Arundel or Petworth?

[Petran]

Looking to move to West Sussex and love both of these places! Any thoughts on what the differences are in terms of pros and cons. Crime? Rough areas, better areas, what the community is like, shops, restaurants, general buzz during the week compared to weekends. My kids are older so no need for schools etc, but wondering what the general age is too, younger vibe or older?
Any help from locals appreciated!!!

I like both too but would definitely choose Arundel as has much better transport links including a train station and close to the coast. Lewes is also another market town which has similar vibes but a much younger crowd (if that’s what you are looking for).

I grew up in Arundel, now in my 50s but still live nearby. There are good transport links, and always lots going on so good community vibe. Obviously it's pretty hilly, and busy in the summer with tourists. Travel.along the A27 can be a drag, a bypass has been on the horizon for over 40 years now.........
Other nearby towns offer a variety of experiences in terms of shopping (Chichester still has a good town centre) and eating out (lots of great restaurants in Worthing) and you are close to the sea and some lovely parts of the Downs.
It's a lovely place, I wish teenage me had appreciated how lucky I was growing up there.

Petworth does have a variety of festivals throughout the summer, it’s a pretty town and has a beautiful deer park. Surrounded by gorgeous countryside. The town is a leading antique centre so these are the vast major of shops in the town. Whilst this gives a quaint vibe it is also at the expense of having any ‘useful’ shops that would serve the community. Currently not great for pubs and restaurants. The demographic it is definitely older.

Arundel is a lovely town and a bit bigger. Again quite a lot of antique shops but there are a few other types of shops and a decent range of restaurants and pubs. Lots I. The way of festivals and events. It does get a lot of tourists visiting, the A27 is generally slow and the bypass has been cancelled for good. Again an older demographic.

I agree that you might want to look at Chichester too. A number of shops closed over the last few years, but more seem to be opening now, so there’s more variety than Arundel and Petworth.

On Chichester a few more shops are opening now and there are restaurants and bars but to live ‘within the walls’ is £££. The levels of development around the city has been of the scale which makes the A27 even worse. In the past I contemplated moving there but wouldn’t now.

Thanks so much, very useful and some insights I really hadn’t considered. What’s the crime like? Does it feel safe to wander around at night and is there many younger people around the pubs on a weekend? I do love the quaintness of Petworth but not sure if a lack of restaurants or places to go might be an issue. Are there nice walks from/in both? Do both get congested with people /traffic in the summer. We will be semi retired so can generally miss the busiest main road times.

Petworth has a restaurant, a few pubs and cafes. There are beautiful walks all around and lovely country pubs. It feels a bit more rural than Arundel and while it does get tourists (Petworth House is a draw) it doesn’t get packed with them. You do get a mix of you get and older people in the pubs. Any crime is generally petty, low level countryside type crime.

Arundel has more restaurants and pubs as it is a bigger town. The castle and cathedral are a big draw for tourists and can get very busy. Again nice walks nearby and along the river. A bit like Chichester the housing in the historic centre is £££. It is the most expensive housing in West Sussex. Demographic is a little more mixed. I can’t comment directly on the crime but suspect it is similar to Petworth and other small West Sussex towns.

Oh and perfectly safe to walk about either at night.

You need to think about when you cannot, or don't want to, drive. So Arundel would be the better option.

Petworth is lovely and close to Blackdown Hill where we got taken every year to pick blueberries!

Now have you considered Worthing ......... ( 🤔)

I used to live it Petworth and wouldn’t want to again. There was some elements of crime and dodgy youths around, my car was broken into, but more the fact that there was just one co op shop in the town which was expensive and limited in its stock.

Luckily I went to Chichester every day for work so could pop into supermarkets but it was a pain with a young family and the transport links for my DD as a young teen were awful leading to constant lifts which was a pain. Its quaint, the park is lovely and I still go there often for walks with my dogs but in terms of living there, I wouldn’t again. Not much going on! Arundel I would say is a better option.

I spent 20 years near Petworth, fabulous dog walks but light on restaurants and normal shops. If I were to move back to Sussex now, it would be Chichester. We spent a lot of time around there and it’s a fabulous city. Midhurst was lovely too.

I was going to suggest Midhurst - lovely pubs around there and plenty of shops and restaurants. Bus straight to Chichester.

Just wondering whether Arundel might be a bit floody? Particularly as the years go by. Flood zone would be a deal breaker for me.

Most of it is up a hill! Just use Area360 on your RM searches and eliminate any with a flood risk.

Fair enough, I would want to consider roads and other infrastructure as well as individual properties though. Just a thought for OP.