A: A to Z History of Horsham’s Roads and Streets

09 January 2023

Street names can give us a window into a time gone by. They commemorate the people who have lived there, their livelihoods and accomplishments, as well as giving an insight into what was happening at the time.

Throughout 2023, we will be exploring the origins of some of Horsham’s road names. Throughout the journey, we hope to shed light on some of the personalities that have graced Horsham through the years, as well as sharing some of the stories of yesteryear. We have researched the stories in local libraries and archives to find the sources of these stories. If you have any anecdotes or information that you would like to add, please let us know!

Agate Lane

• Age: Pre 1900
• Postcode: RH12 4BE
• Length: Approximately 273 metres long
• Connected to: Treadcroft Drive, Havengate, Searle’s View, Rusper Road
• Nearest Schools: Littlehaven Infant School, North Heath Community Primary School, All Saints CofE Primary School
• Nearest Rail Stations: Littlehaven Station is 0.23 miles away, Horsham Station is 0.84 miles away

Agate Lane is named after the Agate family, who were well established local farmers and corn merchants in the area since the sixteenth century. The family owned Parsonage Farm, land in the local Rusper Road as well as a timber yard on North Street, near the train station. J & S Agates Ltd were formed in Warnham in the 1800s. 

Albery Close

• Age: 1950s
• Postcode: RH12 2HY
• Length: Approximately 46 metres long
• Connected to: Saxon Crescent
• Nearest Schools: Trafalgar Community Infant School, Greenway Academy, The College of Richard Collyer
• Nearest Rail Stations: Horsham Station is 0.88 miles away, Littlehaven Station is 1.21 miles away.

Albery Close was named after William Albery, who played a key role in the establishment of Horsham Museum. Albery was a sadler, who donated a significant haul of horse related items to the museum, as well as providing key documents and records about the local area. It is recorded that William Albery was also a keen musician, and co-founded the Recreation Silver Band in 1900.

Image of Horsham Museum Art Gallery provided by Dom Odell.

Alder Copse

• Age: 1950s
• Postcode: RH12 1LD
• Length: Approximately 126 metres long
• Connected to: Granary Way
• Nearest Schools: Arunside School, St John’s Catholic Primary School, Tanbridge House School
• Nearest Rail Stations: Christs Hospital Station is 0.89 miles away, Horsham Station is 1.31 miles away

Whilst no official record stands for why this road received the name Alder Copse, a row of trees in Denne Park is still referenced on maps as Alder Copse, so this might give a few clues as to the origin of this road name.  

Allcard Close

• Age: 1960s
• Postcode: RH12 5AJ
• Length: Approximately 124 metres
• Connected to: North Heath Lane
• Nearest Schools: North Heath Community Primary School, The College of Richard Collyer, Kingslea Primary School
• Nearest Rail Stations: Littlehaven Station is 0.57 miles away, Horsham Station is 0.62 miles away

Allcard Close derives its name from the Allcard family. The Allcard’s owned the Wimblehurst house in the early 1900s, as well as the nurseries which formed part of the Wimblehurst Nurseries. Wimblehurst was a large Italianate villa in the Sussex countryside built in 1856, but was demolished in 1963. Edward Allcard, 1820 - 1900, was a generous supporter of the original Horsham Cottage Hospital, and had a ward named after him.

Amberley Close and Amberley Road

• Postcode: RH12 4LL and RH12 4LJ
• Length: 161 metres and 368 metres respectively
• Connected to: Each Other, Greenfields Way, Glendale Close, Whitehorse Road
• Nearest Schools: St Robert Southwell Catholic Primary School, All Saints CofE Primary School, Littlehaven Infant School
• Nearest Rail Station: Littlehaven Station is 0.51 miles away, Horsham Station is 1.45 miles away

Amberley is a village and civil parish at the foot of the South Downs. The current Amberley Castle is over 900 years old, having been fortified in 1377. However, the first recorded structure on the site was erected in 1103 by the Bishop Ralph de Luffa. The village is also home to Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre, an industrial museum in the chalk pits. First founded in 1978, the museum covers a range of industrial and local heritage collections such as local buses and narrow gauge railways. It was also used as a location in the Bond film A view to a Kill, starring Roger Moore!

