Protecting the park
We are committed to safeguarding Horsham Park so it can be enjoyed by all, now and in the future.
In 2025, we successfully registered the park as an Asset of Community Value, providing protection for the next five years. The application process created a wonderful record of how much the park is loved and used by people across our community – evidence we all knew existed, but is valuable to have documented.
Looking ahead, one of our key aims is to secure protection in perpetuity through the Fields in Trust scheme, ensuring Horsham Park remains a treasured green space for generations to come.
Horsham Park – Timeline
Park House: The beginning (1701)
1701 – John Wicker builds Park House around the core of a medieval burgage house known as ‘Cockmans’, which had been struck by lightning and badly damaged that summer. Park House is now a Grade II* listed building.
1800s – Robert Hurst purchases Park House, its garden, and the surrounding parkland following the enclosure of Horsham Common in 1813.
The Park Becomes Public (1914-1928)
1914-1918 – During the First World War, the park hosts events, activities, and fundraising, later serving as a venue for celebrations marking the end of the war.
1927 – Colonel A R Hurst approaches Horsham Urban Council with an offer to sell Park House, its gardens, and a portion of the current park.
1928 – The purchase is finalised. Taxpayers are asked to contribute an additional 1d (one penny) in tax to make this public space possible.
The Park Grows (1934-1970s)
1934 – Horsham’s first swimming pool opens in the park.
1938 – Land is requisitioned for a casualty centre during the Second World War; after the war, this becomes the park nursery.
1949 – Additional land is purchased, expanding the park further.
1970s – A sports centre is built, which later becomes the bowling alley and eventually the Rec Rooms.
1981 – An indoor swimming pool replaces the original unheated outdoor pool.
Modern Developments (1991-Present)
1991 – Park House ‘sensory garden’ is created, featuring a central sundial sculpture designed by local artist John Skelton.
1999 – The Human Nature Garden is built on the site of the old putting green.
2000 – The Millennium Maze opens, with a bronze dragon sitting at its centre.
2001 – The skatepark is created.
2002 – Pavilions in the Park replaces the swimming pool, and a larger playground is built.
2008 – The nursery school is relocated and the area is returned to parkland, with a volleyball court added.
2014 – Horsham’s first Parkrun takes place, beginning a popular weekly tradition.
2016 – High Places adventure play area opens.
2017 – A temporary ice rink replaces the volleyball court; this area is later grassed over.
2018 – Two new gym pods are installed, replacing the ‘trim trail’ around the edge of the park.
2019 – Poets’ Corner is created next to Park House.
2019 – The old bandstand raised bed is transformed into a bee-friendly flowerbed, complete with a bug hotel.
2025 – Horsham Park is registered as an Asset of Community Value.
A Living Legacy
From its origins as private parkland to becoming a cherished public space, Horsham Park has continuously evolved to meet the needs of our community. Each addition and improvement reflects the park’s enduring role as a vital green space at the heart of Horsham.
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Learn more
Would you like to read more about Horsham Park? If so, you might be interested in the following:
- Notes on the park extracted from seven volumes of a History of Horsham – kindly contributed by Jeremy Knight, Horsham Museum and Art Gallery: Horsham Park Notes by Jeremy Knight
- An article about the Park by Maggie Weir Wilson, local author of ‘Secret Horsham‘ : Horsham Park 2017 by Maggie Weir Wilson – Although there have been changes to the park since the original article was written, it gives an excellent overview of the park’s development.