Hidden Horsham - Horsham in 2008

Horsham Court sold in 2008 for £2.4m

Something Borrowed

The third page of the 2008 feature looks at the buildings that have been 'borrowed' or adapted in Horsham over the last ten years, adopting the wedding phrase of something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Rather than tear down old buildings and replace them with new ones one trend has been to adapt them. Of course this is environmentally sound and the new use of the building brings new life to it. There are examples all over the town and this page will highlight but a few

The Town or Provender Mill has its own feature page. It is an example of a working building that has changed in usage more than once. From its origins as a water powered mill and animal food store it was converted to a large family home before becoming derilict in 1975. Later, in 1990, it was converted to offices with the interior regretfully retaining no original features. At the time

Horsham Court

of writing (March 2008) the mill is for sale for £1m with a view to convert it to four residential units, one on each floor with a new four bedroom house at the end of the car park

Horsham Court changed hands in March 2008 for £2.4m and will retain its usage as 'start-up' and small but scaleable office units, some with retail frontage. Hidden Horsham knows nothing of its Victorian origins and would be pleased to here of any information

Capitol Theatre

Horsham's Capitol theatre opened as the Union Cinema on June 13, 1936 and was at one time going by the name of the Ritz. The current was name taken from the theatre that was where Boots and M&S are now - within Swan Walk. Whilst most of the exterior remains as the original it now has a glass frontage enclosing the foyer which has a cafe and box office. The original art deco features are intact except for one arched window which has been converted to a doorway. This gives access to a large balcony overlooking the new foyer. In the main theatre many of the interior features have been preserved

Perhaps the most controversial conversion, especially at the time of writing, is that of the (old) Town Hall. Whilst it would seem that most public opinion wanted the hall to remain as a public venue the council has opted to allow conversion to a restaurant. Time will tell whether this will be successful or not

Tanbridge House is also the subject of a separate feature. It was once a family home then a school and has now reverted back to residential use. The developers applied to demolish and replace it with a block of flats. Amid protests from previous occupants in the education world the application was rejected in favour of conversion to apartments.

Hewells Manor The old and the new

The toilet block and stables / music rooms were also converted. Neighbouring blocks of flats reflect some of the neo-Elizabethan styling of the main house

Hewells Manor, built by Nathaniel Tredcroft in 1704, is a Queen Anne style property in the Causeway. It became a school from 1920 until 1970. In 1973 the RSPCA acquired for their headquarters and remained there until c2003. The modern wings were removed and sympathetically styled apartment blocks built into what would be the back garden. Look closely into the eaves and you will see cleverly concealed bird boxes

The final chapter in this four page feature looks at 'something blue' where the town planners went wrong...

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