Southwater
Encyclopedia
Southwater is a large village
and civil parish
in the Horsham
District of West Sussex
, England
with a population of roughly 10,000. The village is administered from the Horsham District Council
Offices. Much of the population of Southwater originated from the brick industry which thrived in the clay-pits until the 1980s. Following the closure of the brickworks, there was a project implemented to transform the area into a country park, which now stands as one of the major family attractions in the district.
In 2006 the centre of Southwater Village has been renewed at a cost of £25 million, and the investment has attracted substantial local business interest and has improved the village significantly for local residents. The amenities available in the new Lintot Square are now appropriate for the size of the village and comprise: A supermarket, a chemist, a hair and beauty alon, a newsagents/Post Office
, an Indian restaurant, a fast food shop, a cafe, a card and gift shop, a florists, a cycle shop and there is a community building Beeson House which houses the Parish Council, West Sussex County Council Southwater Community Library, Southwater Community Police Office and Southwater Youth Project. Recently Oakland Insurance Services have moved into Beeson House as well.
Southwater has three pubs; A new pub, the Lintot opened soon after the building of Lintot Square, The unusual name is a reference to Barnaby Bernard Lintot
(1675–1736),an early English publisher born in Southwater. There are also two more traditional pubs, the Hen and Chicken and the Cock Inn.
The village is home to a range of leisure facilities, including the Southwater Leisure Centre on Pevensey Road. The village boasts football, cricket, tennis, badminton, bowls, baseball and netball teams, who all compete at either a local or countywide level. Some of these teams are operated from Southwater Sports Club, located up Church Lane, opposite the church. In addition to running the sports club, the Leisure centre houses a well equipped gym available to both members and on a pay as you go basis, and a range of exercise classes.
Southwater Country Park is a 70 acre site located close to the centre of the village housing 3 lakes and many easy access paths and children can be entertained at the adventure playground. It also benefits from a visitor centre with information displays and a cafe. The site also houses Southwater Water Sports centre who are able to offer facilities for sailing and canoeing, and in addition kids can be entertained at the adventure playground. For those interested in cycling and walking, the country park and new village centre both have direct access to the Downs Link
footpath/cycleway. Other facilities on offer include southwater skate park.
church is the first Parish Church in the village of Southwater. The Church was consecrated by Ashurst Turner Gilbert
, Bishop of Chichester
, on 7 June 1850, and the parish was formed from part of Horsham Parish in the North and part of Shipley
Parish in the South.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Horsham
Horsham (district)
Horsham is a local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in Horsham. The district borders those of Crawley, Mid Sussex, Mole Valley, Chichester, Arun and Adur....
District of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with a population of roughly 10,000. The village is administered from the Horsham District Council
Horsham (district)
Horsham is a local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in Horsham. The district borders those of Crawley, Mid Sussex, Mole Valley, Chichester, Arun and Adur....
Offices. Much of the population of Southwater originated from the brick industry which thrived in the clay-pits until the 1980s. Following the closure of the brickworks, there was a project implemented to transform the area into a country park, which now stands as one of the major family attractions in the district.
In 2006 the centre of Southwater Village has been renewed at a cost of £25 million, and the investment has attracted substantial local business interest and has improved the village significantly for local residents. The amenities available in the new Lintot Square are now appropriate for the size of the village and comprise: A supermarket, a chemist, a hair and beauty alon, a newsagents/Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, an Indian restaurant, a fast food shop, a cafe, a card and gift shop, a florists, a cycle shop and there is a community building Beeson House which houses the Parish Council, West Sussex County Council Southwater Community Library, Southwater Community Police Office and Southwater Youth Project. Recently Oakland Insurance Services have moved into Beeson House as well.
Southwater has three pubs; A new pub, the Lintot opened soon after the building of Lintot Square, The unusual name is a reference to Barnaby Bernard Lintot
Barnaby Bernard Lintot
Barnaby Bernard Lintot , English publisher, was born at Southwater, Sussex, and started business as a publisher in London about 1698...
(1675–1736),an early English publisher born in Southwater. There are also two more traditional pubs, the Hen and Chicken and the Cock Inn.
The village is home to a range of leisure facilities, including the Southwater Leisure Centre on Pevensey Road. The village boasts football, cricket, tennis, badminton, bowls, baseball and netball teams, who all compete at either a local or countywide level. Some of these teams are operated from Southwater Sports Club, located up Church Lane, opposite the church. In addition to running the sports club, the Leisure centre houses a well equipped gym available to both members and on a pay as you go basis, and a range of exercise classes.
Southwater Country Park is a 70 acre site located close to the centre of the village housing 3 lakes and many easy access paths and children can be entertained at the adventure playground. It also benefits from a visitor centre with information displays and a cafe. The site also houses Southwater Water Sports centre who are able to offer facilities for sailing and canoeing, and in addition kids can be entertained at the adventure playground. For those interested in cycling and walking, the country park and new village centre both have direct access to the Downs Link
Downs Link
The Downs Link is a 36.7-mile footpath and bridleway linking the North Downs Way at St. Martha's Hill in Surrey with the South Downs Way near Steyning in West Sussex and on via the Coastal Link to Shoreham-by-Sea.- History :...
footpath/cycleway. Other facilities on offer include southwater skate park.
The Parish Church
Holy Innocents AnglicanAnglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church is the first Parish Church in the village of Southwater. The Church was consecrated by Ashurst Turner Gilbert
Ashurst Turner Gilbert
Ashurst Turner Gilbert was an English churchman and academic, Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford from 1822 and bishop of Chichester.-Life:...
, Bishop of Chichester
Bishop of Chichester
The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
, on 7 June 1850, and the parish was formed from part of Horsham Parish in the North and part of Shipley
Shipley
Shipley may refer to:Places in England*Shipley, Derbyshire*Shipley, West Sussex*Shipley, West Yorkshire**Shipley People*Ann Shipley, Canadian politician*Burton Shipley, first Maryland Tarrapins men's basketball coach...
Parish in the South.