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THE WORTHING SOCIETY – THE BLUE PLAQUE TRAIL AND LEAFLETS Promoting our Heritage The Blue Plaque Trail LEAFLETS 1. Beach House (1820) Brighton Road 2. Jane Austen (1775-1817) Stanford Sq. 3. St. Pauls (1812-2012) Chapel Road 4. Philp McCutchan (1920-1996) 107 Portland Road 5. Harold Pinter (1930-2008) 14 Ambrose Place 6. Gladys Morgan (1898-1983) 30 Salisbury Road 7. W.H.Hudson (1841-1922) 8 Bedford Row 8. Dr Frederick Dixon (1799 – 1849) Union PlaceC 9. Alma Cogan (1932-1966) – 29 Lansdowne Road 6 Sandell Building, Station Road 1 Beach House (Built in 1820) Brighton Road Opened by The London and South Coast Railway 3 Plaques: as the first Worthing Station on Nov 25th 1845. - King Edward VII (1841-1910) Stayed in The Worthing Threatened with demolition in 1971 and later 1907/8/9/10 restored by Frank Sandell and Sons (Worthing Ltd.) - Edward Knoblock (1874-1945) Playwright of in 1988. Society “Kismet” lived here 1917-1923 - In 1937 provided sanctuary for 60 refugee children fleeing the destruction of Guernica during Conserving, Preserving the Spanish Civil War 7 Henfrey Smail (1909-1979) 6 Landsdowne Cl THE WORTHING Naturalist , writer on transport history and Leaflet available describing the History of the House and Worthing’s leading local historian lived in this house from its completion in 1930 until his death. Safeguarding our Heritage 2 Harold Pinter (1930-2008)14 Ambrose Place SOCIETY Playwright Actor and Director lived here 1962-1964 Leaflet available describing his life 8 Gladys Morgan (1898-1983) 30 Salisbury Rd 3 St Pauls (1812-2012) Chapel Road. Comedienne, Star of Stage, Radio, and TV lived Designed by John Biagio Rebecca and here from 1958 to 1983. consecrated in 1812 as a Chapel-of-Ease to St Leaflet available describing her life Mary’s Broadwater. Created a Parish Church in THE BLUE PLAQUE 1893 and dedicated to St. Paul. A place of Anglican worship until 1995 and now a TRAIL 9 . W.H.Hudson (1841-1922) 8 Bedford Row Community Centre. Writer on Countryside matters stayed here and at Leaflet available describing the History of the Building No. 14 on various occasions from June 1918. Leaflet available describing his life 4 Jane Austen (1775-1817) Novelist stayed here at Stanford Cottage (Now 10 Private William Cooper, Cranmer Road Pizza Express in Stanford Square, off Warwick 24th Regiment of Foot who fought the gallant Street) from 18th September 1805 to the year end. Zulus at Rourke’s Drift 1879 lived and died here. A heritage trail through the town taking Leaflet available describing her visit to Worthing in those sites where a Blue Plaque has been 5 Warnes (Built in 1899) Marine Parade Provident House, Grafton Road erected to commemorate notable people, 11 2 Plaques: Formerly the Worthing Soup Kitchen 1892-1922 buildings, or events in the town’s history. - George Warne (1864-1916), an early motoring Erected by The Worthing Provident Relief Society enthusiast who, in 1899, promoted his new hotel and designed by A.T.Cooke. For more information about the Society as The Motorist’s Mecca and its activities go to our Web Site at: - Famous visitors included King Edward VII, King 12 Philip McCutchan (1920-1996), 107 Portland Rd George V, Emperor Haille Selassie, Winston Author of Contemporary Thrillers and Historical www.worthingsociety.org.uk Churchill, General Montgomery, General Military Fiction lived here from 1963 to 1996. Eisenhower and John Philip Sousa. Closed in Leaflet available describing his life Reg. Charity No. 286899 1985 and burned down in 1987. WORTHING SOCIETY - THE BLUE PLAQUE TRAIL WORTHING SOCIETY - THE BLUE PLAQUE TRAIL MAP 1 6 2 7 7 3 2 1 8 3 4 3 2 1 9 4 10 5 11 12 The Worthing Society Conserving, Preserving and Safeguarding our Heritage Heritage Leaflet No: 1 BEACH HOUSE S a AUSTEN f e STENYBEACH g HOUSE u a r d (c 1820) i This is the first of a series of leaflets being n produced by the Worthing Society g to accompany the plaques erected throughout the Town to commemorate notable people, buildings, o and events in the town’s history. u For more information about the Society r and its activities go to our Web Site at: www.worthingsociety.org.uk H For Membership Enquiries please contact Membership Secretary Susan Miller on 01903 219884 Reg. Charity No. 286899 e r Beach House is one of the last surviving Beach-Side villas with iron gates to separate the house from the Brighton The picture shows the of the Regency Period. Built in 1820 it has been home to a Road. unveiling ceremony by the Deputy Mayor of Worthing, wide diversity of people and organizations and still Christine Brown (right) and His visitors included remains an outstanding example of Regency architecture. Maria Teresa Grijalba, one Arnold Bennett , of the original