South Harting, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 South Harting is a village within Harting civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It lies on the B2146 road, 4 miles (6.4 km) south-east of Petersfield in Hampshire.

South Harting has two churches, one Anglican and one Congregational, plus a school and a pub.

The National Trust property Uppark sits high on the South Downs, 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the village on the B2146.

History South Harting, along with the hamlets of West Harting and East Harting, was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as the large Manor of Harting (Hertinges). Apart from three generations of the Earls Montgomery the manor was in the possession of the Crown until 1610, when it was granted to the Caryll family. In 1746 the manor was purchased by the Featherstonhaugh (FAN-shaw) family, in whose possession it remains.

In 1861 the parish covered 7,832 acres (3,169 ha) and had a population of 1,247.

Churches The Anglican parish church of St Mary and St Gabriel is at the south-western end of the village street, in an elevated position. It has a coppered spire on the tower and a peal of six bells. Major restoration work was carried out in the 1850s, and In 2010 further improvements were made including the building of an attached room for the Sunday school.

In the churchyard is the tall South Harting War Memorial Cross, (1920), a World War I memorial by Eric Gill with the bas relief of St Patrick attributed to Gill being by Hilary Stratton.

South Harting has a Congregational Church.

Education Harting Church of England Primary School takes children from four to eleven years old. Alongside the school is the village hall from which a pre-school group operates.

Public houses Harting now has just one pub, The White Hart, a Grade II listed building that includes six bedrooms (and bathrooms). Only forty years ago the village had three pubs. The White Hart is owned and operated by Upham Breweries, a local Hampshire company.

Sport A game at Harting Cricket Club in 2010

In the 1920s Harting Hill (now the B2141 road) was the venue for one of the most important motor hill climbs in the country, with Frazer Nash, Aston Martin and Raymond Mays (Bugatti) participating. The event was founded by Earl Russell in 1905.

Harting Cricket Club serves all the Hartings. Harting have a football Club playing in the West Sussex Football League.

Events

Every Whit Monday Harting celebrates the Festivities. Since 1880, the Harting Old Club has had its annual meeting on Whit Monday and the village Festivities started in 1961, replacing a traditional funfair which used to take centre stage in the street. All money raised at the Festivities goes to local groups and charity.