for its holistically reared lamb, beef and vension and sale of local produce. The cafe's outstanding food - from lunch to afternoon tea - is all homemade using traditional artisan techniques. The Farm Shop and cafe are open every day, 9am - 5pm (please check website)
This family run vineyard is dedicated to making magnificent English sparkling wine, using traditional methods. Tours and tastings run May to September on Fridays and Saturdays at 2pm (please check website). Guests are treated to spectacular views of the South Downs from the vineyard's viewing platform as well as sampling some of the finest British sparkling wine.
The Hungry Guest's founder, Danish-born Master Baker Troels Bendix, first opened his Petworth cafe and shop to feed hungry locals with freshly baked treats. Now his superb establishment has expanded to include a butchery and cheese room. For lunch, afternoon tea or shopping it's a treat and worth stopping off for in this pretty market town
The Horse Guards, Tillington GU28 9AF (see Inn Places entry)--foodtrail-----0.6297104--50.98985
Lodsworth Larder is a community run, eco-friendly, village shop situated in the heart of the Southdown's National Park. The Shop sells a wide variety of fresh produce and groceries with daily deliveries of fruit, seasonal vegetables and bakery produce. They also sell local meat, poultry and have a wide selection of delicatessen goodies and local artisan cheeses. The shop is open all week (please check the website for times).
foodtrail
This locally renowned independent specialist food shop, at the foot of the High Street in Arundel, has an impressive selection of food and wines. Proprietors, Mark Robinson and Jonathan Brantigan champion smaller producers. Whether sourced locally in Sussex or from elsewhere, shelves groan with interesting and high-quality goodies. At the deli there are delicious ingredients for picnics.
The Coco Café Sugar Lounge is a traditional sweet shop with a modern twist, selling unusual and interesting chocolate and sweets you wouldn't find on the high street. Some of their chocolates are from really small chocolatiers including local company Chocolate Alchemist. The coffee shop and ice creams are good too!
Tricky to locate, this unspoilt 15th-century country pub, its brick and stone walls covered with roses and wisteria, is well worth the effort to find. Persevere for tiny rustic bars, local ales, a swish dining extension and decking, top-notch pub food cooked by chef-owner Simon Goodman, and a fantastic terraced garden with far-reaching views across the Sussex Weald.
The highest water quality and excellent facilities have made West Wittering, south-west of Chichester, one of the premier Blue Flag beaches in the country. This stretch of coast is popular with wind and kite surfers and is an obvious venue for lots of exhilarating recreational activity.
Cowdray Park is recognised worldwide as the Home of British Polo. Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty within Viscount Cowdray's 16,500 acre estate, the game of polo has been played at Cowdray for nearly a century. On summer afternoons it's a relaxed way to an enjoy an exciting game in a wonderful setting.
There are boat trips four times a day during the high season. Taking to the water on this stretch of the coast is a great way to discover one of Britain's great natural harbours and learn all about its wildlife.
If you’re about to set off on the South Downs or just for fun, pop into this walking stick emporium! This little shop deals solely in walking sticks, antique and new - from country walking sticks to hiking staves, classic and traditional canes to ones with exotic woods, horn, silver and gold. Hot on their history from Charlie Chaplin to Winston Churchill - a walking stick will never seem the same again!
Known as the 'Antiques Centre of the South', Petworth has a long history of being at the heart of antique dealing. This beautiful market town has probably more antique shops than any other in the south of England. Within half a mile radius there are 24 antique and interior design shops to make your mouth water.
A family-run business selling a gorgeous range of perfumes and fragrances. Inspired by the West Sussex countryside, they use natural essential oils in all their paraben-free products and use organic ingredients where possible. Owner Colin formulates all the own-brands and wife Kate creates the products' perfumes.
Opened in 2003 by Holly Heggadon, whose dream was to have specialist gift shop. Now she’s expanded from the ground floor of this Grade II listed Victorian warehouse and has filled the upper levels with a cook shop, home store, coffee bar and, recently, ‘The Loft’, an eatery offering great burgers and amazing roof top views.
Arundel’s longest running and atmospheric antique centre is where you’ll find a mesmerising selection of quality antiques, including stalls dealing in items of French furniture, vintage clothing as well as a room dedicated to vintage cameras where they also do repairs and source old film.
Located near Chichester, Fishbourne Roman Palace was built in the 1st century AD, about 30 years of the Roman conquest of Britain. Visitors get the chance to see the largest collection of mosaics in situ in the country, notably the perfectly preserved dolphin mosaic in the north wing.
Opened to wide critical acclaim in 2006, Pallant House Gallery's collection of British Modern Art is often described as one of the most impressive in the UK. Expect works by the likes of Henry Moore, John Piper and Graham Sutherland.
Looking at Uppark House today, it's hard to believe that this imposing Georgian building was badly damaged by fire in the 1980s. The restored National Trust house, near Petersfield, was the childhood home of HG Wells - his mother was in service here.
