The village is pre-Norman and is home to many listed buildings, including the Saxon church of St Peter, where three bishops of Chichester are buried.

[6] The present village is a scattering of houses around an Anglican parish church of Saxon origin, dedicated to St Peter.

[6] Two public houses existed in the parish: The Swan in the southwest, and the Coach and Horses at Maudlin on Stane Street; both closed in the 20th century, the former having been redeveloped.

[11] The civil parish includes the hamlets of Maudlin (on the Roman road Stane Street, now the A285) and Waterbeach to the northeast, and Westerton and Woodcote to the north.

[1] The parish church of St Peter, a Grade II* listed building,[13] was a Saxon construction dating from before the Norman Conquest, and incorporates Roman bricks in the structure.

[6] The churchyard contains an unusually large number of elaborate headstones, including plain and Celtic crosses, indicating a wealthy congregation in past centuries.

[14] The airfield began as a World War II fighter base, opened in 1940 during the Battle of Britain when it was home to two Spitfire squadrons.

Towards Chichester is the former Westhampnett Mill, a watermill on the River Lavant, and a Grade-II listed building; it is constructed with red brick and is dated 1772.