Horsham, in West Sussex is a great, friendly town, with lots to do for everyone.
Whether you want to go roller skating at the REC Rink, go out to a local restaurant for a great meal, or join one of the cycling clubs in Horsham, or maybe swimming in the Pavillions sports centre, country walks around the Chesworth area of Horsham - there's always lots to do for the young and the not so young, singles, couples and families.
Horsham history - for how Horsham has developed over the years, (so far):
- c. 950 - Small Anglo-Saxon village.
- 1200 - Horsham first described as a borough.
- 1278 - Edward I visits Horsham for the first time.
- 1299 - Edward I visits Horsham for the second time.
- 1324 - Edward II dates deeds at Chesworth House 1 mile south of Horsham.
- 1488 - Henry VII visits Horsham.
- 1519 - Henry VIII visits Horsham.
- 1525 - Five brewers in Horsham.
- 1532 - First Horsham Grammar School founded.
- 1560 - Suffered Plague.
- 1574 - Suffered Plague.
- 1588 - Master of the grammar school, James Alleyn, raises a troop of soldiers at his own expense to defend Horsham against the threatened Spanish invasion.
- 1608 to 1609 - Suffered Plague.
- 1648 - Horsham was the scene of a rising of 500 or 600 royalists, supported by the borough bailiffs and constable, in protest against the policies of the parliamentary county committee: the magazine of arms kept in what was presumably the town hall was seized, but the rising was quelled by parliamentary troops under Sir Michael Livesey, at least three townsmen and one soldier being killed.
- 1659 - Around 5,000 Fifth Monarchists met at Horsham.
- 1659 - Suffered Smallpox.
- 1673 - Horsham described as being ruled by two bailiffs and two MP's.
- 1735 - John Weeks becomes the last ever man to be pressed to death, which happened in Horsham, after he murdered Elizabeth Symonds.
- 1755 - Horsham connected to London by road.
- 1776 - Ann Cruttenden was the last person to be burned at the stake in Horsham for murdering her husband (petty treason).
- 1791 - First bank in Horsham founded.
- 1796 - Barracks built to house 1,500 men.
- 1801 - Population of 1,539.
- 1804 - Travelling library at Collyers School.
- 1804 - Ammunition depot built.
- 1811 - Library Society founded and opened.
- 1812 - Town hall built by Duke of Norfolk.
- 1815 - Barracks shut and soldiers left. It was soon demolished.
- 1829 - Horsham Mechanics' Institution opened.
- 1830 - Book and Tract Society at the Unitarian Church.
- 1835 - John Sparshott becomes the second to last man to be put to death for homosexuality in England, dying at the age of 19 in Horsham.
- From 1836 - Horsham was lit by gas.
- 1839 - A police force was founded in Horsham.
- 1840 - A fire brigade was founded in Horsham.
- 1844 - John Lawrence becomes the last man to be executed via hanging in Horsham and the last man to be executed in Horsham after he bludgeoned Chief Constable Henry Solomon over the head with a poker causing him a head injury from which he later died.
- 1844 - Horsham Library Society closed.
- 1844 - Last time ever in Britain a wife was sold. They were sold for 33 shillings in the town centre.
- 1847 - Literary and Scientific Institution established.
- 1848 - Horsham was connected by rail to Brighton.
- 1851 - Population of 6,000.
- 1852 - A cemetery was founded in Horsham for the first time.
- 1860 - Horsham Mechanics' Institution closed.
- 1866 - Corn exchange and water company formed in Horsham.
- 1875 - Local government board formed.
- 1892 - Horsham hospital opened.
- 1900 - Population of 10,000.
- 1902 - Christ's Hospital school moved to Horsham.
- 1902 - Electric street lighting placed in Horsham.
- 1910 - Horsham cinema opened.
- 1920 - War memorial built.
- 1925 - Town Hall library opened.
- 1928 - Carfax branch opened.
- 1929 - Horsham Museum opened.
