Horsham Shops Museum Markets Theatre Cinema West Sussex UK

Horsham Award Winning Market Town

It's true what they say about Horsham, this is a delightfully charming and bustling market town always in bloom (the town is a Britain in Bloom award winner) and with a rich history evidenced by the number of historic buildings around Horsham town centre. Largely pedestrianised and with central market squares, in fine weather the streets of Horsham are lined with alfresco cafes and on Saturdays market stalls are out. Perfectly situated on the western edge of the High Weald AONB and within easy reach of a choice of picturesque market towns within the Horsham District, Horsham is also within easy reach of the South Downs AONB to the south west.

Horsham has its own station with three direct services running to London Victoria via Croydon, Crawley and Gatwick every hour. Horsham centre is home to a wide selection of independent shops and the historic Carfax area with bandstand is a top sport for Horsham events and festival performances. The bandstand sees frequent music performances which you can listen to seated in one of the many cafes in the area. Push south of the Carfax to Market Square and the Town Hall which dates from 1812 and beyond Horsham Museum the stunning Causeway is lined with 15th and 16th century houses. Find many of Horsham's alfresco continental styled cafes and restaurants around Carfax, Bishopric, Piries Place and Forum area near the bus station. The Forum is Horsham's newest shopping district boasting a central public plaza as centrepiece with more alfresco cafes. A dream for the independent shopper, Horsham's fine food and specialist arts and crafts shops are some of the best in Sussex. Find them alongside the alfresco cafes around Piries, Carfax and elsewhere in the centre. Horsham has a long history as a bustling market town and today the town has three markets no less on Saturdays including the fantastic local produce market in the Carfax. A comprehensive shopping guide plus a downloadable town map and history trail are available via the Visit Horsham webguide.

On the outskirts of the centre sits Horsham Park which includes the Pavilions in the Park Leisure Centre at its northern edge, a children's play area and a maze. Horsham's main arts centre is the acclaimed Capitol Theatre & Cinema with its distinctive glass front situated on North Street conveniently just south of Horsham station. You might just think after a visit to Horsham that this is one of the prettiest town centres you've ever seen. The combination of cobbled streets, historic architecture and market squares, alfresco cafes and restaurants, bustling open air markets, independent shops, a bandstand, arts centre and a delightful park on the centre's outskirts all serve to make Horsham utterly irresistible and one of the highlight towns in West Sussex not to be missed.

Horsham Tourist Information Centre, 9 The Causeway, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1HE. Tel. 01403 211661.

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Horsham Museum & Shelley Gallery

In the heart of Horsham's old town within a medieval timber framed building sits Horsham Museum. Inside you'll find 26 galleries exploring the local history of Horsham and the surrounding district. Also on-site are two walled gardens. Galleries cover topics such as the poet Shelley who was born in nearby Warnham in 1792, heralded after his death as one of the great English Romantic poets. The Shelley Gallery within the Horsham Museum is not to be missed for its rare collection of Shelley books. The museum's shop is well stocked with Shelley's poetry.

Other galleries guide you through a comprehensive social history of the area and include the Childhood Gallery, the Costume Gallery, the Georgian Room and Horsham Its History. The museum is superbly interactive for children and runs a number of summer holiday activities. For more details see the Horsham Museum's webguide with information on each of the galleries and the two walled gardens.

Horsham Museum, 9 Causeway, Horsham, West Sussex. Tel. 01403 254959. Open 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays. A choice of car parks are situated around the museum.

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Capital Arts Centre Film & Theatre Horsham

Recently refurbished, Horsham's centre for theatre and cinema The Capitol looks absolutely stunning with its new glass frontage. Originally an ABC Cinema which first opened in 1936, you can make out the original shape of the cinema's windows and front through the new glass. The effect is rather spectacular blending the original art-deco design of the cinema with creative new additions.

The performance programme at the Capitol is as exciting as the building's design. On Stage expect a breathtaking mix of drama, famous family musicals, regular comedy and an excellent programme of children's theatre. The cinema offers a superb mix of classic films, independent cinema and mainstream movies. A Pantomime comes along every Christmas and the Capitol Cafe serves up a fine choice of light snacks and fresh ground coffee. A lounge bar and an art gallery exhibiting the very latest in artistic talent are also on-site.

The Capital Arts Centre, North Street, Horsham RH12 1RG. Tel. 01403 750220 Monday to Friday from 9.45am to 7pm, Saturdays 9.30am to 7pm, Sundays 12.30 to 7pm. Or book in person at the Box Office which remains open 15 minutes after performances start.

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