WELCOME TO SUNNY WORTHING
At the back of 100 South Street, Tarring, there is a flint and brick castellated tower built in 1896 by a solicitor W. Osborne Boyes. It was built by him as a garden retreat. You can see the top of the tower looking across South Street, Tarring from the corner of Ethelred Road or on the north side of Westland Avenue.
TARRING FOLLY
Adapted from the original 2001 website page
Lionel Leighton © 2011 Online since 1999
IN THE BEGINNING
Two miles west along the A259 from Worthing stands the remains of a lone conical hill known as Highdown, 266ft high above sea level, once the site of an Iron Age camp and a Saxon burial ground.
Heading back east to Worthing into West Tarring village, one of many villages that makes up the Borough of Worthing, is The Old Palace which was founded in 1250 and formerly the Archbishops Palace.
St.MARYS FARMHOUSE
Along Durrington Lane is St. Marys Farmhouse built in 1820. Part timber framed, but was damaged by fire in 1978. In the same year it was saved from demolition on appeal and restored.
CHIPPERS CASTLE
In Castle Road, Tarring, you will find what is know as Chippers Castle. A cobble flint cottage built in 1820 and formerly the home of Thomas and Mary Chipper.
COURTLANDS
In Parklands Avenue, around 1820, a Mr.William Olliver, local Commissioner and banker, built a small original Regency style house which was occupied by the family until 1899. In 1901 the house was let to Paul Schweder who purchased it in 1903, completely remodelling it using material salvaged from Lebanon House, Twickenham, the Dower House of Syon House and the Ritz Hotel, Paris.
The result was a large, richly appointed mansion, including an elegant hall and the Rococo style "Gold Room". After Paul Schweder's death in 1936 the house was sold, parts of the grounds developed and a hotel conversion proposed. But the Second World War intervened resulting in military use.
In 1945 Courtlands was purchased by Worthing Hospital for a recovery unit (1950-1973) and then as a Local Authority Health Centre and HQ until sold in 1996 to Bond International Software (UK) Ltd.
HIGH SALVINGTON POST MILL
Travel into the village of High Salvington and on the corner of Bost Hill and Mill Lane is a black post windmill built between 1700 and 1720. The mill had ceased working in 1897 and restoration to full working order commenced in 1976.
It is now at an advanced stage with most of the machinery installed and milling stone ground flour. The mill can be visited on the first and third Sunday of each month, April to September 2.30 PM - 5.00 PM
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A ROYAL VISIT
Worthing started life as a fishing hamlet until Princess Amelia, youngest daughter of George III, visited it in 1798. During the next 14 years, Worthing started to develop into the mammoth seaside resort that us Worthing folk love and hate today.
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THE PARSONAGE
If you cross the road and walk down into South Street, on your left from The Old Palace is the remains of The Ancient Fig Gardens dating back to 1745 or earlier. According to tradition the trees were planted by Thomas a'Becket. However, in spite of the fact that Tarring was part of the archbishop's estate there is no evidence that he ever went there. Some of the trees were grown from cuttings taken from the parsonage garden in 1745.
Until the Second World War a Miss Humphries ran a tea garden in the orchard.
THE OLD BISHOPS PALACE
Not far from The Old Palace is a 16th century half timbered house, now a restaurant, called The Parsonage in West Tarring High Street.
Between the sea and Sussex Downs