Activities in Worthing

Like any self-respecting English beach town, the pier is at the heart of the action in Worthing. And there’s plenty of action at Worthing Pier which dates back to the early 1800s. As well as hosting the Pavilion Theatre, the town’s leading cultural and events venue, the pier has an ice rink, a popular kitchen, bar and café with gorgeous beach views and also hosts a series of open-air events through the summer months. It’s right in the centre of Worthing Beach and Marine Parade, with plenty of nearby cafés, restaurants and attractions including the open-air Lido.

A few hundred metres west of the Pier is Splash Point Worthing, a large leisure centre with a wide range of fun and fitness options. As well as a 25m-long pool, an outside paddling pool and several flumes, there are plenty of water-based fitness activities as well including waterwalkerz, aquajets and aqua-aerobics. Plus, with a spa and café, it’s a great place to unwind while the kids (both big and little) tackle the flumes and swimming pools.

Set a few miles back from the coastline, Highdown Gardens is an expansive garden best seen in spring and summer. Just a few miles from our Arundel hotel, the gardens offer amazing views across the English channel and down towards the blooming flower beds covering a wide range of rare and exotic flowers and plants as well as more traditional varieties like daffodils and snowdrops. The gardens are free to enter and open year-round, with free car parking spaces and several signposted cycling and walking routes nearby.

Spread over more than 60 acres, Cissbury Ring is the second largest hill fort in the UK dating back 5,000 years. The hilltop location offers stunning views towards Brighton and the Isle of Wight and is also home to a series of mines and deep shafts, including one of the first flint mines in Britain. The area is rich in wildlife with migratory birds visible in spring and autumn and plenty of grazing ponies which have kept the chalkstone land in check over the centuries. While you can park a 20-minute walk from the Ring, the area is easily explored by a series of footpaths and bike trails and is just over three miles from Worthing’s town centre.

Spanning fine art, archaeology, social history and home to one of the largest costume collections in the UK, Worthing Museum & Art Gallery is well worth a visit. Right in the heart of Worthing next to the Assembly Hall and the library, the museum and gallery might be relatively small, but the Edwardian-era building is full of exhibits covering 55,000 years of history. Entry is free and it is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am-5pm. Whilst you’re there you can also check out the on-site shop.