Offington

Coordinates: 50°50′02″N 0°23′20″W / 50.83382°N 0.38886°W / 50.83382; -0.38886

Offington
Stable Mews, one of the remaining parts of Offington Hall
Offington  Offington shown within West Sussex
OS grid reference	TQ135050
District	Worthing Borough
Shire county	West Sussex
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WORTHING
Dialling code	01903
Police	Sussex
Fire	West Sussex
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	East Worthing and Shoreham
List of places: UK • England • West Sussex

Offington is a neighbourhood of the Borough of Worthing in West Sussex, England. It lies on the A2031 road 1.6 miles (2.5 km) northwest of the town centre.

Today, the area is a residential suburb of Worthing. Offington was part of the parish of Broadwater and became part of the borough of Worthing in 1902. It is possibly best known for its large manor house, which survived from medieval times to the 1960s

Etymology

Offington means Offa's farmstead.^[1] Offington's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin. The name 'Offa' would have been relatively common in the Saxon era and there is no no evidence to suggest that the name is derived from King Offa of Mercia, although it is possible that Offa took control over the Kingdom of Sussex in the eighth century. In 1086, in the Domesday Book, the settlement was known as Ofintune.

History

In the mid-eleventh century, Offington was held by Godwin, Earl of Wessex.^[2] Following the successful Norman invasion of 1066, Offington, along with neighbouring settlements became part of the rape of Bramber.

Offington Manor House was apparently recorded in 1357. By the mid 15th century there was a large complex of buildings including at least one courtyard, a chapel, a guest-house, and a gate-house. Offington was home to Thomas West, 8th Baron De La Warr and his son Thomas West, 9th Baron De La Warr. The 8th Baron West was also buried in Broadwater's Parish Church. In the 1850s, Thomas Gaisford extended the house further, including a new library and a chapel. The chapel became Worthing's chief place of Roman Catholic worship until the building of Worthing first Catholic church, St Mary of the Angels.^[3]

There is a local legend that a tunnel containing buried treasure led from Offington House to the ancient hill fort of Cissbury to the north and was protected by a serpent.^[4]

The former outbuilding of Offington Manor, the Old Brewhouse in Hall Close is grade II listed.^[5] Said to date from 1150, the present structure is probably mainly 16th-17th century. Also the 18th century former stables of Offington Hall remain and are grade II listed.^[5] They are now known as Offington Hall Riding School in Hall Avenue.

Actor Roger Moore was evacuated to Offington and lived with a family in Shirley Drive during the Second World War.

References

1. ^ Glover, Judith (1997), Sussex Place-Names: Their Origins and Meanings Countryside Books ISBN 978-1853064845
2. ^ http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=18219 Date accessed: 24 May 2009
3. ^ http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=18219
4. ^ Simpson, Jacqueline, "Folklore of Sussex" (2002) Tempus ISBN 978-0752424699
5. ^ ^{a b} http://www.worthing.gov.uk/worthings-services/planningandbuildingcontrol/planningpolicy/conservationareasandlistedbuildingregister/listedbuildingregister/