Essentially Exercising - Worthing Road

Following on from the popularity of the Exploring Cripplegate Lane feature, the Local History Group explore Worthing Road.

Southwater Bakery, 2003

Following last month’s exploration of Cripplegate Lane, we’ll start from the same point - the junction of Cripplegate Lane and Worthing Road and follow the route as far as Lintot Square.  This part of the Worthing Road is called Mill Straight.

On the right hand side, cross the entrance to Tester’s Close, previously Tester’s Garage.  The opening of the A24 by-pass in 1982 was a mixed blessing, relieving the village of heavy through-traffic, especially bad on hot summer weekends when the road was clogged with seaside trippers. It had not been unknown for traffic queues up to six miles long to stretch from The Black Horse in Horsham to Buck Barn! Sadly, this also resulted in the closure of family run local garages.

You’ll need to cross to the other side now; the houses along this stretch are a mix of styles from late Victorian/early Edwardian semi-detached villas to modern in-fill bungalows.

Next you’ll meet Andrews Road, so named as it was on the edge of Andrews Farm, a substantial late medieval farm. The farmland was sold in 1890 to become the brickworks, now, of course, Southwater Country Park!  You may find it more pleasant to enter the park at this point, perhaps following one of the less used paths which run along the top in parallel to the Worthing Road.  The opposite side of the road (Woodlands Way and College Road) was also farm and woodland – College Wood and College Farm.  From medieval times, this farm along with others was part of the Manor of Sele, the rights to which were held by Magdalen College, Oxford.  The days of absentee landlords go back a long, long way!

Exit the park into the short road leading to the Lennox Wood Business Park, built on the site of the brickworks but once an ancient woodland of that name. On the corner of Worthing Road is a modern building.  This replaces the previous Weald Cottage, which had been a showcase for the various “special” bricks produced at the site, demolished in the early 1990’s.

Turn Right and cross Bakers Close, where once Bakers Builders had their yard and where Southwater Horticultural Society held their plant sales for a few years, to arrive at the small parade of shops, Budgens Store, the Gents Hairdressers and Southwater Kebab.  Budgens is the latest in a chain of proprietors of the general store since the early 1900’s - in 1930 it was “C & E Chantler – The Store” – and is the only shop in the parade to have been trading continuously in the same occupation.  The baker’s shop closed at the time Lintot Square was being developed.  Bread was baked behind the shop daily and on Good Friday the scent of hot cross buns drifting across the Country Park was a joy!

This brings us to the corner of Andrews Lane, where Andrews Farmhouse itself stood, sadly demolished in 1980 for a car park!  The row of cottages down the lane was built for workers at the brickyard. On the other side of Worthing Road you can’t miss “The Tipsy Fox”, until recently known as “The Cock Inn”.  This is a timber framed building dating back to the 16th Century  It has had an eventful life, cock fighting in the earlier days, later a coaching inn when the turnpike road was established, diversifying with a harness making business, and in the 1920’s even being named “The Cock Hotel”, offering accommodation and cars for hire!

This seems a good point to end our stroll, maybe with a visit to the said Inn, or perhaps The Little Teashop in Lintot Square, for rest and refreshment, now that some restrictions have been lifted!

Traffic Jam on Worthing Road, 1951

Weald Cottage

Contact Jeremy Senneck, 01403 731247 for information while group meetings are suspended