[Sussex] Lesser-known seaside town locals say is 'cheaper Brighton' is UK's craft beer capital

[Soton Seagull]

Moved to Worthing 2 years back as one of those moving over from Brighton & Hove lot. B&H house prices utterly prohibitive if not moving down from London on a 6 figure salary so had a look around and settled on Worthing for price vs location.

We really like it. It is very different from the run down God's waiting room of my Childhood. Shopping main street still a bit underwhelming but the proliferation of nice cafes, micropubs (Fox & Finch, Brooksteed, Beer no evil etc) & restaurants mean that there are plenty of nice places to hang out; and a much calmer seafront.

Still go back to B&H a fair bit to catch up with friends and is only 15-20 mins away by train. Best of both worlds.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Not sure what there is to 'pity' about Brooklands. Clearly it's no longer the playground it was when we were kids, with the railway around the lake, waterfalls and paddling pools, massive kids playground and a pitch and putt course... but ...

It does have a brand new extensive play area for kids, a new cafe, and has been developed into a well thought out wildlife / open space, with acessible pathways and a mixture of planting / wilding which makes it feel like a little bit of coutryside near the sea.

We walk the dog there from time to time and it's always bustliong with people, the play park is very popular, the cafe busy and lots of families either with or without dogs.

In fact, in lookiong up the overall plan for the park, it is designed as



Plus towards the back of the park, there are some very nice areas to pick blackberries, which my dog Bruce really appreciates.

Brooklands Park Masterplan - Adur & Worthing Councils

Three key principles were distilled from the original concept and used to develop the masterplan: LEARNING: Brooklands Park will become an outdoor...

www.adur-worthing.gov.uk

We loved Brooklands as kids. Spent all day there. Took a picnic. Tore our swimming trunks on the concrete pools (were there water slides??). Marvelous.

 

[Nitram]

I used to live in Worthing many years ago, times of drinking at the Thieves Kitchen and post pub trouble at the taxi rank. Worthing used to have brilliant pubs like the Cider Bar, Wine Lodge, and Old England.

I return on occasions and it’s sad to see the department store gone and the shopping area looking sorry for itself, but the pedestrian area of Warwick street is a great improvement and Worthing has a few very good places to eat.
Goring Gap and the area up to Ferring is also untouched and as I remember.

Like Brighton there has been much development some good some bad.
I would not swop Brighton with Worthing but generally Worthing is heading in the right direction and overall a better place than when I was younger.

 

[Questions]

What about Brooklands ?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Brighton, Hove and Worthing Albion ?

 

[Questions]

Yes. The paddling pools, the climbing rocks, the boats you could hire on the lake, the 2 pitch 'n' putt courses, the go-karts, the par 3 golf course, the putting green, the miniature railway round the lake .... all gone.

Instead they've made it a sort of 'wild space' with contemplative walks and no vulgar entertainments. This would be great in somewhere like a large deprived inner-city, but as small-town Worthing has the Downs to the north and the sea to the south in wasn't a facility that was really needed. What we do need is somewhere for families to play; generations of Lancing and Worthing residents have happy memories of playing there as a family day out - walking around looking at long grasses isn't the same. Plus of course the Peter Pan playground was lost when they built the new swimming pool, so that's another family facility lost.

(At one stage they said the removal of the Brooklands facilities was 'temporary' as it was where the Rampion wind farm cables some ashore and they dug a lot of it up. But after construction was finished they just left it).

It’s a lovely walk now. I go there every morning.
It’s for local people and their local dogs

 

[Questions]

We loved Brooklands as kids. Spent all day there. Took a picnic. Tore our swimming trunks on the concrete pools (were there water slides??). Marvelous.

The kiddies park is better than it ever was.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

The kiddies park is better than it ever was.

Exactly. Brooklands is great now.

 

[Questions]

Exactly. Brooklands is great now.

I fed the ducks the moorhens the carp and even a couple of water rats came out for a nibble this morning

 

[Lush]

I moved to Worthing four years ago. Traded a two-up two-down two-even-further down house near Brighton station for a lovely seafront flat.

Like others have said, It may just be a sign of getting old, but on a bastard hot day in August, beaches are busy, everyone goes home and there's not a SCRAP of litter on the beach.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I moved to Worthing four years ago. Traded a two-up two-down two-even-further down house near Brighton station for a lovely seafront flat.

Like others have said, It may just be a sign of getting old, but on a bastard hot day in August, beaches are busy, everyone goes home and there's not a SCRAP of litter on the beach.

that wouldn't happen in Germany Brighton

 

[Brovion]

The kiddies park is better than it ever was.

