Amberley is a lovely village which has retained its peaceful character and is situated four miles north of Arundel, close to the South Downs. It is an artist’s paradise. The cottages are of varied colours and materials. In early summer, the village is adorned by flower draped garden walls. The old cottages appear to have grown from the edge of the road. Some are stone and brick, whilst others are timber-framed, with thatch or tiled roofs.
Walkers on the prehistoric South Downs Way, are welcomed at the Black Horse pub, which has a small museum of Downland relics. St. Michael’s Church, dates from shortly after the Norman Conquest. It was the work of Bishop Luffa, who also built Chichester Cathedral. Amberley Castle is behind the church. Again, it was partly the work of Bishop Luffa and other medieval Bishops of Chichester, who used it as a summer residence. It was dismantled by Parliamentarians during the Civil War. One end of the ruin is the present Manor House.
The south face of the castle looks out over the River Arun and the Amberley Wildbrooks, an area which frequently floods across this flat plain.
At Amberley Station, is the Amberley Working Museum, a 36 acre open air museum of the industrial heritage of South-East England. The chalk pits closed in 1968 and since then, a wide range of exhibits have been added to create a fascinating insight into working processes and conditions. The exhibits include, transport, the village garage and industry-based collections, for example, printing, radio technology and electricity transmission. It is also home to a number of craftspeople, demonstrating their skills.
