The Project

Discovering the past has always been something that I have been fascinated by. As you peel back the layers of our towns and cities you find out the story of how places developed from the very start. My name is Thomas Russell, a local historian and artist who is Horsham-born and bred. This project is one of them, never a dull moment in my life. Since 2020 I have been collecting information relating to how Horsham developed into its now familiar shape. It's about unpicking the past and translating it into a blog which is both interesting and intriguing. This project has been a labor of love and has been leading up to this point. 

Now as of 2024, it's time for me to give you full access to my ongoing project. Every road in Horsham is included within this Horsham Street by Street story. Some have been easy to research, whilst others have proved a nightmare. Depending on the documentary evidence there is to hand. Most of my references come from the West Sussex County Record Office in Chichester, the British Newspaper Archive and sources which I have picked up from the varied collection in the local studies section. But most of all I want to thank those who have given me a valuable list of developers from Horsham's more immediate past. As a member of the Memories of Horsham Facebook group, I am indebted to all the members who have shared their stories about their streets with me. 

I will never be able to uncover all the history relating to Horsham's roads, but I have done my very best to give you an insight into its name, developer, construction date and any fun stories connected with it. My research will focus on buildings and establishments within Horsham too. Places of Worship, Educational Institutions, Public buildings, and best of all pubs! 

Down below is a list of sources which I have used to put these blogs together.

British Newspaper Archives

UK Census 1841-1911

Local Directories

Horsham Title Deeds, WSRO

Horsham District Council Planning Portal

Horsham UDC Planning Register 1878-1922

Horsham UDC Council Meeting Minutes 1920-47

Horsham RDC Plans 1923-47

Horsham Tithe Map 1844

Horsham OS Maps 1870-1911

Land Registry (where possible)

Personal references from Memories of Horsham

To get a better idea of what the blog will look like fully here is a link to my other website. Which is Gloucester Street by Street. A place where I currently live and work. https://gloucesterstreetbystreet.blogspot.com/p/introduction-to-project.html