evacuees It was designed by John Biagio Rebecca, the architect J.B. Priestley , and Sir who travelled over from responsible for the design of a number of buildings in Compton Mackenzie Venezuela especially for the event. Worthing including the town’ s first large church (when the House was (St.Paul’s) and Castle Goring (for the poet, Percy Bysshe converted into flats in After the war Worthing Council wanted to demolish the Shelley). The original owner of the building was a Mr. 1982 the names of these authors, together with Rebecca House but due to the determined opposition of local Robert Carey Elwes who sold the house in 1846 to Sir and Ayrton, were given to the flats) A blue plaque groups led by Pat Baring of the local Civic Society a Public Frederick Adair Roe, Chief Magistrate of the Bow Street commemorating Knoblock’s stay in the House can be Enquiry was held in 1948 and as a result a Preservation Office and head of the Bow Street Runners , London’s found on the right hand side of the entrance to the Order was served under the Town and Country Planning Police Force. After his death his wife continued to live in building.(see map overleaf) act of 1947. However the Building continued to the house until she died in 1876 when it was sold to Sir deteriorate due to neglect until, in 1982, it was sold to a In 1927 the House was sold to Worthing Corporation and Robert Loder, Conservative Member of Parliament for private developer who converted the building into 7 flats. served as a temporary Town Hall from 1929 – 1933 and as New Shoreham. He died in 1888 and the House passed to Since then it has been well maintained and remains one the headquarters of the Air Training Corps during the his son , Sir Edmund Giles Loder who lived there until of the few buildings left in the Town to remind us of our Second World War. 1911 . Between 1907 and 1910 King Edward VII stayed at past heritage. It now has Grade II* Listed status. the House several times while visiting Sir Edmund Loder During the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Beach House was As important as the House is itself, its setting is equally and his family. A blue plaque commemorating these used to house children evacuated from their homes in the important. visits can be found on the left hand side of the entrance Basque province of Biscay. The children were fleeing to the building. (see map overleaf). The grounds used to provide bombing and starvation after the destruction of the town an uninterrupted view from of Guernica by the Nazi Luftwaffe. They were supported When he moved from the House, Sir Edmund offered it to the sea with the House and cared for entirely by local volunteers. Worthing Council for the sum of £16,000 but the deal fell framed by plantations of through and for some years Beach House was left vacant. rd On the 23 May 2007 a blue plaque commemorating elm, ilex and Sycamore. (see During the First World War it was used as a doll-making their stay in the House was erected on the right hand picture above) but over the years there has been factory for the employment of refugees. side of the steps leading to the building’s entrance by encroachment into this open space and a significant loss Worthing Council and “the Basque Children of ’37 of trees. It remains at risk from Council Planners but any In 1917 the House was bought by the playwright , Edward Association UK” (see map overleaf) attempt at further encroachment is met by vigorous Knoblock (1874 – 1945) who used the proceeds from his resistance from local residents, conservation groups and play “Kismet” to purchase and refurbish the House with English Heritage who take an active interest in the the help of the architect, Maxwell Ayrton, who had been Building and its setting. a pupil of Lutyens. Ayrton added a new forecourt and wall The Worthing Society Conserving, Preserving and Safeguarding our Heritage Heritage Leaflet No: 2 JANE AUSTEN S a STENYBEACH f e HOUSE g u a r d (1775-1817) i This is the second of a series of leaflets being n produced by the Worthing Society g to accompany the plaques erected throughout the Town to commemorate notable people, buildings, o and events in the town’s history. u For more information about the Society r and its activities go to our Web Site at: www.worthingsociety.org.uk H For Membership Enquiries please contact Membership Secretary Susan Miller on 01903 219884 Reg. Charity No. 286899 e 219884m r Jane Austen, one of the greatest writers in the English Downstairs, a central hallway divided four square Austen scholar Deirdre le Faye suggests that perhaps it language, arrived at Stanford Cottage Worthing, on rooms, whose attractive south-facing bow-windows was during these autumn evenings that Jane made a Wednesday 18th September 1805.