About Aldingbourne

Aldingbourne Parish

Aldingbourne is believed to have got its name from Elda, a Saxon chieftain, and means Elda’s home by the stream. The parish is on the western boundary of Arun District where it borders Chichester District and includes the villages of Aldingbourne and Westergate together with the hamlets of Lidsey, Norton, Nyton, and Woodgate. Aldingbourne itself is about a mile to the west of the main centre of population in Westergate.

St Mary’s Church in Aldingbourne has several fine and beautiful features, some very ancient. None of the main walls are straight but all are tapering. The Church has a Norman stone altar, with five consecration crosses, which was later inserted into the floor. There is an attractive chantry chapel dating from 1190 and on the walls are remains of medieval wall paintings, believed to date from about 1080. Not far from the Church but now separated by the Oving Road are some very fine period houses. The Mill House stands on the edge of a large mill pond and it is fairly certain a mill has stood on the site since Norman times. It was once the property of the Bishops of Chichester who had a palace at Aldingbourne. The nearby mound, Tote Copse, is all that remains of the site of Aldingbourne Castle. The largest house in the parish was Aldingbourne House, an impressive eighteenth century mansion, once a sanatorium and later an annexe for Epsom psychiatric hospital, now converted into apartments.

The drift away from Aldingbourne as the hub of the Parish started centuries ago and in more recent years the main population of the Parish has been built up in Westergate on both sides of the A29 main road. The north/south A29 and east/west A27 roads passing through the Parish have made Westergate a convenient dormitory village for those working in Bognor Regis to the south, Chichester to the west and Littlehampton and Worthing to the east. The main local industry is agriculture and there are several thriving horticultural nurseries and some large caravan parks. Denmans Gardens are world renowned and Fontwell Racecourse is very popular. Westergate Community School is a large comprehensive, with the Six Villages Sports Centre on the same site offering excellent facilities for sport and recreation. The Junior School is in Westergate Street.

The original recreation ground was given to the Parish by Thomas Barnett, a member of the first Parish Council when it was formed in 1894. This land was later sold and became the housing estate Barnett’s Field. Part of sale proceeds were used to fund the construction of Community Centre in Olivers Meadow. The Olivers Meadow site is managed by Aldingbourne Community Sports Centre (a registered charity) and includes football pitches, tennis club, childrens playground, bowls club, rifle club, railway modelling club and the Barnham Signal Box which is currently being renovated.

Withi the village facilities include several shops, a Post Office, a public house, schools, sports centre, Community Centre and playing field, together with its convenient location, make Aldingbourne a popular parish in which to live.

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This page was last updated on 27/08/10 at 17:30:03
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