Midhurst () is a market town and civil parish in the Chichester District in West Sussex, England. It lies on the River Rother, inland from the English Channel and north of Chichester.
The name Midhurst was first recorded in 1186 as Middeherst, meaning "Middle wooded hill", or "(place) among the wooded hills". It derives from the Old English words midd (adjective) or mid (preposition), meaning "in the middle", plus hyrst, "a wooded hill".Mills, A.D., Dictionary of British Place Names . Retrieved 3 June 2015.
The Norman St. Ann's Castle dates from about 1120, although the foundations are all that can now be seen. The castle, the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Denis, together with South Pond, the former fish-pond for the castle, are the only three structures left from this early period. The parish church is the oldest building in Midhurst. Just across the River Rother, in the parish of Easebourne, is the ruin of the Tudor Cowdray House.
Governance
National The former parliamentary constituency of Midhurst is now an electoral ward of the parliamentary constituency of Arundel and South Downs, and was previously part of the Parliamentary Constituency of Chichester represented in the House of Commons from 2017 to 2024 by Conservative MP Gillian Keegan. Since the 2024 general election it has been represented by Conservative MP Andrew Griffith.
Local Midhurst is part of the Chichester District of West Sussex County, governed by the Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council respectively. Midhurst is represented by two councillors on the Chichester District Council, both of them Liberal Democrats, Jess Brown-Fuller and Hannah Burton.
Parish
The Midhurst Town Council meets monthly and comprises 15 directly elected members. The May 2015 election was uncontested as there were 13 nominations for the 15 seats, and therefore 2 vacancies. Four of these were women (31%). Various changes have occurred since the election. The council is led by a chairperson nominated by the councillors from among themselves. The council is supported by a staff of two: the Town Clerk (and Responsible Finance Officer) and an Assistant Town Clerk. There are three Council Committees: Finance, Asset and Policy (meets monthly), Community and Environment (meets monthly) and Planning and Infrastructure, which has an advisory function only to the principal planning authorities (Chichester District Council and the South Downs National Park Authority) (meets fortnightly). The times and dates of meetings, the minutes of meetings and other information is available on the Town Council website.
The Midhurst Town Council organises a community street party every December on the first Friday of December, a Summer Street Party on the last Saturday of August, various events for families throughout the year and regular 'Big Cleans'. The council is responsible for the town recreation ground and the town cemetery, and provides grants to various local clubs and organisations.
In 2014 the Town Council moved from its former offices in Capron House on North Street to the Old Library building on Knockhundred Row. The building is leased from the West Sussex County Council, with a view to its eventual purchase by the Town Council.
Economy Midhurst is a market town servicing its rural hinterland through many small businesses, shops, restaurants and cafes. Its primary economic activities, in terms of employment, are wholesale and retail businesses including motor mechanics, construction, hotels, food and drink and office administration. In 2011 it had a population of 4,914, comprising 2,434 households (average size 2 people) and 3,477 economically active residents. Of the 1,027 economically inactive residents, 673 (65.5 per cent) were retirees.
Between 1913 and 1985, the Midhurst Brickworks, famous for producing "Midhurst White" bricks, was situated close to the former Midhurst Common railway station.
There is an area of light industry in the south of Midhurst, between the Holmbush Estate and Little Midhurst.
Culture and community Culture The Midhurst Music, Arts and Drama Festival (MADhurst) is an annual community event that brings together the creative, artistic & musical talent of Midhurst. It takes place at multiple venues in and around Midhurst for ten days every summer, culminating on August Bank Holiday in a Carnival Parade (organised by the Town Council) and Grand Finale celebration with stalls, a music festival, clowns, food and more at the Midhurst Sports Ground. The programme for each festival varies from year to year, but typically includes evening and lunchtime concerts (classical, swing, folk and jazz), an art trail, an artisan fair, a 'family fun day' for young children, theatre and dance performances, a local Gardeners Question Time, a short story competition and numerous workshops on creative skills, plus a range fringe events such as exhibitions, beer festivals, quiz nights, treasure trails and others. The event brings together the whole community to manage the box office, arrange workshops, help with PR and social media, provide security and everything needed for a smooth-running festival.
The Midhurst Medieval Festival takes place annually in the Old Town, in early May, featuring re-enactments, falconry, spinning and weaving demonstrations, have-a-go archery, medieval music, stalls and medieval food.
The architectural heritage of Tudor, Georgian and Victorian buildings in Midhurst is considerable, with 106 listed structures. The Midhurst Society was founded in 1969 to help conserve this heritage. The Society aims to preserve, protect and improve local features of historic or public interest. It promotes high standards of planning and architecture and seeks to enhance the local environment and amenities, in liaison with public authorities. A biannual magazine "Midhurst Magazine" is published to encourage interest in the local past, present and future.
