Horsham is a
market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
on the upper reaches of the
River Arun
The River Arun () is a river in the English county of West Sussex. At long, it is the longest river entirely in Sussex and one of the longest starting in Sussex after the River Medway, River Wey and River Mole. From the series of small stream ...
on the fringe of
the Weald
The Weald () is an area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent. It has three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the ...
in
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...
, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
and north-east of the
county town
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
of
Chichester
Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ci ...
. Nearby towns include
Crawley
Crawley () is a large town and borough in West Sussex, England. It is south of London, north of Brighton and Hove, and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Crawley covers an area of and had a population of 106,597 at the time of th ...
to the north-east and
Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath is a town in West Sussex, England, south of London, north of Brighton, south of Gatwick Airport and northeast of the county town, Chichester. Nearby towns include Burgess Hill to the southwest, Horsham to the northwest, Crawl ...
and
Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill is a town and civil parish in West Sussex, England, close to the border with East Sussex, on the edge of the South Downs National Park, south of London, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town, Chichester. It ...
to the south-east. It is the administrative centre of the
Horsham
Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...
district.
History
Governance
Horsham is the largest town in the
Horsham District Council area. The second, higher, tier of local government is
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...
County Council, based in
Chichester
Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ci ...
. It lies within the ancient Norman administrative division of the
Rape of Bramber
The Rape of Bramber (also known as Bramber Rape) is one of the rapes, the traditional sub-divisions unique to the historic county of Sussex in England. It is the smallest Sussex rape by area. Bramber is a former barony whose original seat was th ...
and the
Hundred
100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101.
In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to de ...
of Singlecross in Sussex.
The town is the centre of the
parliamentary constituency of Horsham, recreated in 1983.
Jeremy Quin
Jeremy Mark Quin (born 24 September 1968) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Horsham (UK Parliament constituency), Horsham since the 2015 United Kingdom general elec ...
has served as Conservative Member of Parliament for Horsham since 2015, succeeding
Francis Maude
Francis Anthony Aylmer Maude, Baron Maude of Horsham, (born 4 July 1953) is a British Conservative Party politician and life peer who served as Minister of State for Trade and Investment from 2015 to 2016, having previously served as Minister ...
, who held the seat from 1997 but retired at the 2015 general election.
Geography
Weather
Horsham holds the UK record for the heaviest
hailstone
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone. Ice pellets generally fal ...
ever to fall. On 5 September 1958, a hailstone weighing 140g (4.9 oz) landed in the town. It was similar in size to a
tennis ball
A tennis ball is a ball designed for the sport of tennis. Tennis balls are fluorescent yellow in organised competitions, but in recreational play can be virtually any color. Tennis balls are covered in a fibrous felt which modifies their aerodyna ...
and impact speeds have been calculated to be 100 m/s (224 mph).
Topography
Horsham is above sea level. It is in the centre of
the Weald
The Weald () is an area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent. It has three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the ...
in the Low Weald, at the western edge of the
High Weald
High may refer to:
Science and technology
* Height
* High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area
* High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory
* High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift t ...
, with the
Surrey Hills of the
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. Much of the North Downs comprises two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs): the Surrey Hills and ...
to the north and the Sussex Downs of the
South Downs National Park
The South Downs National Park is England's newest national park, designated on 31 March 2010. The park, covering an area of in southern England, stretches for from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in the east through the counties of Hamp ...
to the south. The
River Arun
The River Arun () is a river in the English county of West Sussex. At long, it is the longest river entirely in Sussex and one of the longest starting in Sussex after the River Medway, River Wey and River Mole. From the series of small stream ...
rising from
ghylls in the
St Leonard's Forest
St Leonard's Forest is at the western end of the Wealden Forest Ridge which runs from Horsham to Tonbridge, and is part of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It lies on the ridge to the south of the A264 between Horsham and Crawle ...
area, to the east of Horsham, cuts through the south of the town then makes its way through
Broadbridge Heath
Broadbridge Heath is a village and civil parish in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England. It is about two miles (3 km) west from the historic centre of Horsham. The population of Broadbridge Heath has increased considerably in the fir ...
. The Arun is joined by a number of streams flowing down from the north, which rises around
Rusper
Rusper is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies north of the town of Horsham and west of Crawley. Rusper is the centre of Rusper Parish which covers most of the northern area between Horsham and Cr ...
.
Town centre
Horsham has grown up around the Carfax (an open pedestrianised square). To the south of the Carfax is the Causeway. This street consists of houses erected in the 17th, 18th, and early 19th century and is lined with ancient
London Plane
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...
trees. The
Horsham Museum
Horsham Museum is a museum at Horsham, West Sussex, in South East England. It was founded in August 1893 by volunteers of the Free Christian (now Unitarian) Church and became part of Horsham District Council in 1974. It is a fully accredited ...
is at the north end opposite to the recently developed former headquarters of the
R.S.P.C.A. At the south end of the Causeway is the
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within each Church of England parish (the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative unit; since the 19th century sometimes ca ...
of St. Mary:
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
in origin, rebuilt in the 13th century and restored in 1864–65 by the
Gothic revival architect S.S. Teulon. The area immediately to the south of the parish church is known as Normandy. It was formerly an area of artisans cottages and an ancient well. Fifty metres south is the
River Arun
The River Arun () is a river in the English county of West Sussex. At long, it is the longest river entirely in Sussex and one of the longest starting in Sussex after the River Medway, River Wey and River Mole. From the series of small stream ...
