nt of Rackham Hill to
the right and in about two miles reaches Parham Park, the seat of Lord
Zouche. A short distance further east is Storrington, which we have
seen on our way to Worthing. Delightful walks may be taken across the
park, which is freely open to the pedestrian. This stretch of sandy and
picturesque wild land is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful domains
in the south. Its fir-trees are characteristic of the sandstone
formation which here succeeds the chalk. Visitors should make their way
to the lake where the scene, with the Downs as a background, is one of
extreme beauty. The Heronry here is famous; the birds were originally
brought from Wales to Penshurst, from which locality they migrated to
Angmering and then to Parham.

Lady Dorothy Nevill, in her interesting "Leaves," refers to Parham as a
favourite resort of smugglers. A former Lady de la Zouche, while a
little girl, was made to open a gate for the passage of a long
procession of pack-horses laden with kegs.

Parham House is a fine Elizabethan manor, although partly spoilt by
some modern additions; built by Sir Thomas Palmer about 1520 it passed
to the present family in 1597. The house is famous for the magnificent
collection of works of art, early printed books and ancient illuminated
MS.; permission to inspect these may be obtained by written application
when the family are not in residence and for purposes of research this
important collection is always available. Some time since the most
valuable items were removed to the British Museum for safety. The house
contains a priest's hole, the entrance to which is from a window seat
in the long gallery; one of the Babington conspirators--Charles
Paget--was hidden here. South of the house is Parham Church, possessing
one of the three leaden fonts of Sussex.

[Illustration: AMBERLEY CASTLE.]

It is now proposed to visit Pulborough and the valley of the Rother.
Though rather far afield from Seaward Sussex and the chalk lands, this
district comes naturally within the Down country, but must have a
chapter to itself. From Parham we may either go direct to Pulborough by
the highroad or, more profitably, by Greatham to Coldwaltham on the
Roman Stane Street, the great highway from Chichester to London; here
we turn north east and in a mile (just past the railway) note the
scanty ruins of Hardham Priory on the right; another mile and, crossing
the old Arun bridge, we are in Pulborough.

[Illustration: