Uppark House and Garden

Uppark is a 17th-century house of about 1690 crowning the South Downs ridge above South Harting, with views reaching to the Solent. Home to the Fetherstonhaugh family, it drew Emma Hamilton and, as the housekeeper's son, a young H.G. Wells. A fire in 1989 destroyed the roof and upper floors, and a six-year restoration returned the Georgian interiors and the servants' world below stairs, linked to the flanking pavilions by tunnels. The garden and meadow are free to enter, with Repton paths, picnic spots facing the Downs and a second-hand bookshop in the old laundry; dogs on short leads are welcome except in the house and tunnels. The Meadow walk follows the edge of the south meadow, and the South Downs Way leads on to walks over Harting Down. Reviewers praise the volunteer guides but find the kiosk menu limited. Tips from regulars: the house is shown by guided tour on only a few days a week, so check before travelling; the tunnels to the toilets are not step-free, with the accessible toilet in the bookshop; and the exposed hilltop is breezy, so bring a layer.