Graffham is a village and civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

 in West Sussex

West Sussex

West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, situated on the northern escarpment

Escarpment

An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...

 of the South Downs

South Downs

The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...

. It is made up of the village of Graffham and the hamlet

Hamlet (place)

A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

 of Selham

Selham

Selham is a small village in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It lies south of the A272 road 3 miles east of Midhurst....

. It forms part of the Bury Ward for the purposes of electing a Councillor

Councillor

A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...

 to Chichester District Council

Chichester (district)

Chichester is a largely rural local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in the city of Chichester.-History:The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the municipal borough of Chichester and the Rural Districts of...

.

In the 1861 census the parish covered 6.71 km² (1,658 acres) and had a population of 410. Selham was still a separate parish covering 4.22 km² (1,042 acres) with a population of 123.

In the 2001 census the parish covered 11.81 km² (2,917 acres) and had 229 households with a total population of 510 of whom 229 residents were economically active.

The village of Graffham contains two pub

Public house

A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...

s The Forester's Arms and The White Horse, a recreation ground, the Anglican parish church of St Giles, which was largely rebuilt between 1874 and 1887, and a primary school. Seaford College

Seaford College

Seaford College is an independent co-educational boarding and day-school located at East Lavington, south of Petworth, West Sussex, England. The College was founded in 1884, and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The college sits in the Lavington Park, in nearly in an...

, an independent school, is close by.

Notable residents include David Young, Baron Young of Graffham

David Young, Baron Young of Graffham

David Ivor Young, Baron Young of Graffham, PC DL is a British Conservative politician and businessman.-Early life:Young is the elder son of a businessman who imported flour and later set up as a manufacturer of coats for children...

 and Timothy Bell, Baron Bell

Timothy Bell, Baron Bell

Timothy John Leigh Bell, Baron Bell is a British advertising and public relations executive, best known for his advisory role in Margaret Thatcher's three successful general election campaigns.-Early career:...

.

Selham contains The Three Moles, one of the smallest pub

Public house

A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...

s in Sussex

Sussex

Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...

 along with the church of St James which is largely 11th century, never having undergone any major rebuilding.

The parish also contains the remains of Lodsworth Castle, a large 13th century motte

Motte-and-bailey

A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...

 near Selham at Lodsbridge beside the River Rother

River Rother (Western)

The River Rother is a river which flows for thirty miles from Empshott in Hampshire to Stopham in West Sussex, where it joins the River Arun. It should not be confused with the River Rother, in East Sussex....

.