The children's park is a bit better and the cafe is admittedly a lot better - but so what? There are loads and loads of children's playgrounds and parks with cafes all over Sussex, but there is nothing (and certainly nothing in the Worthing area) to match the overall selection of activities that Brooklands offered. Go-karts, boats, golf, a train and all the rest all in the same place.

Unless you are devoid of any sense of fun or an appreciation of what children enjoy I honestly can't believe that some people think that as a bit of scrubland it's better than what it used to be. In the summer holidays we often used to spend all day there, and on a sunny weekend in its heyday there would be 1,000 - 2,000 people there, maybe more. Now it's a fraction of that.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Done a stretch in Worthing once, I was the manager of the short lived William Hill in Montague St c1990 for about a year. Me and my good lady had just got together and we lived in Lyndhurst Rd in one room for about six months.
On reflection not sure why we didn’t settle there as we had nothing negative to say and generally had a nice time.

 

[South East Seagull]

Its astounding the change in Worthing (especially the town centre) over the past 5 years. Lots of new restaurants, bars etc.

Lots of new late night places as well, bars and pubs staying open to the early morning, especially along Warwick street. I've actually spoken to people who've came over from Brighton to Worthing for a night out - never would have happened 5/10 years ago.

Whilst the development of the town has made it undeniably a nicer place, the prices are ridiculous. I get that Londoners priced out of London move to Brighton and price out Brightonians who move to Worthing and price out whatever someone from Worthing is called, but it really is expensive now.

Also nothing has been done to accommodate children and teenagers. I'm genuinely not sure what they're meant to do for fun nowadays. Brooklands being the perfect example - taking away a fun pitch and putt, same with Rustington Golf which has sold theirs to property developers. The parks are in a state, football goals that are damaged, basketball hoops and courts which are unusable.

Good footy team though - good development of the stadium as the club grows. Could see them being a league side in 10 or so years.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Its astounding the change in Worthing (especially the town centre) over the past 5 years. Lots of new restaurants, bars etc.

Lots of new late night places as well, bars and pubs staying open to the early morning, especially along Warwick street. I've actually spoken to people who've came over from Brighton to Worthing for a night out - never would have happened 5/10 years ago.

Whilst the development of the town has made it undeniably a nicer place, the prices are ridiculous. I get that Londoners priced out of London move to Brighton and price out Brightonians who move to Worthing and price out whatever someone from Worthing is called, but it really is expensive now.

Also nothing has been done to accommodate children and teenagers. I'm genuinely not sure what they're meant to do for fun nowadays. Brooklands being the perfect example - taking away a fun pitch and putt, same with Rustington Golf which has sold theirs to property developers. The parks are in a state, football goals that are damaged, basketball hoops and courts which are unusable.

Good footy team though - good development of the stadium as the club grows. Could see them being a league side in 10 or so years.

Also, they need to bring back Peter Pan's Playground (originally) next to the Aquarena. Where splash point now is.

 

[Norman Potting]

I tell you what, the Dome pretty much sums up the revitalisation/reimagining of Worthing. Back in the 60s/70s the Dome was the epitome of the term 'flea pit'. There was just the one screen, and the whole pace had a dirty, run-down air. It was not a pleasant place to visit and more than once the Council considered demolition. Worthing itself as a whole could at best be described as 'gently boring'.

Now the Dome's had a complete new lease of life. It's not just that it's been done up, there's the second and third screens they added (don't know where they found the space), and the upstairs space in the dome itself. (We had my mum's 80th birthday there). It's a great place to visit - as is Worthing itself now which is way more interesting and varied than it used to be.

Pity about Brooklands, but I'll let that pass. (Newer residents won't know about it).

Is the Brookland lake and miniature railway still there?

 

[HeaviestTed]

We’ve been informally looking at Worthing as an option if we decide to sell as still deciding to extend or not.

Are there any areas / schools we should consider avoiding?

Looked at a few houses near St Andrews high school and also around Broadwater (grove and cissbury Road just off the parade) but don’t know the area at all.

Sounds like an episode of Kirsty and Phil’s love it or list it

 

[HeaviestTed]

Two words ladies and gents! Crab Shack

 

[BNthree]

I was in Worthing yesterday and was impressed with a shop that sold pies - and very little else. A nice bit of scran while we waited for our dog to be allowed to leave the vets

Where was this pie shop? Asking for a friend

 

[banjo]

Where was this pie shop? Asking for a friend

Turner’s pies in Broadwater?