Photo of Amberley provided by by Murgatroyd49 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88768347

Amundsen Road

• Age: 1970s / 1980s
• Postcode: RH12 5GE
• Length: Approximately 382 metres long
• Connected to: North Heath Lane, Cook Road
• Nearest Schools: North Heath Community Primary School, Holbrook Primary School, All Saints CofE Primary School
• Nearest Rail Stations: Littlehaven Station is 0.47 miles away, Warnham Station is 0.92 miles away

Amundsen Road is one of the Horsham roads that derives its name from a figure of international significance, rather than through a local connection. Roald Amundsen was a Norwegian polar explorer who played a pivotal role in the ‘Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration’, and was leading the first group of explorers to successfully reach the South Pole, a feat they achieved in 1911. 

Photo of Roald Amundsen provided by Preus Museum Anders Beer Wilse - Preus Museum on Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17280456

Arthur Road

• Age: Pre 1900s
• Postcode: RH13 5NQ, RH13 5BQ, RH13 5BG
• Length: Approximately 225 metres long
• Connected to: Bedford Road, Brighton Road
• Nearest Schools: Littlehaven Educational Trust, St Mary’s CofE Primary School, The Forest School
• Nearest Rail Stations: Horsham Station is 0.37 miles away, Littlehaven Station is 1.41 miles away

Arthur Road was named after the seventh child of Queen Victoria, Arthur the Duke of Connaught. Arthur served as the Governor General of Canada, as well as the Earl of Sussex. He was Queen Victoria’s last surviving son, having died at the age of 91 in 1942. 

Arun Way 

• Postcode: RH13 5DD, 
• Length: 243 metres long
• Connected to: Brighton Road
• Nearest Schools: Littlehaven Educational Trust, The Forest School, St Mary’s CofE (Aided) Primary School
• Nearest Rail Station: Horsham Station is 0.60 miles away, Littlehaven Station is 1.59 miles away

The 37 mile long River Arun starts from streams in St Leonards Forest, and is the longest river to be completely in Sussex. It goes out to the English Channel at Littlehampton, and is one of the fastest flowing rivers in England. The river features the Wey and Arun Canal, which connects the River Wey to the River Arun. The idea to connect these two rivers was first suggested in 1641, however it was not until the 3rd Earl of Egremont in 1810 promoted the idea that construction began.

Ashleigh Road

• Age: Pre 1938
• Postcode: RH12 2LF and RH12 2LE
• Length: Approximately 336 metres long
• Connected to: Pondtail Road, April Close, Hawthorn Close, Fay Road, Wimblehurst Road
• Nearest Schools: The College of Richard Collyer, North Heath Community Primary School, Trafalgar Community Infant School
• Nearest Rail Stations: Horsham Station is 0.66 miles away, Littlehaven is 0.84 miles away

Ashleigh Road can trace its name back to the fourteenth century. The de Esshely family, later known as the Ashleigh family, owned property in the area since the 1300s. A large house used to occupy the exact region, and was known as Ashleigh. At one point in history, Ashleigh house was owned by the local prominent Lintott family. The large house was later demolished, and was replaced by houses in the 1960s. 

Athelstan Way

• Age: 1960s
• Postcode: RH13 6HA
• Length: 175 metres
• Connected to: Weald Close, Paget Close, Higgins Way
• Nearest Schools: Littlehaven Educational Trust, The Forest School, QEII Silver Jubilee School
• Nearest Rail Stations: Horsham Station is 0.66 miles away, Littlehaven Station is 1.63 miles away.

Athelstan Way was named by Stan Parsons, who was affectionately known as ‘Mr Horsham’ in the twentieth century. Athelstan Way has a Saxon influence, similar to other Saxon-derived road names such as Aylwn, Cedric and Hengist. Athelstan was the King of the Anglo-Saxons from 924 to 927, and King of the English from 927 until his death in 939. He is hailed by historians as among the greatest Anglo-Saxon kings, who helped to centralise government power as well as playing an important role in European relations. 

Athelstan era coins