Cowdray Castle - Ghost Castle, Audio by Vobes.

Midhurst is at the centre of the new South Downs National Park (2010) with the administration already working in offices in the town. Roads spread out in all directions and are fast and swoopy. It's easy to get to places. Winchester is 55 mins away, Haslemere 15 mins, Petworth 10 mins, Petersfield 17 mins, Arundel 30 mins and Chichester 20 mins. Refer to South Downs National Park Map and Map of S.E. England.

There is no railway station in Midhurst, the closest being Haslemere where there is excellent, quick and frequent service to London Waterloo - about 50mins. There is an hourly bus service between Haslemere and Midhurst - allow 35 mins for the bus - and a good taxi service. Read more here.

Midhurst is the ideal base for touring the South Downs National Park. and has its own Tourist Office 01730 817322. Within 15 miles there are an outstanding number of attractions, quaint villages, bustling market towns, National Trust properties, parks, and stately homes.

Goodwood with its horse racing, Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival (motorsport) attracts hundreds of thousands of fans in a season of spectacular events, and is only 15 minutes from Midhurst.

Details on Touring - incuding Tourist Office brochures, books, leaflets and support - coming here soon.....

NEFF MASTERPARTNER DEMO IN MIDHURST 13/3
A home economist will be demonstrating the latest NEFF OVEN at the Kitchen Showroom of VIOLET DESIGNS from 10.00 am - 4.00 pm on Saturday 13th March 2010. Please come.. and bring your friends!

Accommodation
There are three excellent hotels in or close to the town: The Spread Eagle, The Angel and The Park House at Bepton. In addition there are numerous B&B's in the town and others in near-by Easebourne. Also farms and country houses offer B&B. Contact the Midhurst Tourist Office by phone (01730 817322) for help with booking up to 4.00pm pm. After that details may be seen in their window. Details here soon....

Climate
Generally, very gentle and benign with lots of sunshine. Beware November: it can be very wet; but March to October inclusive is often warm enough to sit out. Summers are often very dry with hose-pipe bans. More on the weather...

Things To Do - Energetic Outdoor Pursuits
Mountain biking, lane cycling, walking, hiking, hang-gliding, riding, polo and golf. And running - if you join Midhurst Milers. The open spaces are huge. Access is almost total. Freedom to do just what you want.

The MIDHURST WAY from Arundel to Midhurst (19.25 miles) is being launched in April 2010 to celebrate the opening of the SOUTH DOWNS NATIONAL PARK. For Londoners this should become the most popular long distance day walk ever as it is accessed by train from London Victoria and London Waterloo with a short bus journey from MIDHURST to HASLEMERE STATION. Approximately 12 hrs journey-time from start to finish Read more here shortly.

Things to Do - Gentle Outdoor Pursuits.
Doggy Days Out in Cowdray. Ideal walks for dog-lovers: dry stone-based estate tracks, Castle Causeway and River Rother Path. Park in Cowdray car-park near Farm Shop in Easebourne aka [Cowdray Food Emporium with Café) walk to the Castle, then onto St Ann's Hill, Tudor Midhurst, back down North St and then right down the Causeway and left up the estate road again to The Food Emporium for the 'Big Temptation of the Week'! A bit like Fortnums-on-Rother!
The Benbow Pond Walk ( a stroll really!) is very popular. an alternative to the more strenuous Queen Elizabeth Oak Walk, a 7.5 mile circular route.
Read more here

Things to Do - Lotus Eating, Chilling-Out, Relaxing.
Sit in the sun at a table on the cobblestones outside the Old Town Hall Cafe. Dogs welcome outside.
Or, sit and read the newspapers provided in Comestibles Deli and Community Café. Friendly, people chat, best place to make friends and find out what's going on.
Friends of Midhurst, a network, which embraces locals, the diaspora and friends world-wide has a double-size noticeboard in Comestibles. Also a very pro-active Facebook Group which keeps you abreast of everything and facilitates friendships;.
Suggestion: join Friends of Midhurst now to keep in the know, be informed of events, music evenings, parties, get-togethers, new shop openings and a lot more. Read more.
Sit on the veranda of the Spread Eagle and do all the above.
Sit in Seven Fish spacious and luxurious Lounge-Bar - seats 22 - with laptop and surf the internet courtesy of free Wi-Fi. Migrate outside in fine weather and enjoy the Seven Fish Terrace Garden - seats 32 - where you may eat and drink as well. Or, just chill-out with a glass of wine. Read more here.

Sit and watch polo if you can put up
with the noisy comentary. Read more

If you've the energy and friends/children to share the experience do the Midhurst Treasure Hunt - questionnaire from Frasers, the gents outfitters in North Street.
With camera stroll around the Old Town, the film set for two series of Foyle's War - 2006, and 2009. But first do your homework by exploring the section on Midhurst Pages. Cabbage White was Maison Jules - hairdressers where the bank heist was plotted. Nest door Burgage House was the Southern Bank. (2006). The Swan Inn became the main film set for 2009, and Church Cottage for scenes in both 2006 and 2009. Read more here.

Tudor Midhurst - An Outdoor Learning Experience
A lot of fun both with and without a camera may be had studying Tudor buildings including the Tudor Castle of Cowdray aka Cowdray House. Start at the Library in Knockhundred and work your way around the old town, walk to Cowdray via St Ann' Hill - the original Midhurst Castle site - and the River Rother Path. Thence back via the Causeway and North St to Knockhundred. Read more here.

