Westhampnett
The village that shares its history with the Goodwood Aerodrome and Motor Circuit
Westhampnett is a small village on the eastern edge of the Goodwood estate, closely connected to the motor circuit and the aerodrome that occupy the former RAF Westhampnett site. The village gives its name to the wartime airfield and, by extension, to one of the most famous motor racing circuits in the world. Despite this association, Westhampnett itself is a quiet, unassuming settlement that goes about its business with little reference to the sporting activities on its doorstep.
The village sits along the A285, the road that connects Chichester to Petworth and provides the main approach to the Goodwood estate from the south. The church of St Peter, a flint building of medieval origin, is the village's most significant historic structure. The church serves a small parish and provides a point of community focus in a settlement that has few other public buildings. The churchyard contains war graves from the airfield era, a reminder of the sacrifices made by the pilots who flew from Westhampnett during the Battle of Britain.
The village's relationship with the Goodwood estate is long-standing but not always straightforward. The noise from the motor circuit, which sits immediately to the north, is audible in the village during track days and events, and the traffic generated by major events passes through or near the village on its way to the estate. The economic benefits of proximity to Goodwood, including employment opportunities and visitor spending, are balanced against these impacts, and the village's residents have a pragmatic rather than romantic view of their famous neighbour.
Westhampnett has limited facilities. There is no shop, no pub and no school, and residents rely on Chichester, approximately one mile to the south-west, for everyday services. The village's housing is a mix of older cottages, farmhouses and more modern development, and the character is suburban-rural, reflecting its position on the edge of both the estate and the city.
The village is within the area of Chichester District Council and falls within the South Downs National Park boundary in its northern parts. Planning policy in the area balances the protection of the downland landscape with the demands of a growing population in the Chichester area, and Westhampnett has seen some new housing development in recent years.
For visitors to Goodwood, Westhampnett is likely to be encountered as a place driven through rather than visited for its own sake. The village's significance lies in its historical association with the airfield and the circuit rather than in any particular attraction or facility. Its quiet character, in such close proximity to one of the busiest sporting estates in England, is in itself a point of interest, and the contrast between the roar of racing engines and the silence of the churchyard captures something essential about the relationship between Goodwood and the communities that surround it.
The presence of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars manufacturing facility at Westhampnett adds a modern industrial dimension to the village's identity. The factory, designed by Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, is where every Rolls-Royce car in the world is hand-built. The facility provides significant local employment and connects Westhampnett to the global automotive industry. The juxtaposition of the world's most prestigious car manufacturer with a quiet Sussex village church and a wartime airfield gives Westhampnett a layered identity that is more complex than its modest appearance suggests.