THE HOME OF WSO
Worthing today is the largest town in West Sussex with a population of around 100,000.
At the time of the Norman Invasion in 1066, Worthing was a tiny fishing village with a population of less than 100. By the end of the middle ages this was around 2,000 people, but the main settlement was at Broadwater further inland.
Worthing's success has been built on pleasure and recreation and it really only started to grow from the 1750s onwards when London society began to show an interest in the therapeutic effects of sea bathing.
Society's interest in this part of the Sussex coast was highlighted by the decision to send Princess Amelia to Worthing for a spot of sea bathing to help her get over tuberculosis in 1798. Brighton was considered too racy for the teenage princess (daughter of King George III), but Worthing was settled on as a suitably genteel place to recuperate. The town never looked back from this moment, eventually growing to take in the villages of Heene, Broadwater, Tarring, Goring, Salvington and Durrington.
But it's no wonder that 'Sunny Worthing' has proved such a popular place to live and visit sandwiched, as it is, in a three mile level plain between the South Downs and the English Channel. The town boasts two theatres and a concert venue (the Assembly Hall, where WSO stages its annual season of concerts), and an excellent seaside shopping centre with well known high street names and a good range of independent retailers.
There is so much to see and do both in the town itself and in the surrounding coast and countryside. The Sussex downland is some of the loveliest countryside you will find anywhere in the British Isles - miles and miles of rolling hills, scenic landscape and quaint villages.
Its an area popular with tourists for that very reason and there are a number of tourist attractions worth visiting within easy reach of the town. Within the town itself there is a vibrant social scene with live music venues, bars and restaurants.
WSO's audience travel in from all parts of the county and even further afield, and many
decide 'to make a weekend of it'. There are lots of places to stay in and around the townfrom cozy B&Bs, self-catering cottages and elegant hotels.
To find out more about Worthing please visit the 'Discover Worthing' website which is packed full of information from accommodation to dining out and lots more!
Click on the Discover Worthing logo below ....
