Rusper, West Sussex
Rusper is a quintessential Sussex village situated approximately three miles from Horsham town centre. The village atmosphere is very much retained with its village store/post office, parish church and primary school. With the trend towards out-of-town hypermarkets run by the giant retailing groups, village stores have been forced to shut. In an attempt to keep this village alive, some of the local community have taken on the ownership of the store/post office. Rusper Primary School opened on the current site in 1872 with 50 children. It was then and still remains very much a village school serving the local community. The school is housed in a Victorian building, which has had the benefit of some extension work in recent years. The parish church of St Mary Magdalene in the High Street is famous for having the highest point in any of the West Sussex churches (406 ft). An outstanding east window and pre-Reformation brasses adorn the otherwise simple interior. There are several memorials to the musical Broadwood family. No English village would be complete without Morris dancers and indeed Rusper’s Morris Men and Women are named Broadwood after the local family. May Day celebrations and May pole dancing takes place annually. There are many activities and clubs, which foster village life including the W.I., Art Club, Short mat bowls club etc. A flower show takes place in June.
For a small village Rusper has at least two great pubs, The Star is steeped in history and was originally built in 1486, always a pub, it has now expanded into neighbouring cottages. There is a priest hole in one corner of the pub that leads on to the roof, a large inglenook fireplace and wishing well. The Royal Oak is situated on a quiet country lane (Friday Street) surrounded by greenery and lies between the village itself and the A24. In the summer you can sit on creaky wooden benches outside under the trees. Also situated in the beautiful village of Rusper is, Ghyll Manor Country Hotel, a beautiful 16th century hotel which is set in 40 acres of gardens. With its original beamed rooms the hotel mixes centuries old elegance with modern day facilities. The nearby South Downs provide country walks and horse riding. There are also golf courses near-by. The larger town of Horsham near-by offers an extensive range of shopping and other amenities including leisure/swimming complex and Horsham Arts Centre. There is also a main line station with services to the coast and Gatwick Airport and London Victoria/London Bridge.
If you are interested in buying, renting or selling property in Rusper, West Sussex get in touch with our Horsham Office...