. On the northern bank is Prewett's Mill, and on the south side is the town's cricket field. A short walk along the banks of the Arun in a south-easterly direction is Chesworth Farm, an area of open public access.
To the north of the Carfax is a park, Horsham Park, the remnant of what was formerly the Hurst Park Estate. The park has football pitches, a wildlife pond and tennis courts. Leisure facilities, including a swimming complex and a gymnastic centre, have been built on land around the park.
To the east along Brighton Road is Iron Bridge named after the railway bridge that carries the railway from to . The area consists of mainly Victorian and
Edwardian
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...
houses to the north of Brighton Road, whilst to the south, there are areas of inter- and post-war housing. This area is known as the East Side.
Suburbs
Horsham has developed beyond the original boundaries to incorporate some of the smaller hamlets which now form part of the outer districts.
Holbrook
An area of Horsham named after a feeder stream of the River Arun. It consists of residential housing, the majority of which is of late 20th-century origin. The suburb is substantial enough for two council wards. The hamlet around Old Holbrook House is immediately to the north of the A264, which abuts Holbrook. Holbrook House was previously the home of Sir
William Vesey-Fitzgerald
Sir William Robert Seymour Vesey-FitzGerald, GCSI, GCIE, PC (1818 – 28 June 1885), was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator. He served as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs between 1858 and 1859 and as Governor o ...
, Governor of Bombay and M.P. for Horsham (1852–1875). The Tithe Barn at Fivens Green is the most notable building in the district.
Littlehaven
This hamlet dates back to the late 18th century, when a small number of houses were in existence, with an inn opening in the early part of the 19th century. A station opened in the area in 1907, originally called Rusper Road Crossing halt, but later renamed .
Needles
South-west of the town, the Needles estate was laid out from c. 1955, with a mixture of privately owned and council-built houses and bungalows. The land around Hills Farm nearby was sold for development in 1972 and further development took place in the 1980s.
The Needles are named after a local farmhouse, called so as it was built using timbers from ships wrecked on the Needles formation.
New Town
In keeping with many other towns, new developments to the east of the town centre were rapid in the early Victorian era, and that area of the town became known, as it is today, as New Town. The area contains the Iron Bridge, a steel structure that carries the railway to the south of Horsham.
North Heath
Originally used as a label to describe the northern part of the parish of Horsham (compared to Southwater to describe that part south of the
River Arun
The River Arun () is a river in the English county of West Sussex. At long, it is the longest river entirely in Sussex and one of the longest starting in Sussex after the River Medway, River Wey and River Mole. From the series of small stream ...
), this area was developed as a district in the latter part of the 20th century.
Oakhill
This area was originally known as Grub Street, and developed south of Depot Road in the 19th century.
Roffey
![All Saints Church, Roffey](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/All_Saints_Church%2C_Roffey.jpg)
Roffey is north east of the centre of Horsham and as a hamlet dates back to at least the 13th century, with taxation records of 1296 showing 18 liable people in the area.
Kelley's Post Office Directory for 1867 describes 'Roughey' as consisting 'of a few farmhouses and cottages. Here is an iron church, capable of accommodating 80 persons'. Maps of the 1880s show Roffey Corner (still spelt Roughey), but appear to label the hamlet as Star Row, with Roffey in use again by the start of the 20th century.
A railway station opened as
Roffey Road Halt
Roffey Road Halt is a now disused station on the Arun Valley Line
The Arun Valley line, also known as the Mid Sussex line, is part of the Southern- and Thameslink-operated railway services. For the initial part of the route trains follow ...
in 1907, closing in 1937. The station is shown in the location now known as Wimland Road.
Roffey is a separate ecclesiastical parish with its own
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
—
All Saints' Church
All Saints Church, or All Saints' Church or variations on the name may refer to:
Albania
*All Saints' Church, Himarë
Australia
* All Saints Church, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
* All Saints Anglican Church, Henley Brook, Western Aust ...
on Crawley Road, designed in 1878 by
Arthur Blomfield
Sir Arthur William Blomfield (6 March 182930 October 1899) was an English architect. He became president of the Architectural Association in 1861; a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1867 and vice-president of the RIBA in ...
. It replaced a temporary building which was licensed for worship in 1856.
Roffey Park Institute
Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...
is based just outside of Horsham, near
Colgate.
Tower Hill
Tower Hill is a hamlet that lies one mile south from Horsham on a ridge of land containing a sandstone known as
Horsham Stone
Horsham Stone is a type of calcareous, flaggy sandstone containing millions of minute sand grains and occurring naturally in the Weald Clay of south-east England.Roger Birch, Sussex Stone, The Story of Horsham Stone and Sussex Marble, 2006, It is ...
rising above the town. A quarry existed here from 1830 to 1876.
