Editing Midhurst (section)

{{Short description|Market town in West Sussex, England}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name            = Midhurst
| country                  = England
| civil_parish             = Midhurst
| region                   = South East England
| static_image_name        = Midhurst from the South.JPG
| static_image_caption     = Midhurst from the south
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="WSCC2001">{{cite web|url=http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/communityandliving/census2001/pop_parish_summary.pdf |title=2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish |publisher=West Sussex County Council |access-date=9 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608075926/http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/communityandliving/census2001/pop_parish_summary.pdf |archive-date=8 June 2011 }}</ref>
| area_total_km2           = 3.33
| population               = 4,914
| population_ref           = (2011)<ref name="WSCC2001" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/midhurst-e05007617#sthash.lgLmLtLx.dpbs |title=Midhurst – UK Census Data 2011 |publisher=Ukcensusdata.com |access-date=15 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213755/http://www.ukcensusdata.com/midhurst-e05007617#sthash.lgLmLtLx.dpbs |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| population_density       = {{convert|1467|/km2|/sqmi|abbr=on}}
| os_grid_reference        = SU885214
| coordinates              = {{coord|50.985|-0.740|display=inline,title}}
| post_town                = MIDHURST
| postcode_area            = GU
| postcode_district        = GU29
| dial_code                = 01730
| constituency_westminster = [[Arundel and South Downs (UK Parliament constituency)|Arundel and South Downs]]
| london_distance          = {{convert|45|mi}} [[Boxing the compass|NE]]
| shire_district           = [[Chichester (district)|Chichester]]
| shire_county             = [[West Sussex]]
| website                  = http://www.midhurst-tc.gov.uk/
}}

'''Midhurst''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɪ|d|h|u|r|s|t}}) is a [[market town]] and [[civil parish]] in the [[Chichester District]] in [[West Sussex]], England. It lies on the [[River Rother (Western)|River Rother]], {{convert|20|mi|-1}} inland from the [[English Channel]] and {{convert|12|mi}} north of [[Chichester]].

The name Midhurst was first recorded in 1186 as ''Middeherst'', meaning "Middle wooded hill", or "(place) among the wooded hills". It derives from the Old English words ''midd'' (adjective) or ''mid'' (preposition), meaning "in the middle", plus ''hyrst'', "a wooded hill".<ref>Mills, A.D., [http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199609086.001.0001/acref-9780199609086-e-9330?rskey=YNn288&result=9436 ''Dictionary of British Place Names''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107011930/http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199609086.001.0001/acref-9780199609086-e-9330?rskey=YNn288&result=9436 |date=7 January 2016 }}.  Retrieved 3 June 2015.</ref>

The [[Norman conquest of England|Norman]] St. Ann's Castle dates from about 1120, although the foundations are all that can now be seen. The castle, the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Denis, together with South Pond, the former fish-pond for the castle, are the only three structures left from this early period. The parish church is the oldest building in Midhurst.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/media/1736/midhurst_eus_report_and_maps.pdf. |title=Midhurst. Historic Character Assessment Report|last=Harris|first=Roland B|date=2010|publisher=East Sussex County Council, West Sussex County Council, and Brighton and Hove City Council|page=22|access-date=7 June 2015}}</ref> Just across the [[River Rother, West Sussex|River Rother]], in the parish of [[Easebourne]], is the ruin of the [[Tudor era|Tudor]] [[Cowdray House]].