Today is Sussex Day | Latest news

Sussex Day on 16 June has become a popular way for residents to celebrate its rich heritage and everything that is good about the county.

The date was chosen because it is St Richard's Day, which marks the life of St Richard, Bishop of Chichester from 1245 until his death in 1253.

If you do plan an event, don't forget to add it to our events database.

Below are just a few of the reasons we celebrate Sussex.

Literature

Many famous people have been inspired by Sussex:

• Jane Austen, novelist
• J M Barrie, playwright and author 
• Hilaire Belloc, writer and historian
• William Blake, poet, artist, engraver and mystic
• Eric Coates, composer 
• William Cobbett, journalist and political writer 
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, novelist 
• John Constable, painter 
• Eleanor Farjeon, poet and short story writer 
• James Joyce, novelist
• John Keats, poet 
• Alfred Lord Tennyson, author and poet.

Countryside and local attractions

Sussex has some of the most beautiful countryside in England, with 80% of the county being rural and over 50% designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

An extensive network of public rights of way allows access throughout the county. This ranges from the sandstone hills of the High Weald, across the patchwork of pasture and woodland that makes up the Weald, and over the rolling Sussex Downs to the coastal plain, with its wooded harbours and open beaches.

In West Sussex, the beauty of the South Downs and historic places such as Arundel Castle and Petworth House attract millions of visitors each year.

Sussex also boasts a wealth of wildlife. For example, there are 45 regular breeder butterfly species here. The most famous is the Chalk Hill Blue, which lives in chalk grassland on the South Downs.

Food

There's been a rapid growth in farm shops, farmers' markets, community co-operatives and food box schemes throughout Sussex over the last few years. Freshly-grown, local produce contains fewer chemicals, is friendlier to the environment and helps to maintain the landscape character of the county. It also requires less packaging and transportation, resulting in less waste and damage to our climate.

Ref: West Sussex County Council Website - Sussex Day - West Sussex County Council