Tower Hill consists of housing dating from medieval to late 20th century. It has a public house called the Boar's Head, formerly the Fox and Hounds. The economic importance of quarrying Horsham Stone to Horsham in the 19th century has left a legacy of
toponyms
Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...
including Stone Pit Field, Stone Barn, Stonyhurst and Stone Pit Wood.
Trafalgar
An area of late 19th and early 20th centuries development on land west of the London Road at North Parade. It consists chiefly of semi-detached houses with corner shops, most of which have closed. Until the mid-20th century, it was known as "The Common," after a piece of common land that survived enclosure in Trafalgar Road for many years.
Trafalgar forms one of the wards of
Horsham Hurst (electoral division)
Horsham Hurst is an electoral division of West Sussex in the United Kingdom and returns one member to sit on West Sussex County Council.
Extent
The division covers the western part of the town of Horsham.
It comprises the following Horsham D ...
of the
Horsham District Council
Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby town ...
.
Economy
Horsham is a
market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
formerly trading in cattle, sheep, and corn. Its prosperity was built on industries that included brewing, brickmaking, iron-smelting, and printing. Although some of these survive, with the exception of iron smelting, they are on a small scale and no longer employ large numbers of workers. In 2014 the important industries were financial services, pharmaceuticals, and technology. Horsham is a
commuter town
A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
serving London, Gatwick Airport and the South East Coast.
RSA Insurance Group
RSA Insurance Group Limited (doing business as, trading as RSA, formerly RSA Insurance Group plc and Royal and Sun Alliance) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational general insurance company headquartered in London, England. RSA has ...
,
an insurance company, has its registered office in Horsham.
Sun Alliance merged with
Royal Insurance
Royal Insurance Holdings plc was a large insurance business originating in Liverpool but based in London from the early 20th century. It merged with Sun Alliance in 1996 to form the Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group.
History
Formation and e ...
in 1996 to form Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group, then renamed RSA Insurance Group in 2008. The company first came to the town in 1965 as Sun Alliance, becoming the town's biggest employer, at its peak, it employed 2,500 people, plus the specialised computer centre called Lennox Wood, sited in Southwater country park to which many of the original Horsham computer department staff were relocated. At its peak, the company occupied several smaller premises on the Carfax, Springfield House near St John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, the building that is now a study centre in Hurst Road, Parkside and the whole of the St Mark's complex, and print and security centres in industrial estates sprinkled around Horsham, plus Tricourt House closer to the Carfax and now occupied by a housing association. West Sussex County Council has partially occupied parkside after Royal Sun Alliance vacated the building.
Until 2015 the Swiss-based multinational pharmaceutical company
Novartis
Novartis AG is a Swiss-American multinational pharmaceutical corporation based in Basel, Switzerland and
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States (global research).name="novartis.com">https://www.novartis.com/research-development/research-loc ...
, formerly Ciba-Geigy before a 1996 merger, was a major employer in the town, but the plant is now closed and the site scheduled for redevelopment.
The
RSPCA
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest an ...
,
an animal welfare charity, has a £16 million headquarters at
Southwater
Southwater is a large village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England, with a population of roughly 10,000. It is administered within Horsham District Council and West Sussex County Council.
History
One of the oldest bu ...
near Horsham, built to replace its former headquarters in the centre of the town.
Horsham's town centre has many national
chain stores
A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate the retail and dining markets and many service categories, in many pa ...
, and although it has suffered the loss of some small and independent retailers, the town retains its reputation for individuality and attracts shoppers from a wide area.
In 1992 the town centre was redesigned to reduce significantly the flow of traffic through the town's main shopping streets, and West Street was
pedestrianised
Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town reserved for pedestrian-only use and in whi ...
by 1977. Much of the Carfax, which once consisted of two concentric rings of roads, was pedestrianised to create a new town square. The underground toilets that once served the Carfax are now underneath the war memorial. The bandstand was moved to its present site from the south corner of the Carfax. The Victorian drinking fountain now at the southern end of North Street originally stood on the Carfax.
On the northwest side of the Carfax is Swan Walk, a shopping centre which opened in 1976 and was enclosed with a glass roof in 1989 with the addition of Springfield Court. Swan Walk takes its name from the ''Swan Inn'' that once stood where the pedestrian area now enters West Street, the old name being honoured by the bronze swan statues to the back of the mall and a mosaic in the centre. The shopping centre once enclosed the Capital Theatre which was built in the 1930s and was sandwiched between shops and a multi-storey car park from 1976 until its demolition in early 1983 when Marks & Spencer bought the site to build their store that opened in 1984. A further shopping area and public square, the Forum, opened in 2003 to the south of West Street. There is a newly refurbished and partially rebuilt shopping and leisure area known as Piries Place to the South East of the Carfax and North of East Street. It features the town's second Premier Inn, an Everyman Cinema, bars and restaurants, plus independent shops. East Street, formerly part of the main throughway through the town, was pedestrianised in 2009.
