Worthing Off The Beaten Path Tips by biggeorge

Highdown Hill

Hill just north of Goring/Durrington , has the remains of another Iron Age hill fort like Chanctonbury and Cissbury. There have been several archaeological finds up there and a number of local legends make it yet another haunted Sussex hill.
Also famous for the Millers Tomb ,containing the local miller John Oliver who died in 1793 ,and who insisted on being buried upside down. ( as well as not in a churchyard)
Apparently if you run 7 times round the hill he'll appear and chase you himself.

Salvington Mill

Its an old wooden wind mill ,restored sveral times ,they never get any tourists at all so they'll probably give you the grand tour.
Its on the corner of Mill Lane and Furze Road in High Salvinton ( north of the a27)

Cissbury Ring

Iron age hillfort on the top of Cissbury Hill , the actual hill was occupied much longer with the remains of Neolithic flint mines ,but now the preserve of dog-walkers and the occasional flasher. Good place to go to watch the sun come up on New Years Day though the woods on the Findon Valley side of the hill are a favourite spot for suicides.

Clapham Woods - Weird ,Weird ,Weird

One of the most haunted places in England ,not really recommended after dark ,peoples dogs used to go missing up there.Theres a the ruins of a few cottages and the picture below was found in a disused manor house used by the " friends of hecate " who are a charming little bunch.

Yes, Clapham just north of Worthing on the A27 and is the counties most charming devil worshipping village.
The single oak tree guarding the entrance to the wood and the crater nothing grows in are particular highlights but be carefull! As well as numerous cats and dogs the local vicar vanished in the woods in 1979 and they only found his body three years later.
Dogs also have a habit of foaming at the mouth and running round in circles in particular parts.

Another dubious attraction of the wood is the intersection of 4 footpaths just outside the village itself where a number of dogs have disspaeared and visitors sometimes complain of vertigo and feeling dizzy.

Other interesting things reported include people's being " steered " into the trees while driving along the A27, the fact it was cursed in 1288 by Robert le Faulconer who said " I call upon She who knows to damn this accursed villageand all its meagre holdings, may the preisthood of this false god soon come to know their fate" which was nice of him! Plus a spate of unexplained fires in the 70's and 80's.

Personally the most eerie thing about his wood is that there is very little wildlife and unlike everywhere else on the downs in parts of the wood you don't hear any birds. This and the cases of PC Goldsmith and Leon Foster in 72 and 75 who appeared to have lain down and died in the wood ,not eating for several days before dying means theres not a chance of me ever going up there anytime soon.

However things have been quieter recently so if you fancy scaring the crap out of yourself come on down its an evenings fun for the whole family ( but probably not your pets)

Chanctonbury Ring

A ring of trees on the site of a hill fort between Worthing and Steyning ,good views of the county but known locally as a " witches circle" . Apparently created when the devil tried to drown Sussex after it's conversion to Christianity by digging Devils Dyke , Cissbury and Chanctonbury hills being the piles of upturned earth. Apparently if you run round it seven times anti clockwise the devil will offer a bowl of soup in exchange for your soul ( don't know what flavour, better not be Broccoli ),and is still used by Sussex's pagan community to sacrifice people's cats ( they sacrifice dogs in Clapham , there's a big rivalry), and people wonder why theres so many missing pets here!
So if you see a load of people wearing robes and dancing about don't worry it's not the KKK ( unless you're a cat!)

East Worthing , Hide and Seek

Park your car anywhere east of homefield park ,leave it for a couple of hours and then try and find it again.

Top Tip: It'll be burnt out up on the downs somewhere.

Maybridge Estate - Art Installation

Park your car in the Maybridge Estate , in Durrington near Tesco's , leave it for a few days and it will become a totally free modern art exhibit. Your car will be transformed by the removal of various parts and decoration by the " Jedi Knights" gang in spray paint and human excretion.