Fright Nights
Frightnights and other paranormal, ghostly companies have regular ghost hunting events at Cowdray. They are becoming hugely popular so book well ahead.

Eating & Drinking with/without Music
Top eating place by far at present is the Duke of Cumberland at Henley three miles out of town towards Haslemere.
There are three family-style restaurants in Midhurst, and numerous bars, pubs and cafés.
Also, new on the scene is the Cowdray Farm Shop Restaurant and Café referred to earlier located in near-by Easebourne with free car park.
Live Music and Gigs.
Several years ago a seemingly totally 'dry zone' musically but now booming with local and not so local 2-3-4 (or more) man bands playing at pubs and bars in and around the town.

The Lickfold Inn, several miles outside town, heads the pubs as the place for music. The Duke of Cumberland, Henley, The Hamilton Arms at Stedham and several others including Faustino's & BJ's in the centre of town have events too. The main bands are The Hanging Tree Band, The New Society Jazz Band - see picture above, Boomslang, Fireup Mary, George's Regis Jazz Band, Wide Eyes, MATC, Pastiche Duo and Nice Pear.
There is also a Music and Art Festival planned for August 2010. This is still in the early planning stages. Please look in again in Jauary 2010 and refer to the Gigs and Live Music Page

Cowdray Castle - a Ghost castle.
(Mostly ruins but with kitchen-block and cellar still intact)
Open 17th March 2010 - October inclusive. Lots of re-enactments, plays and other events throughout the season mainly suitable for families with young children. The Tudor kitchen nearly rivals Hampton Court in grandeur. The Cellar is used for small picture exhibitions and as a meeting place for ghost hunts. Wedding receptions - run by the Cowdray Heritage Trust - are held under the walls as are other outdoor events. The Castle is a magnet to students of the Tudor Period and Henry V111, artists, photographers, paranormal investigators and ghost hunters. Read more here.

Ghost Walks - NEW for 2010
There are 7 ghost hunting com panies putting on events at Cowdray Castle on a regular basis - often twice monthly. The castle has earned the cachet 'ghost castle' and thus acquired a 'persona' with a quickening ripple affect. For those wanting an introduction to the ghosts of Cowdray, a season of ghost walks sponsored by SPIRIT FM have been arranged for the Summer. The first is on Friday 14th May 7.30pm to 9.0pm. £7 per walk. Host: Paul Ullson. More here soon

The Rother Raft Race at Cowdray is on August Bank Holiday. Read more here.

Things to Do and Places to Go with Kids (Coming soon)
Including Cowdray Castle & Spcial Events, South Pond Wildlife, Cowdray Farm Shop Toddlers Play Area. Pizza Express, Prezzo, The Causeway Walk for Doggy Families, See the Ponies at Cowdray Polo, Meet the Animals at Cowdray Miniature Farm (at planning stage), etc

Wild Swimming in the River Rother
Sandy Bay, 200 yards from Cowdray, is a popular Wild Swimming site but never too busy not to be enjoyed. About 5-6 feet deep maximum. Backed by three acres of riverine meadowland suitable for picnics.

The Walled Garden at Cowdray
Adjoining Cowdray Castle the Walled Garden is under seperate management. It has become one of the most popular and sought after wedding venues in the South of England. Because of this opening days and times for the general public are restricted. Read more.

Home Improvements- The Violet Experience!
Dexam International, a local business with 35 employees, supplies Tesco, Sainsbury and Waitrose with kitchenware and cookware. They keep a low profile in the town and tourists woudn't have reason to know they exist.

But Violet Designs is quite another story. A kitchen-bathroom-bedroom-study/home office business its tentacles reach far and wide throughout West Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire. With two showrooms close together in the town they have undoubdedly put Midhurst on the map with home improvements. Cabbage White - 'pretty things for the home' - The Upholsterer and Wildwood - handmade furniture -are just another three members of a growing cluster.

The town is the home to Bluewater Recoveries, a deep-sea wreck and exploration company run by David Mearns an American who discovered the German WW2 battle-cruiser Bismarck at the bottom of the Atlantic and made a film of the discovery for the BBC.

Midhurst has been a film set for several films the most famous of which is undoubtedly Foyle's War. The town has become a magnet for actors, actresses, musicians and art-lovers generally. Trevor Eve, Sharon Maughan and Billie Piper all live locally. The singer, song-writer and impressario Mark Nelson Preston from New York has visited recently and has connections with the town. Philip Jackson, the Royal Sculptor, lives in Cocking, a small village to the south of Mdhurst.
Read more here.... (coming soon)

Interestingly, for many, Midhurst is where life begins - in marriage and divorce! Getting married at The Walled Garden of Cowdray with the back-drop of the Castle is a dream for many whilst for others it is a wedding at the Spread Eagle.

One of the largest specialist divorce lawers is MacDonald Oates with two adjacent offices in Knockhundred Row, Midhurst and another office in Petersfield.

Divorce Parties?
Although we've not had a divorce party yet 2010 may be the year when we do - and everyone is prepared, even our local specialist men's outfitters, Frasers, who rent kilts and black tie. A massive kilt rave with bagpipes (electronic) with music, perhaps, by The Hanging Tree and other local bands - who'll be the first?
Picture courtesy of Hostage, Edinburgh.

28 walkers descend on Midhurst to promote inclusion in the South Downs National Park. Report by Owen Plunkett.