- 1934 - St Mark's Church Hall.
- 1935 - Horsham swimming pool opened.
- 1936 - ABC cinema (now the Capital) is opened in North Street.
- 1939 - Unitarian Library closed.
- 1940 - Worst bombing raid in Horsham. Seven people died.
- 1945 - Unitarian Library books give to town library.
- 1957 - New Library building by the Black Jug pub.
- 1958 - Heaviest hailstone recorded in the UK falls.
- 1963 - Stockland House tower block is opened and Pearl Insurance move in.
- 1970 - Work begins to clear away an old gas works between Springfield Road and London Road, along with a row of Victorian houses for the construction of Albion Way bypass.
- 1973 - The Swan Pub in West Street is demolished to make way for an entrance for Swan Walk Shopping Centre.
- 1974 - Construction begins on the new lower school for Tanbridge House School on Worthing Road.
- 1974 - Work begins on the construction of Swan Walk Shopping Centre and Multistory Car park.
- 1976 - Swan Walk Shopping opened.
- 1983 - Odeon Cinema with a rocket sculpture sign outside is demolished to make way for Sun Alliance offices called Stains Court that eventually opens in 1987.
- 1983 - The original Capital Cinema that was surrounded by Swan Walk Shopping Centre is demolished in February 1983 to make way for the new M&S store, the proceeds from the sale of the land goes towards the purchase of the ABC Cinema in North Street that was to be transformed into Horsham Arts Centre in 1984.
- 1986 - The new Tesco's building in Broadbridge Heath is opened along with the new sports centre beside it.
- 1987 - Tesco on Worthing Road closes the building is then converted into McDonald's, Argos and Fads, the old Tesco Carpark behind the building is then used as a council carpark.
- 1987 - The Construction of Broadbridge Heath flyover on the A24 is begun, this replaced the previous ground level roundabout.
- 1988 - St Marks Church is demolished in North Street to make way for the new Sun Alliance building that is built over Albion Way.
- 1988 - The building of a new St Marks Church on North Heath lane is started on fields north of horsham that is to be surrounded by new housing.
- 1988 - The construction of the A264 North Horsham bypass is begun and is completed in 1989.
- 1989 - Current library building opened.
- 1989 - Swan Walk Shopping Centre refurbished and enclosed under a glass roof along with an extension called Springfield Court.
- 1991 - The new Sun Alliance building is opened.
- 1991 - The old Pearl Insurance tower block, Stockland House in North Street that was built in 1963 is demolished to make way for the new Sun Alliance building (now WSCC HQ).
- 1992 - Horsham Carfax is partially closed to traffic and the bandstand is relocated along with the installation of new paving and gas fired street lamps.
- 1993 - The construction of the new Tanbridge House School is commenced on land beside the A24 next to the Broadbridge heath flyover.
- 1994 - The old Tanbridge House School is closed and the building is converted into flats and the playing fields become Tanbridge Park housing estate.
- 1994 - The old Tanbridge House School lower school (school years 7-9) that was built in 1975 is demolished and a new Sainsburys is built in its place.
- 1994 - The new Tanbridge House School is opened two weeks behind schedule in late September.
- 1994 - New Sun Alliance building is opened in the place of the demolished Stockland House.
- 1996 - Rising universe sculpture created (locally known as Shelley's Fountain).
- 1999 - Brewing industry ended in Horsham including the closure of the national chain of brewers, King and Barnes and their factory in Horsham.
- 2003 - Pavilions in the Park leisure centre opened in Horsham.
- 2003 - The Forum opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
- 2003 - The Capitol Theatre and Arts Centre was opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
- 2005 - Chesworth School is closed and Kingslea Primary school opens in its place.
- 2008 - Population of 55,657 recorded.
- 2009 - Finance ministers and central bankers of the G-20 met at South Lodge in Horsham on 14 March, for a meeting to prepare for the London summit of 2 April.
