Broadwater, West Sussex

Broadwater is a neighbourhood of the Borough of Worthing in West Sussex, England.[2] Situated between the South Downs and the English Channel, Broadwater was once a parish in its own right and included Worthing when the latter was a small fishing hamlet. Before its incorporation into the Borough of Worthing in 1902 Broadwater also included the manor of Offington to the north. It borders Tarring to the west, Sompting to the east, and East Worthing to the south-east.

Broadwater
Broadwater Church
Broadwater Location within West Sussex
Population	9,373 (2011.Ward)[1]
OS grid reference	TQ145044
District	Worthing
Shire county	West Sussex
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WORTHING
Postcode district	BN14 0
Dialling code	01903
Police	Sussex
Fire	West Sussex
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	East Worthing and Shoreham

Broadwater Green

Broadwater is centred on a large triangular grassy area known as 'Broadwater Green' there is a small cricket pavilion to the south side which is home to the Broadwater Cricket Club the oldest cricket club in Worthing who have been playing on the green since 1771. It is also used during the year for various events and activities. A fair visits the Green every year in the early summer, and the Broadwater Festival, held in July, is centered on the green.

Shops and pubs

Broadwater Road runs south from the south east corner of the Green. There is a parade of shops including a traditional sweet shop, a cake decorating and party supplies shop, a florist, a small supermarket, a convenience store, a furniture shop, two hairdressers, a pharmacy, a pet shop, a few charity shops and a doctors surgery. An independent continues to trade despite competition from large local supermarkets. Broadwater is also home to some fast food outlets and one contemporary Indian restaurant. Two pubs are also located in the main parade of shops: a traditional pub, The Cricketers and a more contemporary style bar, The Broadwater.

From the church, Broadwater Road continues southwards towards Worthing town centre and Broadwater Street East branches off to connect to Sompting Road. Another pub, Ye Olde House At Home is in the road along with another small row of shops. The land to the north, as far as the A27, is residential. South Broadwater stretches in the opposite direction, also mainly residential.

Church and past residents

At the southern end of the parade of shops is Broadwater Church. Two well-known authors and naturalists, William Henry Hudson and Richard Jefferies are buried in Worthing and Broadwater Cemetery off South Farm Road. The eccentric philanthropist Ann Thwaytes lived at the now-demolished mansion of Charmandean from 1841 to 1866. Former Chief Inspector Walter Dew, CID of Scotland, was married in the church to Florence Idle in 1928: he was the chief investigator in the Crippen murder case, having previously investigated the Whitechapel murders ('Jack the Ripper').[3][4][5]

Education

There are nine schools in Broadwater, Broadwater C of E Primary School, Downsbrook Primary School, Springfield Infant School, Whytemead Primary School, Bramber Primary School, the private Lancing College Prep School Worthing (formerly Broadwater Manor School), St Andrew's High School, Worthing High, Davison High School and Bohunt School Worthing

Cricket on Broadwater Green

References

1. "Worthing Ward population 2011". Retrieved 17 October 2015.
2. Ordnance Survey (2003), Brighton and Lewes (Landranger Map 198), Ordnance Survey, ISBN 978-0-319-22820-3
3. Bundock, Mike (2000). Herne Bay Clock Tower: A descriptive history. Herne Bay: Pierhead Publications. ISBN 9780953897704
4. Friends of Broadwater and Worthing Cemetery: Broadsheet, Issue 10, Spring 2011 "Ann Thwaytes" by Rosemeary Pearson, p.11.
5. The Annotated I Caught Crippen: Memoirs of Ex-Chief Inspector Walter Dew, CID of Scotland Yard, ed. with an introduction by Nicholas Connell (Mango Books, 2018), n. 108.