Supermarkets serving the town include branches of
Tesco
Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
,
Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with a 14.6% share of UK supermarket sales.
Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company wa ...
,
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks's or Marks & Sparks) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty, home ...
,
Lidl
Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG (; ) is a German international discount retailer chain that operates over 11,000 stores across Europe and the United States. Headquartered in Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg, the company belongs to the Schwarz Group, whi ...
and
Waitrose
Waitrose & Partners (formally Waitrose Limited) is a brand of British supermarkets, founded in 1904 as Waite, Rose & Taylor, later shortened to Waitrose. It was acquired in 1937 by employee-owned retailer John Lewis Partnership, which still se ...
. In 2015, a new £8 million "Waitrose" and "John Lewis at Home" joint facility was opened after the closure of the smaller Waitrose that was formerly located in Piries Place.
Landmarks
![Horsham town hall 2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Horsham_town_hall_2009.JPG)
In the commercial centre of Horsham is an open pedestrianised square known as the Carfax. This area contains the Town's Memorial to the dead of the two world wars, a substantial, well-used bandstand and is the venue for Saturday and Thursday markets. The name Carfax is likely of Norman origin – a corruption of 'Quatre Voies' (four ways) or 'Carrefour', a place where four roads meet. The Carfax was formerly known as "Scarfoulkes", the derivation of which is uncertain. Two other places in England share the name: the
Carfax in Oxford and the Carfax in Winchester.
![Carfax to Market Square in Horsham, West Sussex, England 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Carfax_to_Market_Square_in_Horsham%2C_West_Sussex%2C_England_02.jpg)
At the west end of the town centre formerly stood a kinetic water sculpture called the '
Rising Universe
''Rising Universe'', more commonly known locally as the Shelley Fountain, was a large kinetic water sculpture in Horsham, West Sussex, England. It was created by the sculptor Angela Conner and installed in 1996 to commemorate the bicentenary ...
', colloquially known as 'The Shelley Fountain'. It was designed by
Angela Conner
Angela Conner FRSS (born 1935) is an English sculptor who works in London. Conner has exhibited internationally and has large scale sculptures in public and private collections around the world.
Biography
In her early life as a sculptor, Conner ...
, and erected to commemorate the poet
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 17928 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achie ...
who was born at Field Place in Broadbridge Heath, near
Warnham
Warnham is a village and civil parish in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England. The village is centred north-northwest of Horsham, from London, to the west of the A24 road. Other named settlements within the parish include the hamlets of ...
, two miles west from Horsham centre. The fountain was designed to release a torrent of six and a half tons of water periodically; it was 45 ft across at its base, standing 28 ft high. It carried a plaque bearing one of his poems '
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc (french: Mont Blanc ; it, Monte Bianco , both meaning "white mountain") is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, rising above sea level. It is the second-most prominent mountain in Europe, after Mount Elbrus, and i ...
'.
The fountain was turned off in the spring of 2006 to save water. Despite recycling it used 180 gallons a day to cover evaporation and filtration losses. However, the council has made water saving efficiencies elsewhere and the fountain was turned on again on 13 November 2006, its tenth birthday but was turned off again after that Christmas. In May 2008 the fountain was turned off again due to the failure of its main hydraulic cylinder. On 19 January 2009 the fountain was fenced off for repairs. It was reopened without the fountain functioning. The fountain was again repaired at the start of March 2011 at a cost of more than £30,000 and was removed altogether in June 2016
with cost of upkeep being cited as the main reason.
The Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin is the oldest building in Horsham, having been in continuous use for nearly eight centuries. It is located at the end of the Causeway in Normandy, the oldest existing part of Horsham. It has a ring of ten bells.
The earthworks of the eleventh century Horsham or Chennelsbrook Castle can be found near Chennells Brook.
The
Town Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
in the Market Square is a much-adapted building originally dating from circa 1648 when it was referred to as a 'Market House'. In 1721 a new construction of
Portland Stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries are cut in beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building sto ...
was built containing a poultry and butter market. The building fell into disrepair and was substantially rebuilt around 1812. In 1888 it became the property of Horsham Urban District Council and was again largely rebuilt. The present building is essential of late-Victorian construction, though preserving some aspects of the earlier buildings. It has been used as council offices and as a magistrates court and more recently housed the Horsham Registry Office on the upper floor. The ground floor was still used as an occasional market place until the Town Hall was closed to be let as a restaurant.
Transport
Road
Horsham lies at the junction of three main routes with the dual carriageway
A24
A24 is an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. It is based in New York City.
A24 was founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel and John Hodges. Pr ...
running north to south route from London and
Dorking
Dorking () is a market town in Surrey in South East England, about south of London. It is in Mole Valley District and the council headquarters are to the east of the centre. The High Street runs roughly east–west, parallel to the Pipp Br ...
to
Worthing
Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
. The
A264
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...
links Horsham to
Crawley
Crawley () is a large town and borough in West Sussex, England. It is south of London, north of Brighton and Hove, and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Crawley covers an area of and had a population of 106,597 at the time of th ...
and the
M23 to the east by a modern dual carriageway and to the
A29 to the west. The
A281 runs between
Guildford
Guildford ()
is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...
and
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
.
