Visit Midhurst

04/10/2026

Midhurst sits where the South Downs meet the wooded hills of the Western Weald, in the valley of the River Rother.

Looking north from the Downs towards Midhurst, with Heyshott in the foreground, you can see the Rother Valley filled with autumn mist. Beyond rises the distinctive outline of Black Down — at 280 metres, the highest point in the South Downs National Park and part of the Greensand hills that form the western edge of the Weald.

30/09/2026

Midhurstians made the most of the autumn warmth this weekend, enjoying an evening of open-air cinema and music in the beautiful setting of the Town Square.

The Midhurst Jazz, Food and Blues festival kicked things off before the big screen brought a double bill of Coco and La La Land to the heart of Midhurst — a lovely way to spend an early autumn evening in town.

To ensure you know what’s going on in Midhurst try visiting www.visitmidhurst.com

Or from your mobile use the Midhurst WebApp: https://midhurst-events.pages.dev/index.html

30/09/2026

Another stunning booking for the intimate setting of Fairview Wines

James Dixon: October 14th
Doors 19:00 – Show 19:30
£25.00 per person
Venue: Fairview Wines, 2 North Street, Midhurst GU29 9DJ


ABOUT THE ARTIST
James Dixon is an emerging songwriter self-described as Anglo-Celtic Soul. He fuses the transatlantic folk-blues of the 60s/70s revival with the power and dirt of the grunge and rock he was raised on. Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) described him as a “genuine Troubadour straight out of the old school” . Earning a reputation as a deeply passionate performer Seasick Steve called him simply “the best support act I’ve ever had”

Style & Philosophy

“Chris Wood told me years ago that Tradition must be respected but convention can be broken, i try to live and work like that, always”
The songs James writes can tell narrow stories of immediate experience and the minor interactions between people and the natural world or give sweeping and sharp commentaries on the social and political picture. Whatever he writes about, it will always, as a rule, truthfully express his spirit, or be discarded.
His guitar style has been described as “red in tooth and claw” and vocals as “powerful...gentle when needed” , the depth and meaning of his songs shines through from his years of experience of playing in public
THE PAST & THE PRESENT
Born and raised in Suffolk (attending school with Ed Sheeran) he moved to Exeter for a period, attending Topsham folk club regularly then moved to Cornwall 10 years ago which is where he started a career as full time performing musician. He is a mainstay on the Cornish circuit being called “an icon of the scene” by Cornish Gig Guide. Invited to support Maddog McCrae, Toby Lee, Chris Wood and more he went on European tour with Seasick Steve in 2022 and again in 2024 he is building a name for himself in the UK national circuit. Spring 2025 James supported Wille and the Bandits.
INSPIRATION
Heavily inspired by Chris Whitley, John Martyn, Kelly Joe Phelps, Lowell George, The Band, Sam Cooke, Neil Young, Paul Brady, Chris Wood, and Luther Dickinson

22/09/2026

At 1:05 (BST) tomorrow morning, the angle of rotation of the earth with neither point towards nor away from the sun. It is the Autumn Equinox. Midhurst is surrounded by fantastic vantage points from which to view the Sunrise and the Sunset.
This image from Older hill was taken this evening.

For more details visit: https://visitmidhurst.com/autumn-equinox/

18/09/2026

Midhurst is the ‘Heart of the South Downs National Park’ and is the perfect spot to place yourself to discover all the park has to offer. This weekend is the the weekend of the autumn equinox and 20 mins south west of Midhurst Saxons will be celebrating.

Butser Ancient Farm.

16/09/2026

The ever-popular Midhurst Jazz Food and Blues Festival continues…

13/09/2026

Last weekend’s annual Louder-For-Life festival at The Greyhound raised £9k for St. Wilfrid’s Hospice was another great success. Great music played, as family had fun in one of our lovely local pubs whilst the sun set across the field and the b**r flowed.

07/09/2026

Did you know they used to make cannon in the woods just outside Midhurst?

Next weekend is the annual Fernhurst Furnace Open Weekend, when this remarkable piece of local history comes properly back to life.

Hidden in the woodland at Fernhurst is the remains of a 17th-century iron furnace – part of an industry that once made this area nationally important for iron production.

For the Open Weekend there’ll be:

Live archaeology – including excavation of an area that has never been dug before
Hourly guided tours of the furnace site
Civil War skirmishes and musket firing from The Sealed Knot
Local crafts and curiosities
Food and a rural b**r tent
Dogs welcome on leads

Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 September
10.30am–5pm
Fernhurst Furnace
FREE entry and parking – donations welcome

It’s a short trip from Midhurst and another one of a myriad of slightly hidden place that makes this part of West Sussex so interesting to explore.

If you’ve never been, this weekend is probably the time to do it.

More information:
https://www.fernhurstfurnace.co.uk/events/

Step back to a time when Fernhurst produced cannon, right here in the West Sussex countryside; our open event in September is the perfect opportunity to discover history hidden in the woodland.

07/09/2026

The Independent thinks West Sussex is having a moment – and we rather agree.

The Independent describes West Sussex as the “laidback rival to the Cotswolds” – celebrating its beautiful countryside, great pubs and restaurants, vineyards, villages and the extraordinary range of things there are to do here.

And that’s one of the things that makes Midhurst such a wonderful base for exploring this part of Sussex.

Stay here and you could spend your days walking or cycling across the South Downs, horse riding, playing golf, fly fishing or clay shooting; watching world-class polo at Cowdray; taking a hot-air balloon flight; kayaking or paddleboarding along a Sussex river; visiting a vineyard; exploring historic houses, gardens and ruins; hunting for antiques; trying your hand at anything from pottery and printmaking to basket weaving or blacksmithing; heading to Goodwood for racing or motorsport; or simply driving south for an afternoon beside the sea.

And when the sun goes down, we’re in the heart of the South Downs International Dark Sky Reserve – so on the right night you can finish the day under a genuinely spectacular sky.

That’s before we’ve mentioned the pubs, cafés, independent shops, beautiful villages and seemingly endless footpaths in between.

Midhurst may be a small town, but it’s sitting in the middle of an enormous playground.

We think that’s something worth shouting about.

The Independent’s guide to a weekend in West Sussex

https://www.the-independent.com/travel/uk/west-sussex-hotels-restaurants-guide-cotswolds-alternative-b3032572.html

A new wave of restaurants, revived country pubs and stylish rural stays have confirmed this southern county’s status as one of the UK’s most charming places to visit. Local Annabelle Spranklen has your guide