North of Chichester, the museum, occupies a picturesque 40-acre site in rolling downland with 50 historic buildings which have been dismantled from around the country and rebuilt for preservation.Here you can learn all about building conservation and rural life in Britain down the centuries. Among many demonstrations there is cooking in the Tudor kitchen and flour milling in the working watermill. The buildings' gardens have been specially designed with plants, layouts and animal breeds from each period.
These award-winning gardens feature a Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden, Sunken Garden, Orchards and circular walk set in beautiful parkland. Delicious homemade goodies can be eaten in the Garden's restaurant. Look out for courses and festivals including the summer Chilli Fiesta in August, celebrating over 250 chilli varieties!
Tucked away in an old disused chalk pit, this museum is dedicated to the industrial heritage of the South East. Exhibits include a narrow-gauge railway, telecommunications hall, electricity hall and printing workshop. A blacksmith and potter work onsite. Outside the quarry has been reclaimed by wild flowers including orchids and birds such as peregrine falcons swoop over the quarry face.
One of the region's most picturesque towns, Arundel is packed with handsome buildings and historic landmarks. Top of the list here is Arundel Castle, the principal home of the Dukes of Norfolk. Within its great walls lie countless treasures, including tapestries, clocks and portraits by Van Dyck, Gainsborough and Reynolds.
Arundel Wetland Centre, set in ancient woodlands near the River Arun, is home to kingfishers, water voles, hundreds of British wildfowl and migrating wild birds. Visitors can enjoy 'Safaris' on quiet, electric boats everyday (weather permitting) or walk amongst ancient reed beds with well positioned hides. The Centre's cafe, is the perfect place to bird watch over lunch!
This magnificent late 17th-century country house, set in a 700-acre deer park, is home to The National Trust's finest collection of pictures with numerous works by Turner, Van Dyck, Reynolds and Blake. The servants' quarters contain fascinating kitchens and outside, the grounds which can be enjoyed by walkers, were landscaped by 'Capability' Brown and immortalised in Turner's paintings.
www.southdowns.gov.uk/enjoying/south-downs-way
The South Downs Way is one of 15 National Trails in England and Wales and lies entirely within the South Downs National Park. Just south of The Halfway Bridge, the trail offers some of the loveliest countryside in Britain, including ancient Weald woodland and rolling farmland. By horse, foot or cycle – nature lovers will also enjoy the diverse bird and wildlife along the way.
www.festivalofchichester.co.uk
Chichester is the place for plenty of colourful festivals and events. Every year the city hosts members of the arts world, together with a whole host of entertaining characters, who arrive to perform and create for the audience. Music, dance, literature and various arts and crafts are among the themes. One popular fixture is the Chichester Real Ale and Jazz Summer Music Festival.
Petworth Festival
www.petworthfestival.org.uk
The Petworth Festival is a summer festival of music and the arts, set in the historic market town of Petworth. Over two weeks in July the town comes alive with a high quality programme of classical concerts and recitals, chamber music, song, jazz, cabaret, theatre, comedy, visual arts, talks and walks in and around Petworth.
By road from London
Take the A3 via Junction 10 on the M25, signposted Guildford and Portsmouth. After Guildford turn off A3 at Milford Junction onto the A283 signposted Petworth. After entering Petworth turn right onto A272 signposted to Midhurst. After 3 miles the Halfway Bridge is on your right, on the roadside.
By road from Chichester
Take the A286 signposted Midhurst. After entering Midhurst take the A272 signposted Petworth. After 3 miles the Halfway Bridge is on your left.
Petworth, Lodsworth, West Sussex, GU28 9BP
The Telegraph Travel: Pub Review September 2014, Sophie Atherton
‘The concept of the coaching inn is genius. You break your journey, rest, eat and drink – and then and only then, after you’ve enjoyed the best hospitality said hostelry can offer, climb into another coach to be driven off on the next leg….The pub’s interior is labyrinthine, with many rooms in which to eat or drink, all of which have their own individual feel – The Halfway Bridge is well placed to be all things to all people. Solid wood tables in one room are somewhat rustically distressed: despite the classy leather chairs and contemporary place settings, these conjure an image of buxom barmaids trying to keep bawdy patrons in check and a trio of highwaymen in the corner, plotting their next raid. In another room, a huge fireplace contains a small wood-burning stove but also a magnificent triple-panelled back plate. A sizeable pile of logs tells you how cosy The Halfway Bridge would be on a cold day. Not that this saved the pub from the scourge of last winter’s storms and ensuing power cuts – which threatened to scupper festivities from Christmas Eve until Boxing Day. The friendly and super-capable Canadian bartender Joy explained to me how they moved as many bookings as they could to sister pub the Crab & Lobster in Sidlesham, and offered everyone else a free meal in compensation. Although I was making use of the inn in the traditional sense of breaking my journey, I didn’t have a coachman to help me with the next bit – and I didn’t have time to try the food. It looked hearty and ambitious, if a little expensive (£28 for fillet steak). But if it’s anything like the fare at the aforementioned Crab & Lobster, it’ll be worth the money. Bring on the age of driverless cars – or a return to the glory days of the coaching inn. If they are all as good as this, I feel a UK tour coming on …’
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