insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 19 - September 2016 | Page 78

TOWNSPOTLIGHT
PETWORTH cont.

Things to Do
Petworth House and Gardens
Petworth House is a large stately home that
is now part of the National Trust. Nestled on
the gorgeous South Downs within a 700-acre
park, Petworth House is probably most famous
for being one of the very best examples of the
work of landscape garden designer, Capability
Brown. The house itself is around 800 years
old and was originally a gift from the widow
of Henry I to her brother, Jocelin de Louvain.
He was part of the Percy family and actually
lived in the north of England, so despite its
impressive size and opulence, Petworth House
was only actually intended for occasional use.
When Elizabeth I began to think that the Percy
family were in allegiance with Mary however,
they were confined to the house so that she
could keep them closer to her, and more easily
spy on them. It was at this stage that the
house began to be extended and renovated.
Today, Petworth House is a wonderful day
out with dozens of walks to take and various
exhibitions to browse.
Augustus Brandt
No visit to Petworth is complete without a visit
to Augustus Brandt. Offering a diverse stock
of over 800 antiques, objets d’art, original
artworks and jewellery, alongside its own
bespoke furniture collection, and situated in a
spacious Georgian town house adjacent to the
main town car park, the past year has seen
this already impressive showroom expand its
offerings.
With over 7,500 square feet, it now offers an
exciting retail destination for home interiors
and plenty more and is open six days a week.
Wander in through the door and you will find
countless rooms to explore at your leisure;
the team are also very happy to help and the
showrooms are dog friendly too.
The range and scope of the showroom’s
impressive collection has been extended
recently, and the site now features a welcoming
retail shop where you will find something for
all tastes, including children’s clothing, pet

accessories, stationary, linens and tableware.
This wonderful combination of carefully
sourced and curated products includes many
leading international brands, several new to the
UK this autumn, and Linley, William Yeoward,
Mungo and Maud and Cire Trudon are among
just some of the names to be found.
Augustus Brandt have also recently announced
the arrival of My Style Bags, and are the
exclusive UK stockist. The Milan-based
company specialises in the design and
manufacture of high quality handmade bags,
handbags, and accessories offered in a wide
range of different materials and colours, each
of which can be personalised with embroidered
initials, names or logos. Customising is quick
and easy and is offered while you wait in store,
plus you can be as creative as you wish – all
that needs to be decided is what colour, font
and letters you’d like to be embroidered on
your brand new bag.

Dining Out
The Star
Said to be one of the most welcoming pubs in
West Sussex, The Star offers a great selection
of food and drink – locally sourced wherever
possible – and that, along with a large fire in
the winter and a lovely outdoor dining space
in the summer, truly makes this a pub for all
seasons. Dishes include English cured meats
- air dried beef, pork loin, ham, and smoked
wild venison served with focaccia bread, olives,
roasted cauliflower, caramelised nuts and
sauerkraut; grilled corn fed chicken marinated
in lemon, thyme and garlic served with
coriander and chilli Jersey royals, sweetcorn
puree and a radicchio and olive salad; and
Pimm’s jelly and cucumber sorbet served with
raspberries, strawberries and mint shards.
The Leconfield
For a stylish, award-winning meal, go to The
Leconfield. This beautifully restored 17thcentury buil ding is the most romantic and
intimate of places, offering both a la carte and
set menus. You can even hire your own private
dining room for very special occasions. The

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food is sublime and includes roasted quail
with pea and mint mousse and truffled bacon
cream; Herdwick lamb rump with malted
cauliflower, broad beans and Sussex Dark
Ale; and hot apricot pudding with homemade
yoghurt, honeycomb and iced apricot.
Meghdoots Mystique Masala
A fun name for a fun restaurant! If you want
Indian food, Meghdoots is the ideal place to
head to – they say that every meal here must
be a feast, and with the vast array of authentic
Indian food on offer, a feast is what you’ll get.
Dishes include malai seekh - tender rolls of
mixed chicken with herbs, wrapped around
skewers, roasted in a tandoor; murg dhania
adraki - dried chicken in a fresh coriander
leaf and ginger flavoured curry; and jheenga
balchao - sweet and sour king prawn curry.

Annual Events
Petworth Fair // Nov
Every 20th November, the square in Petworth
is closed to traffic and the annual Petworth Fair
commences. With funfair rides and stalls, this
is a hotly anticipated event for all the family.
Petworth House Christmas Fair // Dec
Escape the bustle of the High Street and
indulge in a little retail therapy at the annual
Petworth House Christmas Fair. Now in its
seventh year, the event offers a range of
exclusive gifts to suit all tastes and budgets in
a festive, but tranquil setting.

Top Spot
Petworth antiques market hosts a huge
number of different antiques dealers selling a
wealth of different objects. This is a treasure
trove of the strange and unusual, the beautiful
and the artistic.
Did You Know?
The Petworth Fair dates back to 1189, and has
been held every year since then – except for in
1666. This was due to fears of spreading the
plague!