Goring-by-Sea – a quiet community on the South Coast between Worthing and Ferring
We started about 2500BC, in the Old Bronze-Age, at Highdown, which had become the fortified hub of a local settlement. The people of Gara (Gara-inges) settled in the swampy plain between Highdown and the sea . Hence Goring. The people of Fere lived at Ferring and those of Teorra at Tarring. The name of Worthing came much later.
It became Goring-by-Sea when the railways came – people used to turn up at Waterloo and book a ticket to Goring and end up at Goring-on-Thames.
We now have about 15,000 residents in 7000 houses and probably 1000 dogs. We are part of Worthing.
The word that rhymes with ‘Goring’ is of course ‘Boring’. Boring Goring. A part of Windy Worthing. And a common description of this area is “costa geriatica”. Never-the-less there are undoubted many good things and we all like living here.
- The beach and the sea and the the greensward along the front, for kites, ball games and barbecues, searching the rockpools for crabs and sandcastles on the beach. The beach is patrolled by the Worthing Beach Ofice, and in summer a rescue boat at sea.
- Goring Gap, one very few places where the farm land comes down to the sea
- Castle Goring, our Grade I listed building
- Goring Hall which was a stately home, then a school, now a hospital
- Courtlands which was a stately home, then a hospital, now and office
- English Martyrs RC Church with a splendid reproduction of the Sistine Chapel ceiling
- St Mary’s Church with an interesting mural above the alter
- Ilex Avenue, a unique asset for nearly a mile between Goring and Ferring
- Highdown Gardens which flies a Green Flag recognising its beauty, with Highdown Saxon Fort, and the Millers Tomb
- The South Downs
- fresh air, peace, quiet, easier driving, at least compared with living nearer London friendly people, good shops, schools, hospitals and services
- maintenence of a clean and tidy environment by the county and borough councils
We have some threats:
- 800 or more houses at West Durrington will alter the whole area for the worse. A threat to Titnore Woods, ancient oaks in beautiful parkland
- Widening of Titnore Lane will change a quiet country route into yet another rat-run
- Long-term possibility of building in the Goring Gap, which is in fact owned as in investment by a property company and leased to a local farmer
- On-going threat of flooding if a very high tide and on-shore wind breach the sea wall – and the pile drivers are currently at work near the Yacht Club
- Threat of a cycle path along the sea wall which will be a problem to the users of the 270 beach huts close to the proposed path, and to walkers along the path by the tamarisk bushes further up – we already have a perfectly good cycle-way along Marine Drive.
Goring Residents’ Association formed in 1944 has 1200 members and holds monthly meetings, sciakl events at Christmas, coach outings and theatre visits. At each there is a half hour question and answer session with a local councillor.
Ilex Conservation Group, sometimes called the assertive arm of the residents’ association, looking after the Ilex Avenue and the Holm Oaks in Sea Lane.
Two books describe Goring-by-Sea. Both are out of print but are sometimes for sale second hand, and can be seen at local libraries:
Goring and Ferring Past and Present (1993) by J A M Vaughan
The Story of Goring and Highdown (1991) by Frank Fox-Wilson