![Horsham bus station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Horsham_bus_station.JPG)
Bus services are provided by
Metrobus,
Stagecoach South
Stagecoach South is a bus operator providing services in South East England. It is a subsidiary of Stagecoach. It operates services in Hampshire, Surrey, and Sussex with some routes extending into Brighton and Wiltshire. It operates 487 buses fr ...
,
and Compass Travel.
Railway
The
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
is on the
Arun Valley Line
The Arun Valley line, also known as the Mid Sussex line, is part of the Southern- and Thameslink-operated railway services. For the initial part of the route trains follow the Brighton Main Line, and at a junction south of Three Bridges the ...
from
Chichester
Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ci ...
to
Crawley
Crawley () is a large town and borough in West Sussex, England. It is south of London, north of Brighton and Hove, and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Crawley covers an area of and had a population of 106,597 at the time of th ...
,
Gatwick
Gatwick Airport (), also known as London Gatwick , is a major international airport near Crawley, West Sussex, England, south of Central London. In 2021, Gatwick was the third-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after Hea ...
and
London Victoria
Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Victoria, in the City of Westminster, managed by Network Rail. Named after the nearby Victoria Street (not the Q ...
. Trains on this line start from
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis (), sometimes simply known as Bognor (), is a town and seaside resort in West Sussex on the south coast of England, south-west of London, west of Brighton, south-east of Chichester and east of Portsmouth. Other nearby towns ...
or
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
and
Southampton Central, and are coupled at Horsham. Southbound trains divide here. Other services (stopping during the off-peak period) leave Horsham for
London Bridge
Several bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. It r ...
.
Sutton & Mole Valley line
The Sutton and Mole Valley lines were constructed between 1847 and 1868 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, the London and South Western Railway and the LBSCR-sponsored Horsham, Dorking and Leatherhead Railway.
Services
Services ...
services go north to Dorking,
Epsom
Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...
,
Sutton
Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to:
Places
United Kingdom
England
In alphabetical order by county:
* Sutton, Bedfordshire
* Sutton, Berkshire, a List of United Kingdom locations: Stu-Sz#Su, location
* S ...
and London Victoria. In 2012, work finished expanding and modernising the station.
Littlehaven station (previously named Littlehaven Halt), in the northeast of the town on the Arun Valley Line , and
Christ's Hospital station serving the west of Horsham.
Air
Horsham is from
Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport (), also known as London Gatwick , is a major international airport near Crawley, West Sussex, England, south of Central London. In 2021, Gatwick was the third-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after H ...
and from
Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...
.
Other
Cyclists, pedestrians, and horseriders can reach Guildford and
Shoreham via the
Downs Link
The Downs Link is a footpath and bridleway linking the North Downs Way at St. Martha's Hill in Surrey with the South Downs Way near Steyning in West Sussex and on via the Coastal Link to Shoreham-by-Sea.
History
For much of its route, ...
, a long-distance bridleway and cycle route which follows the now disused Horsham-Guildford, and Horsham-Shoreham railway lines and passes through
Southwater
Southwater is a large village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England, with a population of roughly 10,000. It is administered within Horsham District Council and West Sussex County Council.
History
One of the oldest bu ...
, just to the south of Horsham.
Education
The main secondary schools in Horsham are:
*
Tanbridge House School
Tanbridge House School is a coeducational secondary school located in Horsham, West Sussex, England. Its current head master is Mr Sheridan who started in 2022. The school teaches a variety of subjects across the curriculum. In 2012 95.7% of ...
(mixed comprehensive)
*
Millais School (girls' comprehensive)
*
The Forest School (mixed' comprehensive)
*
Bohunt Horsham
Bohunt Horsham is a coeducational all-through school located in Horsham, West Sussex, England. The school opened to 120 students in Year 7 in 2019 in the centre of Horsham whilst a new, purpose-built school is currently in development North ...
(mixed comprehensive)
The College of Richard Collyer
The College of Richard Collyer (colloquially Collyer's ), formerly called Collyer's School, is a co-educational sixth form college in Horsham, West Sussex, England. The college was rated as being ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted in 2009.
It is the se ...
is the sixth form college serving Horsham. Founded in 1532, it is known more commonly as "Collyer's", and is situated on Hurst Road.
As of July 2020,
West Sussex County Council
West Sussex County Council (WSCC) is the authority that governs the non-metropolitan county of West Sussex. The county also contains seven district and borough councils, and 158 town, parish and neighbourhood councils. The county council has 7 ...
announced proposals to alter The Forest School from a single sex boys’ school to a co-educational school from September 2021 entry.
Horsham is home to the following well known independent schools:
*
Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. The school was founded in 1552 and received its first royal charter in 1553 ...
, one of the oldest schools in the country, established in 1552 by Edward VI. An independent co-educational 11–18 boarding and day school
*
Farlington School
Farlington School is an independent day and boarding school for pupils aged four to eighteen in Horsham, West Sussex, England. Farlington was founded in 1896 originally as a girls' school in Haywards Heath but moved to its present site at Str ...
