West Sussex

West Sussex is a ceremonial county located in South East England.

It sits beside the English Channel to the south. The county is bordered by Surrey to the north and East Sussex to the east. To the west, it meets the county of Hampshire. This area makes up 1.52% of the total land in England. It is the 30th largest county in the country. The county is managed as a non-metropolitan area. It contains seven distinct districts for local government purposes.

The physical landscape is defined by the South Downs. These hills are a chalk escarpment that crosses the county from east to west. This ridge divides the land into northern and southern sections. To the north, the chalk falls away sharply into a region called the Weald. To the south, the hills slope more gently toward the sea. This creates a narrow strip of flat land between the hills and the coast. In the west, this coastal strip widens. It is punctuated by Chichester Harbour, which is a ria, or a drowned river valley.

Geology has shaped the terrain over millions of years. The area formed from Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous rock strata. This is part of a larger structure called the Weald–Artois Anticline. In West Sussex, the rock becomes older as you move north. You can find Lower Greensand ridges along the border with Surrey. The highest point in the county is Blackdown. Erosion of soft sand and clay has hollowed out the Weald basin. This process left the north-facing scarp slope of the chalk that we see today. The landscape is also drained by the River Arun and the River Adur.

Human history in West Sussex reaches back to the Lower Paleolithic era. The oldest hominin remains known in Britain were discovered at Eartham Pit in Boxgrove. During the Roman period, the Romans conquered the indigenous Britons known as the Atrebates. They incorporated the region into a Roman province. Romans built the Fishbourne Roman Palace and various rural villas like Bignor Roman Villa. They also created a network of roads, including Stane Street. The Romans used the Weald for large-scale industrial iron production. Later, the Saxons settled the area. They established the Kingdom of Sussex in AD 477.

The Kingdom of Sussex was eventually annexed by Wessex. It became an earldom and then the county of Sussex. Historically, the county was divided into six units called rapes. By the 16th century, the three western rapes were grouped together informally. In 1888, the area was divided into the administrative counties of East and West Sussex. West Sussex became a single ceremonial county in 1974. This change followed the Local Government Act 1972. During this time, part of the eastern rape of Lewes was transferred to West Sussex. This included the Mid Sussex district.

Many people live in the various settlements across the county. Crawley is the largest settlement, with an estimated population of 106,600. The coastal town of Worthing is also large, with 104,600 people. Chichester is the county town and holds city status. It is located near the Hampshire border and features a cathedral. Other notable towns include Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, and Horsham. Much of the coastal population belongs to the Brighton, Worthing, and Littlehampton conurbation. The county is also home to Gatwick Airport. It is the second-busiest airport in the United Kingdom by total passenger traffic. In 2011, it handled over 33 million passengers.

The climate in West Sussex is quite distinct. It is the sunniest county in the United Kingdom. Over 29 years ending in 2011, it averaged 1,902 hours of sunshine per year. Bognor Regis often sees the highest totals near the coast. In 1990, it recorded 2,237 hours of sunshine. The mean annual temperature for southern coastal counties is about 11 °C. July is usually the warmest month, while January is the coldest. The county can face challenges like localized flooding or water shortages. Winter rain is vital to recharge the chalk aquifers. These aquifers provide much of the local water supply.