Originally Posted by
hoob
I have an upcoming trip to Crawley and will have a Saturday to myself at the end of the work week. I will have a rental car and prefer scenic sight-seeing country drives, etc, but am up to pretty much anything. What would be a recommended non-urban Must-See for the area (within 150km) if I only have a day?
Whatever you do, don't stay in Crawley. My family made the strange decision to move there from Edinburgh (luckily for me just as I was about to go to university). Crawley really has almost no redeeming features.
When I go home to visit, I tend to escape for day-trips - often London, but at other times I'll head down to Brighton for some lunch, interesting shopping or to watch Sussex play cricket.
Not sure what your definition of urban is, but I also like to visit Lewes which has some very interesting history. Other options (in a slightly different direction) would be Arundel or perhaps Chichester.
More rural thoughts? Beachy Head, walking the South Downs. I also like driving the back roads. Get off the A23 and there are some great little rural roads that have tree canopies over them in the summer. Get a convertible, put the top down and turn up the music. Oh, and hope it doesn't rain.