, an independent day and boarding school for children aged 4–18 at Strood Green about three miles from Horsham travelling towards
Rudgwick
Rudgwick is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Horsham (district), Horsham District of West Sussex, England. The village is west from Horsham on the north side of the A281 road. The parish's northern boundary forms par ...
. Originally founded as a girls' school, from 2020, Farlington will be accepting boys as well as girls into certain year groups.
Sports
Cricket
Horsham Cricket Club
Horsham Cricket Club is one of the oldest cricket clubs in the world and represents the Sussex market town of Horsham in the Sussex Cricket League, along with Roffey Cricket Club.
Although cricket was played in Horsham before 1768, the first reco ...
play their home matches at Cricketfield Road, which used to be used twice a season by
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Sussex. Its limited overs team is called the Sussex Sharks. The c ...
for matches. Although cricket was played in Horsham before 1768, the first recorded game of a town side was on 8 August 1771, which is when Horsham Cricket Club was created. The Club has played various locations over the years, before settling at the present ground in 1851. Horsham Cricket Club were national champions in 2005. Current England international
Jofra Archer
Jofra Chioke Archer (born 1 April 1995) is a Barbadian-born English cricketer representing England and Sussex. He is a right-arm fast bowler. In April 2019, Archer was selected to play for the England team in limited overs fixtures against Irel ...
is a notable recent alumnus. Founded in 1921, Horsham Trinity Cricket Club play at the Victory Road recreation ground (Trafalgar), with the 1st XI playing in Division 4 West of the Central Sussex Cricket League as of the 2022 season.
Football
Horsham F.C. is the town's senior football club and currently (2022-23) play in the
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League () is a regional men's football league covering Greater London, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs.
Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, the league now consists of 82 tea ...
Premier Division. They have had sporadic success through their history, reaching the final of the Sussex Senior Cup in 2007, winning the
Isthmian League Cup
The Alan Turvey Trophy, formerly the Isthmian League Cup is a football knock-out cup competition organised by the Isthmian League in England.
History
Isthmian League Chairman and President Alan Turvey was among the FA's "150 Grassroots Heroes" ...
in 2022 and the first round proper of the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
on four occasions. They reached the 2nd round in 2007-08, losing in a replay to
Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
and the first round in 2021, losing away at
Carlisle United
Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Par ...
. The team currently play at the Hop Oast Stadium (known for sponsorship purposes as the Camping World Community Stadium), after it was opened in June 2019. This followed a period of homelessness after their Queen Street stadium was demolished in 2008.
Horsham YMCA F.C.
Horsham YMCA is a football club based in Horsham, West Sussex, England. They are currently members of the and play at Gorings Mead.
History
The club was established in 1898. They played in Horsham & District League before joining the Crawley ...
, founded in 1898, currently play in the Premier Division of the
Southern Combination Football League
The Macron Southern Combination Football League is a football league broadly covering the counties of East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey and South West London, England. The league consists of eight divisions – three for first teams (Premier ...
in 2022/23. They are nicknamed 'The YMs', and play their home games at Gorings Mead in the Iron Bridge part of Horsham.
Roffey F.C. were promoted to the
Southern Combination Football League
The Macron Southern Combination Football League is a football league broadly covering the counties of East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey and South West London, England. The league consists of eight divisions – three for first teams (Premier ...
Premier Division for the first time ever in 2021/22. They play at Bartholomew Way in Roffey in the north of Horsham.
Rugby
Horsham RUFC who play at the Coolhurst Ground, are the town's premier Rugby Union team. They were founded in 1928 with their first headquarters at the Station Hotel opposite Horsham Station. Initially, the team played on farmland adjacent to the Warnham Park Estate, but from 1930 until 1968, they were settled at Horsham Cricket Club. The club grew considerably after the war with further pitches rented in Horsham Park. In 1972 they moved to their present home. At the end of the 2018-19 season, Horsham 1st XV was promoted to London 1 South, the highest level the club has ever achieved. Following the restructure of the leagues Horsham will play in Regional 2 South East in the 2022/23 season. Horsham RUFC runs teams at every level starting with u7
Horsham Rugby Club
Holbrook RUFC is a smaller rugby club, based at The Holbrook Club in north Horsham. It was formed in 1971 as Sunallon RFC, which was the name of the Sun Alliance Sports & Social Club. This developed into Sun Alliance RFC and following a merger with the Liverpool-based Royal Insurance in 1996, into Royal & Sun Alliance RFC (RSA). Holbrook RFC now have two teams as of the 2014 season, with the 1sts in Sussex League 1, and 2nds in Sussex League 3.
Other sports
Horsham Hockey Club who play their home matches at Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre.
Horsham Gymnastic Club have produced top female gymnasts a number of whom have progressed to the England and Great Britain national squads.
London 2012 Olympic Games
In the weeks preceding the
London 2012 Olympic Games
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, the
Grenadian Olympic Team trained at Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre, which is on the outskirts of the town.
Public services
Horsham Hospital
Horsham Hospital is a health facility at Hurst Road in Horsham, West Sussex, England. It is managed by Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust.
