Horsham

Horsham town was given as a reward in 947AD by King Eadred, to a Saxon noble for fighting against the Vikings. The town received a Borough Charter in the 13th Century and grew into a thriving, bustling, medieval market town. This is still in evidence today with the narrow, paved "twitterns" (alleyways), pretty tree-lined streets and over fifty medieval buildings.

Lying next to the River Arun is the Grade One listed Parish Church of St Mary's; a church whose origins go back to the very foundations of Horsham. The Church is connected to the centre of the town by "The Causeway", a beautiful tree lined street - one of the most photographed and painted streets in Sussex.

However, Horsham is not a neglected backwater. Its award winning town centre with many Medieval and Tudor buildings provides a superb environment for shopping, strolling, browsing and relaxing. Walking through the mixture of intimate alleyways, wide streets, and landscaped piazzas, it is a delight to explore the specialist shops selling local produce, collectors' items and unusual gifts. Swan Walk is the town's modern and busy shopping mall with many well known high street stores

Horsham has a thriving market scene including Antiques, Local produce and Arts & Crafts. Saturdays is the main day with markets at Market Square and the Carfax. There is also an open air market on Thursdays in the Bishopric.

The Carfax, in the centre of Town, is an ideal spot on Summer's day. Sitting under a parasol you can listen to musicians play in the Victorian bandstand, and admire the award-winning displays of Horsham in Bloom.

Horsham boasts some extremely fine and interesting works of public art, the most recent addition being the spectacular and much talked about water feature "Rising Universe" which celebrates the life and works of the poet Shelley.

A "Riverside Walk" has been established around Horsham, which encircles the town by following the River Arun and some of its many tributary streams. The Walk is 9 miles long and passes through some of the town's most historic and attractive sites. Further details can be found in the special Riverside Walk leaflet, available free of charge.

Horsham Park has something for everyone: Formal gardens, a free summer programme of live music and children's entertainment, coffee shop, superb children's play area, a modern Family Entertainment Centre which includes Ten-pin Bowling and American Pool, and a wide variety of outdoor sports facilities such as tennis and outdoor bowls greens. Horsham Park also boasts one of the finest leisure centres in the South East - The Pavilions in the Park - newly opened in 2002