Historic Goring

The name Goring is probably derived from Garinges, a similar sort of word as for Ferringes, Lancinges, or even at a later date Ordinges which became Worthing.

Garinges, the homestead of the people of Gara.

An important people living at or near the Bronze Age settlement on Highdown Hill, still drawn as part of the the village, at a time when Sussex was completely covered with trees, and coast was mostly a salt-swamp with occasional patches of firm ground.

The land was originally part of the estates of four manor houses: Goring Hall, Field Place, Courtlands, and Goring Castle up near the Littlehampton Road.

The name Goring-by-Sea came about because of the opening of the railway on 6th July 1906, when there was possiblity, even likelihood, of confusion with the Goring in Oxfordshire, Goring-on-Thames.

We have a note that in 1927 Goring Parish Council asked Worthing Corporation to incorporate the district into the borough "owing to the lack of public health and sanitary services and the bad condition and insufficient width of the highways".

Goring Hall

Dated 1840, built by David Lyon who laid out the estate stretching down to the sea, and planted the holm oaks in Ilex Way. At that time Ilex Way had magnificent wrought iron gates at each end but these became munitions during the wars.

>>> More on Goring Hall

Field Place

Built in 1400 or earlier, is just outside the parish in Tarring was the principal manor House in Goring. It is now owned by Worthing Council and is a sports and social centre.

Details of the Field Place Sports

Courtlands

One of the largest houses in Goring built 1820. The notable owner from 1902 was Paul Schweder who waged a series of wars against people who he referred to as Bumbledom. From 1951 it became a convalescent home. It has now been extensively refurbished to accommodate 85 staff of Bond Associates who moved from Cowfold. The company is UK arm of Bond International computer software business and they have promised protection of the architectural features of the house and garden.

>> More on Courtlands

Castle Goring

Not a castle. Not exactly a folly. Nor is it in Goring, being right up on the south side of the main A27 road.

The Gothic north side was apparently inspired by Arundel Castle.

The building is now an international cultural centre and language school.

>> MORE ON CASTLE GORING

St Mary's Church

Rebuilt in 1837 and with a spire visible all across the village.

One of the most striking sights in the Church is the Feibusch Mural high up on the chancel arch. This was designed in 1950, and finished after considerable controversy in 1954.

Details of the village churches are in the Directory

>> More on the Churches

Smugglers Farm, Moat Way

Tucked away between Moat Way and Smugglers Walk, the farm was part of the original Sea Place Manor dated 1321. The name Smugglers Farm is modern. The water implied by the name Moat Way is still very evident and some modern houses have foundations 12 feet deep. In fact however, Moat Way is named after Mr Claude Moat, and nothing to with the pond.

Tudor Cottage,
201 Goring Road

The oldest dwelling place in Goring. As you would expect it has a history of smuggling. The building has been an antique shop and a sweet shop, but is now a private house.

The poets house in Jefferies Lane

Richard Jeffries

Sea View, Jefferies Lane, just near the Mulberry pub, was built in 1880. Richard Jeffries lived there for a couple of years until his death 1887 at the age of 39. A plaque on the house commemorates him as a naturalist and prose poet of the countryside. Of the Sussex Downs he wrote:

There is the sea below to bathe in,
the air of sky up hither to breathe, the sun to infuse
the invisible magnetism of his beams.
These are the three potent medicines of Nature,
and they are the medicines that by degrees
strengthen not only the body but the unquiet mind.

There is a Richard Jefferies Society.
Website: http://www.treitel.org/Richard/jefferies.html
And there is more on him: http://www.bath.ac.uk/~lissmc/rjeffs.htm
Books by Richard Jefferies: http://www.treitel.org/Richard/rj_list.html

Malthouse Cottages

Just at the end of Jefferies Lane, probably the only row of original cottages left from the the old Goring, the rest having been bulldozed by the developers, some say with the active encouragement of Worthing Council. These are lovely, but probably not very convenient to live in. There is a very attractive communal garden along the front.

The Bull Inn, Goring Street

Goring Street was at one time the only road in Goring, leading down to Goring Hall. It now very much a residential area. The Inn is probably 16th Century with some of the walls over one metre thick. It has been modernised and is often up for planning permission to modernise it more.

The Bull Inn remains an excellent pub.

Court House, Sea Lane

Some of Court House, now the only bed-and-breakfast accomodation in Goring, is certainly old. But there is no evidence it was actually used as a court of law, and there are certainly no dungeons. More likely it was named after one of the owners, Williams de la Court. There was at that time a Court Farm which has now been built over.