History
The facility, which was financed by voluntary donations, was completed in 1892. The hospital ex ...
, is open weekdays, and is located on Hurst Road. The town has its own law courts, ambulance station, fire station, and police station, also located on Hurst Road. The
Statutory emergency fire and rescue service is provided by the
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
The West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service for the administrative county of West Sussex, England. It is part of West Sussex County Council. , the county has 25 fire stations.
Performance
In 2018/2019, e ...
. The
territorial police force A territorial police force is a police service that is responsible for an area defined by sub-national boundaries, distinguished from other police services which deal with the entire country or a type of crime. In countries organized as federations, ...
for Horsham and surrounding areas is
Sussex Police
Sussex Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing in the whole of Sussex. Its jurisdiction covers the ceremonial counties of East Sussex and West Sussex. The force is headquartered in Malling House, Lewes, East Sussex.
His ...
.
The Registry of births, deaths, and marriages is located in Park House, North Street in central Horsham.
Community facilities
![Horsham Park - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Horsham_Park_-_geograph.org.uk_-_371502.jpg)
Horsham Park immediately to the north of central Horsham is 24 hectares of open space for the use of the people of Horsham. It contains an 18th-century country house used in part by the Horsham District Council, formal gardens, and a
maze
A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lea ...
. At the eastern side is The Pavilions in the Park leisure centre with a gym and a 25m swimming pool run by a private company for Horsham District Council. A BMX and Skate park is located on the Hurst Road side of Horsham Park. The remaining space is used extensively for leisure pursuits such as tennis, football and rugby.
Horsham Museum
Horsham Museum is a museum at Horsham, West Sussex, in South East England. It was founded in August 1893 by volunteers of the Free Christian (now Unitarian) Church and became part of Horsham District Council in 1974. It is a fully accredited ...
is located on the Causeway in a half-timbered medieval house. It has local history objects displayed in twenty-six galleries. Situated on North Street is
The Capitol Theatre, Horsham
The Capitol Theatre is a multi-purpose arts venue in Horsham, West Sussex, England. Accessed 31 December 2018
The original Capitol Theatre, built in Italian style by the Blue Flash Cinema Company, was opened on Wednesday 7 November 1923. As E ...
, the venue (formerly Horsham Arts Centre) features a theatre, 2 cinema screens, a studio and gallery. On Lower Tanbridge Way is a two storey modernised library run by West Sussex County Council.
Cultural references
The first illustrated history of Horsham was written in 1836 by
Howard Dudley at the age of 16. It includes descriptions of St Mary's Church and other buildings along with lithographs and wood-cut images of the town. The book entitled ''The History and Antiquities of Horsham'' has been reproduced in full to enable research online.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for '' A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...
had the fictitious Openshaw family, in the
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
story ''
The Five Orange Pips
"The Five Orange Pips", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is the fifth of the twelve stories in ''The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes''.
The story was first published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in Nov ...
'', residing in the town.
Notable deceased residents
Notable living residents
*
Carl Donnelly
Carl Donnelly (born 13 January 1982 in Tooting, south London) is a British stand-up, dancer, comedian, and writer. He turned vegan in 2013, and has since become an ambassador for Veganuary. He has talked about being vegan extensively in his act ...
– comedian
*
Mark Hawkins – Great Britain
Handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
player, represented Team GB at
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
*
Jamie Hewlett
Jamie Christopher Hewlett (born 3 April 1968) is an English comic book creator, illustrator, music video director, and songwriter. He is the co-creator of the comic book ''Tank Girl'' with Alan Martin and co-creator of the virtual band Gorilla ...
– Artist/cartoonist and creator of the comic strip
Tank Girl
''Tank Girl'' is a British comic book character created by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, and first appeared in print in 1988 in the British comics magazine ''Deadline''. After a period of intense popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, ...
(made into a film in 1995) and co-creator of the band
Gorillaz
Gorillaz are an English virtual band formed in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, from London. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: 2-D (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (guitar, ...
(nominated for five Grammy Awards in December 2005). He attended both Tanbridge House School and the former Northbrook Art College
*
Alan Mullery
Alan Patrick Mullery (born 23 November 1941) is an English former footballer and manager. After enjoying a successful career with Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national team in the 1960s and 1970s, he became a manager working with ...
– Former footballer with Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, former manager of Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion
*
Chris Nash
Christopher David Nash (born 19 May 1983) is a retired English cricketer who represented Sussex and Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club in an 18-year professional career.
He also played first-class cricket for Loughborough UCCE in 2003 and 20 ...
– Nottinghamshire CCC cricketer
*
Simon Nye
Simon Nye (born 29 July 1958) is an English screenwriter, best known for television comedy. He wrote the hit British sitcom, sitcom ''Men Behaving Badly'', and all of the four ITV Pantos. He co-wrote the 2006 film ''Flushed Away'', created an ad ...
– Writer of ''
Men Behaving Badly
''Men Behaving Badly'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British British sitcom, sitcom that was created and written by Simon Nye. It follows the lives of Gary Strang (Martin Clunes) and his flatmates Dermot Povey (Harry Enfield; series 1 ...
