West Grinstead is a village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 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 the Horsham

Horsham (district)

Horsham is a local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in Horsham. The district borders those of Crawley, Mid Sussex, Mole Valley, Chichester, Arun and Adur....

 District of 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...

. It lies just off the B2135 road four miles (6.3 km) northwest from Henfield

Henfield

Henfield is a large village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies south of London, northwest of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester at the road junction of the A281 and A2037. The parish has a land area of . In the 2001 census 5,012...

.It is within the ancient division of the Rape of Bramber

Rape of Bramber

The Rape of Bramber is one of the rapes, the traditional sub-divisions unique to the historic county of Sussex in England. Bramber is a former barony, originally based around the castle of Bramber and its village, overlooking the river Adur.-History:...

The western River Adur

River Adur

The Adur is a river in Sussex, England; it gives its name to the Adur district of West Sussex. The river was formerly navigable for large vessels up as far as Steyning, where there was a large port, but over time the river valley became silted up and the port moved down to the deeper waters nearer...

 flows through the village.

The parish of West Grinstead covers an area of 2584 hectares (6382 acres)and consists of the villages of West Grinstead, Littleworth, Partridge Green

Partridge Green

Partridge Green is a village in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies on the B2135 road 2.4 miles northwest of Henfield....

 and Dial Post. In the 2001 census 2934 people lived in 1099 households, of whom 1547 were economically active.

The village should not be confused with the much larger town of East Grinstead

East Grinstead

East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...

 which lies 17.5 miles (28 km) to the north-east.

Churches

The Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation dates from 1876 and is the Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 parish church. It is an important centre of Catholic pilgrimage in England.

Hilaire Belloc

Hilaire Belloc

Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc was an Anglo-French writer and historian who became a naturalised British subject in 1902. He was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. He was known as a writer, orator, poet, satirist, man of letters and political activist...

 (1870–1953), writer and poet (and friend of fellow catholic G K Chesterton) is buried in its grounds..

St George's Church was first built circa 1100 AD and is the Anglican place of worship, and the Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

 parish church

History

Knepp Castle

Knepp Castle

The medieval Knepp Castle is to the west of the village of West Grinstead, West Sussex, England near the River Adur and the A24 . The name is though to come from the Old English word "cnæp", referring to the mound on which it stands....

 is located to the west of the village near the A24. It was a motte and bailey castle and first built in the 12th century by William de Braose

William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber

William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber was a 12th-century Marcher lord who secured a foundation for the dominant position later held by the Braose family in the Welsh Marches. In addition to the family's English holdings in Sussex and Devon, William had inherited Radnor and Builth, in Wales, from...

. In 1214 the castle was refortified with the addition of a stone keep on top of the motte. Some remains of the keep still stand.

The modern Knepp Castle nearby is a castellated mansion by John Nash

John Nash (architect)

John Nash was a British architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency London.-Biography:Born in Lambeth, London, the son of a Welsh millwright, Nash trained with the architect Sir Robert Taylor. He established his own practice in 1777, but his career was initially unsuccessful and...

.

Leisure

The Downs Link

Downs Link

The Downs Link is a 36.7-mile footpath and bridleway linking the North Downs Way at St. Martha's Hill in Surrey with the South Downs Way near Steyning in West Sussex and on via the Coastal Link to Shoreham-by-Sea.- History :...

long distance path runs through the parish and can be used for walking or cycling.