Lavant

Lavant is a collection of three smaller villages (Mid Lavant, West Lavant and East Lavant) located just north of Chichester and a great place for a walking or cycling holiday.

Lavant is named after what is referred to as the Lavant “river” but is actually a winterbourne, that is, a river that dries up during the summer months. (The word Lavant itself is from the Latin ‘labor’, which means ‘intermittent’). West Lavant is so small it is almost a hamlet, with a few houses and a school to its name. East Lavant is a more interesting proposition. A large hill known as The Trundle leads from East Lavant via Chalk Pit Hill up to an Iron Age hill fort, and the fantastic views of the south coast make it worth the almost 3km climb. When you eventually climb back down you’ll be pleased to know there are a couple of lovely countryside pub restaurants in Lavant. The Royal Oak in East Lavant offers a menu of local food that has not travelled far from field to fork (according to its culinary philosophy) while The Earl of March has been serving food and drink on the same site (under different names) since the 18th century.