Midhurst is a market community, church [3] and also civil church in West Sussex, England. It pushes the River Rother 20 miles (32 kilometres) inland from the English Channel, and 12 miles (19 kilometres) north of the county town of Chichester. The name Midhurst was first recorded in 1186 as Middeherst, indicating "Middle wooded hill", or "(location) amongst the woody hillsides". It stems from the Old English words midd (adjective) or mid (preposition), indicating "in the middle", plus hyrst, "a wooded hillside". The Norman St. Ann's Castle dates from concerning 1120, although the structures are all that can currently be seen. The castle, the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene and also St. Denis, along with South Pond, the previous fish-pond for the castle, are the only 3 structures left from this early period. The parish church is the oldest building in Midhurst. Just throughout the River Rother, in the church of Easebourne, is the mess up of the Tudor Cowdray House.