'', attended Collyer's when it was still a grammar school
*
Jolyon Palmer
Jolyon Carlyle Palmer (born 20 January 1991) is a British motorsport commentator and columnist, covering the Formula One World Championship on BBC Radio 5 and F1TV. Prior to his media career, Palmer was a racing driver and the 2014 GP2 Series ...
– Former British
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
driver for
Renault Sport
Renault Sport () or Renaultsport, was the motorsport, performance and special vehicles division for Renault-badged cars. Renault Sport was officially established in 1976 as a merger between the Alpine and Gordini competition departments. It wa ...
*
Paul Parker – England and Sussex CCC cricketer (captain); attended Collyer's School
*
David Sedaris
David Raymond Sedaris (; born December 26, 1956) is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "Santaland Diaries.” He published his first co ...
– Novelist/comedian
*
Chris Simms
Christopher David Simms (born August 29, 1980) is an American sports analyst and former American football, football player. He was a quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in t ...
– Crime thriller writer who was born in Horsham
*
Jamie Taylor – Footballer whose former clubs include
Dagenham and Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club is a professional association football club based in Dagenham, Greater London, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Often known simply as ...
FC and
Lincoln City
*
Michael Thornely
Michael Alistair Thornely (born 19 October 1987) is an English former professional cricketer who last played for Leicestershire County Cricket Club. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional right arm medium pace bowler.
Thornely started h ...
– Leicestershire CCC cricketer
*
Holly Willoughby
Holly Marie Willoughby ( ; born 10 February 1981) is an English television presenter, author and model. She is currently the co-presenter of ITV's '' This Morning'' (2009–present) and '' Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2011, 2018–present) alongsid ...
– TV presenter and model attended Collyer's Sixth Form College
*
The Feeling
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
– A pop band
*
Joshua Powell
Joshua John Powell CF (born 16 July 1993) is a British conservation biologist. He is one of the faces of WWF's #WWFVoices campaign on global biodiversity.
Education
Powell attended Cranbrook School, Kent. Powell subsequently attended the Uni ...
– Conservation biologist and #WWFVoices series host for
World Wildlife Fund
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wo ...
Comments
![Arriva Guildford & West Surrey 3082 P282 FPK emblem](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Arriva_Guildford_%26_West_Surrey_3082_P282_FPK_emblem.JPG)
In October 2006, Horsham was pronounced the second best place to live in the UK, only beaten by
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
. This was claimed by a
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
show, ''The 10 best and worst places to live in the UK''.
The programme mentioned that:
* Horsham was in the top 15% for low crime;
* about 70% of students gained 5 A* to C grades at
GCSE
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...
;
* over 85% of the
workforce
The workforce or labour force is a concept referring to the Pooling (resource management), pool of human beings either in employment or in unemployment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single types of companies, company or ...
is economically active;
* Horsham has a high
life expectancy
Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, current age, and other demographic factors like sex. The most commonly used measure is life expectancy at birth ...
of 76 years for men and 83 for women;
* there were two officials
homeless
Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are:
* living on the streets, also kn ...
people living in Horsham.
In 2007, a
Reader's Digest
''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...
poll put Horsham as the 25th best place in mainland Britain to bring up a family.
On 27 September 2007, Horsham was awarded as the overall winner of
Britain in Bloom
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
in the large town / small city category a Gold Award. It also has the honour of being presented with the
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...
's 'Bloomin' Wild' award, which reflected the theme for year's national judging.
Horsham is placed number 27 in the book
''Crap Towns: The 50 Worst Places To Live In The UK''. The satirical book describes Horsham as "a No Fun Zone run by new conservatives for old conservatives."
[Jordison S. & Kieran D.: "Crap Towns: The 50 Worst Places To Live In The UK" page 55. Boxtree, 2003. ]
Twinning
Horsham District twinnings:
*
St Maixent L'Ecole,
Poitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes (; oc, Peitau-Charantas; Poitevin-Saintongese: ) is a former administrative region on the southwest coast of France. It is part of the new region Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprises four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, D ...
, France
*
Lage, North Rhine-Westphalia
Lage () is a town in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, approximatively 8 km northwest of the administrative centre Detmold. It has 35,099 inhabitants (2016). The coat of arms of Lage depicts a farmer's plough. The city ...
, Germany
Horsham Town twinnings:
*
Lerici
Lerici ( lij, Lerxi, locally ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of La Spezia in Liguria (northern Italy), part of the Italian Riviera. It is situated on the coast of the Gulf of La Spezia, southeast of La Spezia. It is known as the place ...
,
Liguria
Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...
, Italy
*
Horsham, Victoria
Horsham () is a regional city in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Australia. Located on a bend in the Wimmera River, Horsham is approximately northwest of the state capital Melbourne. As of the 2021 Census, Horsham had a population of 2 ...
, Australia
References
External links
Horsham District Council– Local Government website
*
*
{{Authority control
Towns in West Sussex
Market towns in West Sussex
Unparished areas in West Sussex