Sussex area guide: Where to stay, eat and do

"It is a cold, damp day in January, but the buzz at Goodwood is electric. On a 75-acre woodland encircled by flint walls, about a thousand new trees and 100,000 bulbs are taking root. Work is at full pelt on the refurbishment of two flat-roofed pavilions, originally designed for the Cass Sculpture Foundation by architect Craig Downie, and the construction of a new café, created by his studio."

"In May 2025, Goodwood Art Foundation opens here, showing sculptures by Turner Prize winner Rachel Whiteread in a naturalistic environment orchestrated around 24 seasonal "moments" by landscape designer Dan Pearson. Whitehead's photography will also be exhibited in the larger pavilion. The café is developing a menu of small plates that champion the produce grown and foraged on the estate, and in the pipeline is a man-made lake, a third gallery and a permanent home for an ambitious schools programme."

"Sussex has long been a magnet for artists. In the 1820s, JMW Turner produced glowing vistas of Petworth Park; a century later, Bloomsbury Group artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant decamped to a farmhouse outside Firle (along with her sons, his lover and, later, their shared daughter), and painted its now-famous pond. In the 1930s, Eric Ravilious captured the Downs in delicate watercolours,"

Goodwood is transforming a 75-acre woodland with new trees, 100,000 bulbs and refurbished pavilions to create Goodwood Art Foundation. A new café and a cherry grove accompany landscape works including silver birches and a planned man-made lake. The foundation will open in May 2025 with sculptures by Rachel Whiteread presented within 24 seasonal moments arranged by Dan Pearson and photography in the larger pavilion. The café menu will emphasize estate-grown and foraged produce. Plans include a third gallery and a permanent home for an ambitious schools programme. Sussex has a long artistic history from Turner to Bloomsbury and Ravilious.

Read at CN Traveller