Summary
Located on the southern coast, Worthing officially acquired town status at the commencement of the 19th century after Princess Amelia, the daughter of George III, visited for vacations.
Due to extensive post-war development, Worthing is now positioned within an uninterrupted stretch of seaside progress, extending from Littlehampton to Brighton.
In Worthing, you will encounter seafront gardens, Georgian residences, and numerous memorials that reflect the peak era of English seaside holidays, including a remarkably preserved pier and an impressive Edwardian cinema.
Additionally, the town boasts substantial Art Deco architecture, a lively arts community, and stunning landscapes along with prehistoric sites within the expansive chalk hills of the South Downs.
Let us delve into the most notable attractions in Worthing:
1. Worthing Museum and Art Gallery
This remarkable town museum resides in an Edwardian hall from 1908, previously utilized as Worthing’s library.
The museum’s esteemed textile and costume collection is among the largest in the UK, featuring artifacts from the Regency and Victorian eras, as well as documenting the significant evolution of women’s fashion throughout the 20th century.
Engaging exhibits on local archaeology include artifacts such as axes from Neolithic flint mines in the downs, the Patching hoard of Roman gold coins, and remnants of an Anglo-Saxon longboat.
One captivating display features an Ancient Egyptian vase inscribed in Greek, discovered at an Anglo-Saxon cemetery.
The art gallery showcases works by noted painters including Ivon Hitchens, William Holman Hunt, and Lucien Pissarro, alongside sculptures by the Estonian Modernist Dora Gordine.
2. Worthing Pier
Worthing’s splendid Victorian pier stretches nearly 300 meters in length and dates back to 1862. Like many English piers, it has endured various adversities over the years including storm damage; however, it has maintained its historic pavilions.
The Pavilion Theatre, accommodating 650 seats, serves as Worthing’s primary venue for musicals, plays, comedic performances, and touring bands.
From this point, visitors can stroll along the pier, which features iron gaslights, painted railings, and beautifully crafted stained glass panels that provide wind protection.
In the center, an amusement arcade from the 1930s awaits, while at the end stands the Southern Pavilion, comprising a function hall and tearoom.
3. Highdown Gardens
Established by the botanist and horticulturalist Sir Frederick Stern in 1909, this enchanting garden was created at a former chalk quarry. Despite the site’s poor soil and challenging planting conditions, Stern dedicated over 50 years to demonstrating that flora could thrive on chalk.
The plant species he introduced to Highdown have now formed a National Plant Collection of unique trees and plants.
The gardens flourish in spring and summer, showcasing a variety of blooms, including snowdrops, anemones, daffodils, crocuses, followed by peonies and bearded irises.
4. East Beach
Worthing features an extensive pebble beach flanking both sides of the pier, complemented by a promenade adorned with cozy shelters topped with copper.
The shoreline to the east of the pier is particularly picturesque, featuring striking Georgian and Victorian townhouses surrounding Steyne Gardens, along with monuments like the Dome Cinema.
Further along the promenade are the East Beach studios, where pavilions serve as workshops for Worthing’s growing contingent of artists and artisans who create and sell various artworks, including paintings, sculptures, clothing, ceramics, carvings, and jewelry.
For family entertainment, one can engage in crazy golf or enjoy an array of amusements at the Worthing Lido.
K66 board sports organizes stand-up paddleboarding lessons and excursions, providing all necessary equipment.
5. South Downs
With a National Park situated just behind Worthing, many visitors are eager to explore the countryside through walks and cycling.
The South Downs consist of a series of gently rolling chalk hills spanning southern England from Hampshire to East Sussex.
In 2011, this region was designated as the newest National Park in the UK, protecting a 626-square-mile expanse of tranquil green countryside.
A prominent long-distance walking route traversing the downs and passing near Worthing is Monarch’s Way.
This trail follows the path taken by Charles II as he fled England following his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, concluding just east of Worthing in Shoreham, where he embarked on a journey to France.
6. Cissbury Ring
A worthwhile journey into the South Downs leads to this Iron Age hill fort, located just three miles from the center of Worthing.
Established around 250 BC, Cissbury Ring sits atop an isolated hill, the highest point in Worthing, and offers magnificent views in all directions.
From this vantage point, one can glimpse Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower, Beachy Head near Eastbourne, and the Isle of Wight.
The fort, being the second largest in the UK, spans over 60 hectares and is surrounded by ditches and banks where the original fortification walls once stood.
Human activity at Cissbury Ring dates back even further, evidenced by a Neolithic flint mine that digs into the hill, featuring shafts that reach depths of up to 12 meters.
7. Tarring High Street
Situated within the Worthing borough, Tarring is a suburb located approximately a mile west of the town center, predating Worthing itself.
The church and Archbishop’s Palace in this area date back to the 13th century, while the houses lining the winding high street have origins that extend beyond their Victorian and Georgian facades.
Today, the high street predominantly serves residential purposes. At the older southern end, charming flint and cobble cottages can be found, along with the Parsonage Bar and Restaurant housed in a stunning 16th-century half-timbered building.
Several historic pubs in the area, including the Vine and George and the Dragon, offer delightful options for lunch or a refreshing pint.
