Tiny Sussex village in pretty countryside that was the home of famous TV presenter

With plenty of countryside all over Sussex, the region is home to some of the prettiest villages out there.

This tiny village is surrounded by swathes of South Downs greenery, and was once the home to a famous presenter.

South Harting is in the Chichester district of West Sussex and dates back centuries.

Here is all to know about the village, and what to do if you ever visit.

History of South Harting and The Hartings in Sussex

South Harting, along with the hamlets of West Harting and East Harting, was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as the large Manor of Harting (Hertinges).

It was notably the subject of the 1956 documentary An English Village, described as a “quintessential English village nestled at the base of the South Downs, embodying the traditional, rural aspects of English life”.

The 17th-century Uppark house can also be found in South Harting, just one mile south of the village, high on the South Downs.

The house was built for Ford Grey, 1st Earl of Tankerville, around 1690 and was sold in 1747 to Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh and his wife, Sarah, who redecorated it and introduced most of the existing collection of household items displayed today.

It was passed down through the years, and after the Second World War, Admiral Herbert Meade-Fetherstonhaugh and his son, Richard, entered into negotiations with the National Trust.

The house was passed to the National Trust in 1954 and is open to the public today, except for private apartments leased from the Trust that are still used as a home.

Uppark was partly destroyed by a major fire in 1989, but was restored by the Trust.

A post shared by Uppark House and Garden (@upparknt)

Today, South Harting is part of the Harting parish, which comprises the village itself, as well as the hamlets of East Harting, West Harting and Nyewood.

Today, South Harting has two churches, a school and a pub, and the Hartings villages are overlooked by Harting Down, a 550-acre common owned by the National Trust and part of the Sussex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Things to do in South Harting

The village has a local pub and tea room, both of which are worth a visit.

But being nestled in the South Downs, somewhere like this is all about the views and walking trails.

Beacon Hill, also known as Harting Beacon, is a hillfort near the village and at 793ft, is one of the highest points on the South Downs.

As mentioned above, just to the south is Uppark, a National Trust site that can be visited.

In 2024, The Times picked out The Hartings as being among the UK’s best “secret villages” to live in.

It said the pretty villages have “views of the South Downs at every turn, a pub, shop and a good range of well-kept period cottages and farmhouses”.

It added that the Hartings have become “a magnet for families with £1.5 million to spend on a detached home with a garden big enough to grow veg and perhaps keep bees and a chicken or two”.

Rightmove notes that house prices in South Harting have an overall average of £530,938 over the last year.

It adds that the majority of properties sold in South Harting during the last year were detached properties, selling for an average price of £668,333.

Michelle Hendrie, director of the Sussex-based buying agency Property Acquisitions, told The Times that the part-time commutability from proximity to Petersfield is what draws people to the village.

She added: “There’s an unofficial waiting list for good-sized houses here; whenever one comes on the market, it’s always bought by a young family.”

South Harting in Sussex was the home of famous TV presenter

TV presenter and producer Cliff Michelmore was a resident in the village. 1991: The Late Show and Cliff Michelmore said goodnight and farewell to the BBC’s Lime Grove Studios. https://t.co/OjwV5ttRVP pic.twitter.com/wYeVqCT5Ib

— BBC Archive (@BBCArchive) June 13, 2023

He presented the BBC Television programme Tonight from 1957 to 1965.

He also hosted the BBC’s television coverage of major events such as the Apollo Moon landings, the Aberfan disaster, the 1966 and 1970 UK general elections, the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales.

He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1969.

Michelmore lived in South Harting later in life, having previously lived at the foot of Reigate Hill, Reigate, Surrey, not far from Reigate railway station.

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