Our first social event of 2026

Our next social event is an illustrated talk by local historian Chris Hare on the history of Goring. 11.00am Saturday 17th January 2026 at St Mary's church hall, Ilex Way BN12 4UZ.

Forward from Chris: Once upon a time Goring was a sleepy village, nestled among trees and hedgerows, half a mile from the sea, and three miles from Worthing. It's medieval church was pulled down and replaced by an early Gothic revival one, all paid for by the Lyons family of Goring Hall. In those days - like Berlin in more recent times - Goring had a high wall, dividing the village, on one side, the Lyons and their estate, on the other, the villagers and their cottage gardens. Richard Jefferies, ailing and frail, came to Goring where he wrote his last nature notes. Another great naturalist, W.H.Hudson, came in search of Jefferies spirit after Jefferies had died, and claimed to meet his ghost in the churchyard! In the 1930s the village began to be remade as a suburb of Worthing, and by the 1960s that process was complete. But still, for those who know where to look, the village lingers on....