The Knockhundred Shuttles a Midhurst-based mixed Morris Dancing club, meets regularly to practise, and appears in numerous country festivals. The Midhurst Players present 3–4 amateur dramatic productions each year, the Midhurst Art Society and the Midhurst Camera Club each hold summer exhibitions each year, and the Midhurst Choral Society gives periodic recitals.
Film: In 2010 Midhurst featured as a set for the television series Foyle's War. In 2014 the Midhurst Together Group facilitated the community production of the "Midhurst Happy Video", based on the original song by Pharrell Williams.
Social Media: The town has an internet presence with a Town Council website, a "VisitMidhurst" website focused on the information needs of tourists, a community Facebook page, Twitter feed and Pinterest page. About ten community organisations are also active on social media, and many of them have websites."Bringing Midhurst Together: a list of Clubs, Societies and Groups that meet in Midhurst" (2015). Produced by the Midhurst Together Group
Community facilities
The South Downs National Park, established in 2011, stretches for between Winchester in the West to Eastbourne and Beachy Head in the East. It encompasses the whole of the South Downs, together with a significant area of the western Weald to the north of the Downs, as far north as Alice Holt near Farnham. The Park's landscapes cover . The headquarters of the National Park Authority, the South Downs Centre in Capron House, Midhurst is a community hub, an exhibition about the National Park and a green conference centre. It also includes the Midhurst Tourist Information Centre.
The Midhurst Town Trust is a charity responsible for maintaining some of Midhurst's community facilities. The Charity Commissioners Scheme for The Midhurst Town Trust was sealed on 4 February 1910, and has governed the activities of the Trust ever since, with one amendment. Certain properties were vested in the Trust to protect, administer and care for. In addition to the Old Town Hall and the Market Square, the commissioners schedule of property included the Stocks, The Pound, The Curfew Garden, the Royal Arms, Town Mace and Constables Staves. The Trustees meet twice a year. There are currently six trustees: one representative of the Lord of the Manor (Lord Cowdray); Three representatives of Midhurst Town Council; and two co-opted trustees who reside in Midhurst.
The Grange Leisure Centre was opened on 3 March 2014, replacing a nearby earlier building dating from the 1960s. It is owned by Chichester District Council and operated by Westgate Leisure. The centre provides a number of services under one roof. It is a meeting-place for a range of clubs, including bridge, badminton, gymnastics, toddlers, line-dancing, yoga and many others. It includes: a multi-purpose four-court sports hall; a fitness room with state of the art Technogym equipment; two squash courts and a squash viewing area; a dance studio with mirrors that is also used for fitness and community activities; a health suite, including a sauna, steam room and a spa pool; a multi-purpose community hall and community rooms; and a bar and café with Wi-Fi access. The facility overlooks South Pond, with an outdoor seating area.
Community health facilities are provided at the Midhurst Community Hospital in Dodsley Lane.
Library: The local branch of the West Sussex County Library is housed in The Grange Leisure Centre.
Register Office: The Midhurst Branch of the West Sussex Register office is housed in The Grange Leisure Centre, and is open part-time for the registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths.
Clubs and Societies: There are over fifty clubs and societies in Midhurst, covering all aspects of community life.Bringing Midhurst Together: a list of Clubs, Societies and Groups that meet in Midhurst (2015). The Midhurst Together Group. They include groups active in the arts and in crafting activities, in environmental and heritage activities, in social support and welfare activities and in sport and leisure.
Charities: There are over 70 local charities covering Midhurst and the surrounding settlements.
History Midhurst developed as a Saxon village at a strategic crossroads of what are now the A272 (east-west) and A286 (north-south) routes. There may have been a village there since Roman times. After the Norman Conquest Robert de Montgomery ordered the building of a motte-and-bailey castle on what is now called St Ann's Hill, a strategic bluff on a curve of the River Rother, overlooking the cross-roads and a long stretch of Rother Valley to the north, east and the west, protecting the River Rother crossing. St Ann's Hill may also have been the site of an Iron Age fort
Although there has been a settlement in Midhurst since at least the early Norman period, and probably from Saxon times, the buildings in the Old Town, centred on the Market Square, are principally Tudor in origin. Almost every house in this part of the town dates back to the 16th Century, and parts of a few buildings, such as the old coaching inn that is now the Spread Eagle Hotel, date to the 15th century. Even the apparently more modern North Street is lined with Tudor buildings behind classical and Georgian façades that were added during the 17th and 18th centuries, a time of prosperity for the town.Tudor Midhurst. A Midhurst Society Publication (brochure). 2nd Edition 2009 There are also several actual 18th-century buildings scattered throughout the town, and distinctive Victorian and Edwardian developments of terraced housing along the main routes out of Midhurst. During the mid and late 20th Century there was significant housing development to the south of the town, in the Little Midhurst, Holmbush and Fairway areas, which continued into the 21st century.
Manorial (pre-modern) period