ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <title>The Forum - Hidden Horsham</title> <meta name="keywords" content="Horsham The Forum, Hidden Horsham, Francis Frith, Horsham photos"> <meta name="description" content="Horsham The Forum. Photos on Hidden Horsham reveal architectural and structural detail that the eye normally misses."> <link rel="icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="http://www.hiddenhorsham.co.uk/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="Stylesheet" href="/styles/style.css" type="text/css"> </HEAD> <BODY> <A NAME="TOP"></A> <TABLE class="wideness" border=0><TR><TD> <A HREF="/index.htm"> <IMG SRC="/images/topbanner.jpg" alt="click to go to the home page" border=0> </A> </TD> </TR> <TR><TD><iframe class=head scrolling="no" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="/menu/menuhh.htm"></iframe></TD></TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE ALIGN="right" border=0> <TR> <TD class=strip></TD> <TD VALIGN="TOP" WIDTH="120"> <IFRAME class=menu SCROLLING="no" FRAMEBORDER="0" MARGINHEIGHT="0" MARGINWIDTH="0" SRC="/menu/menu.htm"></IFRAME> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <H2>Hidden Horsham - The Forum</H2> <TABLE class=thumbs align=left><TR><TD> <A HREF="/images/hh/full/78.jpg" target="_blank"> <IMG class=edge SRC="/images/hh/page/78.jpg" alt="Hidden Horsham, The Sundial" width=296 height=162 border=0></A> </TD></TR> <TR><TD><P class=c> The Sundial in the Forum</P> </TD></TR> </TABLE> <P>The Forum was developed in the space between Blackhorse Way and Sainsburys and provides recreational areas and more shops to expand the town centre. The sundial was unveiled by Her Majesty The Queen on the 24<SUP>th</SUP> of October, 2003. Aerial photos on Google Maps and Local.Live have not yet been updated to show the new development. For posterity the aerial views currently available (May 2008) have been saved on this site. To see up to date aerial views you will need to go to Virtual Horsham, see external links below</P> <P>The £22m redevelopment began on the 7<SUP>th</SUP> of May, 2002 and also included the new multi-storey car park, affordable housing and the bus station. Some of the 65 new homes were reserved for key workers such as nurses and teachers. The much-loved weeping beech tree was carefully guarded during the work and still takes pride of place in the Forum. A cycle route runs in parallel with Blackhorse Way, via Furneaux Walk, from The Causeway to the <A HREF="/89/horshamlibrary.htm">library</A></P> <TABLE BORDER=0 class=thumbs> <TR> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/78a.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/78a.jpg" alt="google maps view in 2008" border=0 width=150 height=150></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/78a.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/78b.jpg" alt="aerial view local.live in 2008" border=0 width=150 height=150></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/78c.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/78c.jpg" alt="the flats above Beales in the setting sunlight" border=0 width=150 height=150></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/78d.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/78d.jpg" alt="view across The Forum as it dries after rainfall" border=0 width=150 height=150></A></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <P>The <A HREF="/93/horshamsundial1.htm">sundial, which has its own extensive feature,</A> is another work of art from Lorne McKean to add to the flying swans in <A HREF="/48/swanwalk.htm">Swan Walk</A> and the donkey and cart in Piries Place; both crafted in bronze. The piece was sponsored by Sainsbury's and Allders* once again in bronze with the cost put at £160,000. In the plinth of the the 9 foot diameter sundial the Horsham Time Capsule was installed, put together to mark the Millennium. Unlike many capsules, this one was planned to be view through a glass panel - this never happened, instead it is buried somewhere in the plinth</P> <P>Allders went bankrupt and the site is now occupied by Beales</P> <TABLE BORDER=0 class=thumbs> <TR> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/78e.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/78e.jpg" alt="Christmas 2006" border=0 width=150 height=150></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/78f.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/78f.jpg" alt="The water feature, popular in the hot weather" border=0 width=150 height=150></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/78g.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/78g.jpg" alt="the lifts giving access to the car park and flats" border=0 width=150 height=150></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/78h.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/78h.jpg" alt="the Sundial on a snowey morning, 24th Jan 2007" border=0 width=150 height=150></A></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <P>The sundial features references to the dinosaur remains at Rudgwick and Southwater, the influence of Saxons and Romans, the bronze age at Chanctonbury Hill, of St Cuthman at Steyning, myths and legends of the forests, the Quakers, Shipley Mill and Hilaire Belloc, the Knights Templar, the Carthusian Monastery at Cowfold, Percy Bysshe Shelley and his cat, and much more</P> <P>The development was dedicated on the 25<SUP>th</SUP> of July, 2003 when the Chairman of Horsham District Council, Cllr Vivien Lyth, laid the stone in the centre of the works which were still underway</P> <P>The Forum was used by What Car? magazine in a photo shoot of three superminis on the 24th August 2007. At the time of writing this feature (2008) the area is about to undergo a 30 week repair programme to stop water leaks into the lower car parks; Dec 2010 update: the works are still underway but suspended to allow free access for Christmas shopping</P> <TABLE BORDER=0 class=info > <TR><TD width=19%><P>Fact File</P></TD><TD width=27%><P>Location: <A HREF="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=RH12+1PQ&ie=UTF8&ll=51.062504,-0.331993&spn=0.008455,0.014184&z=16" target="_blank">RH12 1PQ</A></P></TD><TD width=27%><P> Build Date: 2003</P></TD><TD width=27%><P> Listed: no</P></TD></TR></TABLE> <BR> <TABLE BORDER=0 class=info > <TR><TD><P>External Links:</P> <P class=vh>Visit Horsham: <A HREF="http://www.visithorsham.co.uk/Location/The_Forum.aspx" target="_blank">The Forum</A></P> <P>Virtual Horsham: <A HREF="http://www.virtualhorsham.co.uk" target="_blank">Aerial view of Horsham, including The Forum</A></P> <P>Horsham District Council: <A HREF="http://www.horsham.gov.uk/your_area/News/news_1756.asp" target="_blank">Another Milestone In The Redevelopment Of Horsham Town Centre</A></P> <P>Horsham District Council: <A HREF="http://www.horsham.gov.uk/your_area/News/news_8979.asp" target="_blank">Works at The Forum</A></P> <P>West Sussex County Times: <A HREF="http://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/news/Royal-seal-of-approval-for.684687.jp" target="_blank">Royal seal of approval for visit</A></P> <P>West Sussex County Times: <A HREF="http://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/news/Photo-shoot-at-town-site.3146007.jp" target="_blank">Photo shoot at town site</A></P> </TD></TR> </TABLE> <H3><A HREF="/77/englishfestival.htm" class=opac><IMG SRC="/images/back.gif" alt="click for the previous image" border=0></A><A HREF="/79/canada.htm" class=opac><IMG SRC="/images/fwd.gif" alt="click for the next image" border=0></A></H3> <HR> <P>Contributions, comments and suggestions are welcomed. 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