Nestling beneath the Sussex Downs are villages making their preparations for Christmas. Graffham, between Petworth and Midhurst, held its seasonal jumble in the village hall on Saturday 1st December. Lots of people attended making it fun for parents and children alike.
What Christmas party would not be complete without a visit from Santa and his helpers?
Further along the road at nearby market town of Midhurst lies the romantic remains of Cowdray Castle.
Built around 1500 it is said it was visited by the Tudor monarchs Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I.
The river Rother winds its way past as it has done for centuries. Past Christmas saw the English Civil War and the French Revolution.
The Castle, or Elizabethan fortified manor house as it is sometimes called burnt down in 1793, reputedly on the same day as its owner, Viscount Cowdray drowned in the Rhine river during a trip to Germany.
The ruins are well worth a visit.
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