8. St Andrew’s Church, West Tarring
Also of note in Tarring is the Medieval parish church, which features a spire that is visible from considerable distances.
Founded in the 11th century, St Andrew’s Church boasts much of its remaining stonework in Early English Gothic style from the 13th century, while its Perpendicular tower and chancel were reconstructed in the 15th century.
Worthing experienced a significant smuggling activity during the 18th and 19th centuries, and one clever operative, William Cowerson, utilized the church’s table tombs for concealing illicit goods.
Visitors can admire the intricately designed Perpendicular east window in the chancel, as well as the tower’s beautifully adorned west door complete with a 15th-century hood mould. The chancel screen, which dates back to this period, is also noteworthy, featuring six misericords, two of which are carved with human heads.
9. Connaught Theatre
An impressive 20th-century structure, the Connaught Theatre located off Chapel Road features a curvilinear facade employing the Streamline Moderne architectural style of the 1930s.
This Art Deco exterior encloses what were originally two separate buildings from early in the 20th century, designated as a theatre and cinema.
As a repertory theatre, the Connaught has played a significant role in showcasing some of the UK’s most treasured actors, including Ian Holm, Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee.
Following the installation of projection equipment in the 1980s, the theatre primarily serves as a cinema today.
10. Dome Cinema
Established in 1911, the Edwardian Dome Cinema is recognized as one of England’s oldest continuously operating cinemas.
This neo-Baroque edifice situated along the beach was commissioned by the Swiss impresario Carl Adolf Seebad.
Originally named the Kursaal, it served multiple purposes, including health treatments, exhibitions, concerts, roller-skating, and screenings at the Electric Theatre, West Sussex’s first cinema.
The German name was omitted during World War I, and the Dome has functioned as a full-time cinema since 1918. The financial challenges it faced in the 1980s and 1990s led to concerns about its future, yet a restoration campaign revived its former glory, especially the exquisite Art Nouveau details in the foyer and halls.
The cinema now houses three digital screens that feature contemporary releases, along with special screenings such as parent-and-baby, disability access, and subtitled showings.
11. High Salvington Windmill
A prominent feature on the downs to the north of Worthing, the High Salvington Windmill dates back to approximately 1750. The mill was constructed on an elevated area, capturing the winds flowing in from the sea, standing at nearly 100 meters high.
After council intervention, the mill has been restored to operational status and opens its doors for public tours every other Sunday.
The windmill produced flour for Worthing for almost 150 years before converting to animal feed in 1905, subsequently falling into disrepair throughout much of the 20th century.
Conservation efforts persisted into the 1980s, leading to the windmill resuming flour production in 1991.
12. Park Crescent
Elegant structures like Park Crescent emerged in spa and seaside towns across England during the Georgian period.
The refined Park Crescent draws inspiration from the Royal Crescent in Bath, characterized by a serpentine arrangement of Neoclassical townhouses that overlooks lush parkland.
This Grade II-listed ensemble features 14 three-story houses, complemented by two charming cottages ornaments that now function as hotels.
Access to Park Crescent is through a grand archway featuring three portals: one for carriages flanked by two pedestrian entrances. The arches are supported by caryatids, displaying Atlas at the center portal with maidens on the outer portals.
13. Marine Gardens
This classic English seafront garden, established in 1930, is located on Marine Parade, approximately a mile west of Worthing Pier.
This section of the beachfront promenade is flanked by stunning Art Deco villas and apartment complexes from the 1930s.
A visit to Marine Gardens during the summer often reveals the sight of Worthing’s elder residents engaging in bowls, performed in front of the elegant pavilion.
The park also includes a putting green for light-hearted family activities, as well as ornamental gardens surrounding a pond on the western side, and a restaurant offering afternoon tea to the east.
14. English Martyrs Catholic Church
Although the exterior of this local church situated in Goring-by-Sea may appear rather ordinary, it contains something extraordinarily special within.
Look upwards, and you will be amazed by the only reproduction of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Ceiling worldwide.
This artwork is crafted on a two-thirds scale and features colors that match the newly restored ceiling in Rome.
Painted in 1987 by parishioner Gary Bevans after his pilgrimage to Rome for the beatification of 85 English Catholic martyrs, the remarkable aspect of this work is that Bevans had no formal artistic training.
15. Golf
Worthing is home to several golf clubs located near the South Downs National Park, both of which have garnered favorable reviews.
Established in 1905, Worthing Golf Club features two 18-hole courses amidst undulating terrain, as well as a seven-hole par 3 course that is ideal for practicing approach play and short games.
This private club welcomes members, with summer green fees set at £55 for the championship Lower Course and £30 for the Upper Course on weekdays, and £65 and £40 on weekends.
Hill Barn Golf Club offers an excellent experience with a course designed by Fred Hawtree, known for crafting the layout of Royal Birkdale.
On the downs, players can enjoy invigorating views over Worthing and the Channel.
Green fees here are £28 on weekdays and £34 on weekends, while for a more laid-back round, the Brooklands Golf Centre, situated further east along the waterfront, offers a nine-hole par 3 and a putting green.
