Petworth, West Sussex: Antiques, Petworth House, History & Things to Do

Petworth is a small market town of narrow lanes and old houses in the heart of West Sussex, about twelve miles north-east of Chichester. It is best known for two things: one of the greatest country houses in England, right on its doorstep, and one of the finest concentrations of antiques dealers anywhere in the country.

Why Petworth Is Special

For anyone who loves antiques and interiors, Petworth is a destination in itself. The streets around the Market Square and East Street are lined with dealers in furniture, lighting, textiles and decorative pieces, so a morning here can easily become a whole day.

And beyond the town wall lies Petworth Park, a great landscaped deer park with views across the Weald to the South Downs.

The History of Petworth

Petworth is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 with 44 households, woodland, ploughland and meadows. Its annual fair is so old that travelling justices of Edward I decided in 1275 that it had existed since time immemorial and needed no royal charter.

The manor came to the Percy family, later the Earls of Northumberland, as a gift from Adeliza of Louvain, widow of Henry I, to her brother Joscelin. Henry de Percy built a fortified manor house here in 1308–09, and its chapel and undercroft still survive inside the present house.

The house we see today was built from 1688 by Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, the "Proud Duke", who had married the Percy heiress Lady Elizabeth Percy. It was rebuilt in the Baroque style by 1702. Since 1750 the house and estate have belonged to the Wyndham family.

George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, who inherited in 1763, made Petworth one of the great houses of art. He was a friend and patron of J. M. W. Turner, who often stayed and painted the house and park, and he added the North Gallery in 1824–25 to display his collection. Capability Brown landscaped the park. In 1947 the house and park were given to the nation, and they are now cared for by the National Trust.

In the town, Leconfield Hall, the former town hall in the Market Square, was completed in 1793, and Petworth Cottage Museum on the High Street shows how an estate worker's family lived in about 1910.

History is still being uncovered: archaeological excavations in 2012–15 found a 'lost' north wing of the old manor house, demolished in 1692, under the lawn in front of the house. The house and park have also played their part on screen, in Mr Turner (2014), with Timothy Spall painting in the very places Turner worked, as well as Barry Lyndon, Rebecca and Bridgerton.

Things to Do in Petworth

Petworth House holds paintings by Turner, Van Dyck and Reynolds, carvings by Grinling Gibbons and a terrestrial globe by Emery Molyneux believed to be the only one in the world in its original 1592 state. The 700-acre park, with its large herd of fallow deer, is open for walks.

For antiques, start at Petworth Antiques Market on East Street, then visit Tudor Rose Antiques & Interiors and French Loft. Browse the dealers around the Market Square and finish with tea in one of the town's cafés.

Gardens, Countryside & Antiques near Petworth

Parham House and Gardens and RSPB Pulborough Brooks are a short drive south, and West Dean Gardens is on the road to Chichester. Knepp Wildland, where white storks now breed, is about a half-hour drive east.

The South Downs rise just to the south; see our South Downs guide for walks and viewpoints.

Petworth Through the Seasons

Spring is perfect for the park, with fresh green over the deer and the lake. In summer the town is lively and the house is at its busiest. Autumn is the classic season for antiques hunting and for the deer rut in the park, and winter is quiet and lovely for browsing indoors.

Getting to Petworth

The nearest railway station is Pulborough, on the Arun Valley line, about five miles away; Petworth's own station closed to passengers in 1955.

Petworth: Questions & Answers

Is Petworth good for antiques?

Yes. Petworth is one of the best antiques towns in the South, with dealers such as Petworth Antiques Market, Tudor Rose Antiques & Interiors and French Loft around the Market Square and East Street.

What is special about Petworth House?

Petworth House, rebuilt from 1688, holds one of the great art collections of the National Trust, including many paintings by Turner, who often stayed there, and sits in a 700-acre deer park landscaped by Capability Brown.

Our Advice

Our advice: Spend the morning with the antiques dealers, have lunch in the town, then walk through the park to the lake in the afternoon light that Turner loved.