I

f this place doesn’t get your creative juices flowing, nowhere will.

The West Dean Estate is surrounded by 6,350 acres of rolling countryside near Chichester, and was once the home of Edward James – a poet and passionate patron of surrealist artists including Dali and Magritte.

Aside from just being lovely to look at, the 19th-century mansion is home to West Dean College – a centre for the study of traditional and contemporary arts, where you could enroll on one of 700 short courses in arts, crafts, writing, gardening and music.

Whether you’re looking to paint, write, sculpt, conserve books – or er, make clocks – we’re pretty sure that you won’t be struggling for inspiration. And if you do need a moment to pause and reflect, you could always step outside for a stroll around the award-winning gardens surrounding.

Even if you’re not quite ready to enroll just yet, why not just come down for the day. The estate is criss-crossed with pretty walks.