A wonderful document written by the seller: 

Area and house history.

The parish of Broadwater/Offington is overlooked by Cissbury ring, the iron aged fortification that was first used around 250 BC. The name is suggested to have come from King Cissa, The King of Sussex, circa 514 – 567 AD. Bury being old English, byrgan / byrig meaning a mound, fortified place, strong hold. Cissbury ring.

Flint mines on the west side of the hill, worked from Neolithic times until the Bronze Age, were among the most important in the country. Between c. 400 and 250 B.C. the hill-fort was built on the summit and across the flint-mining area. It was occupied until c. 50 B.C. Most of the area was cultivated during the Roman period, but the defences were renewed and strengthened in the 4th century or later. There was a Saxon mint on Cissbury Hill, and two beacons were placed there in 1587 as part of the defences against the Spanish Armada.  

To the south of the hill fort farming has occurred since about 760 AD. In more recent times, land divisions and estates carved up the hill fort and lands surrounding it. The Offington Warren estate and farm of circa 1861, belonged to Mr Thomas Wisden, a keen farmer who specialized in breeding prize-winning sheep and cattle. The village of Findon still has an annual sheep fair.

Wisden built a grand estate house called The Warren east of the Broadwater-Findon road by 1867 (the current location of Worthing Collage). The Waterworks Cottages were built in 1894 as thatched roof cottages, for accommodation for Warren farms senior employees. Number 2 Waterworks Cottages housed the farms Magistrate. It is not clear who originally occupied number 1. They are the original names due to the proximity to the Worthing Waterworks pumping station, which is a beautiful art deco public work building. Due to a typhoid outbreak water pumping transferred to the back of Charman Dean, the bordering Estate to the Warren Estate.

Wisden died in 1904, and in 1905 the farm-house and over 500 a. were leased to Worthing golf club. The estate of 807 a. was broken up further in 1919 when Lower Warren farm comprised c. 190 a, farm building and the waterworks cottages were sold, with running water no less!

The Warren house was later sold at action in 1929 and became The Warren Girls’ School, a prep school for posh girls. The building was then sold to Excess Insurance Company in 1966 when part of the old building was demolished. As of today, The Warren building is now (2018) part of Worthing Sixth Form College with part of the original building still preserved.   

Warren Girls school.

Of note, the flint towards the front and side of the Waterworks property is highly decorative compared to the back of the property. At the time of being built, a clear line of view was present from The Warren, approximately located to the left of the girls in the phot above. The more decorative facade was built to that a more visually pleasing view of the cottages from the Warren was seen if one were to glance out of the windows in that general view.  

 View from the current round about from the A27 looking up to the waterworks pumping station. Original and enhanced.

The cottage today is back to front. That is, the current front of the property is the back, and the back the front. The front shed/wood store, used to be a coal store, out house and washroom. The current Hill Barn lane only went as far as the current recreation car park entrance. The rest of Hill Barn lane (formally Waterworks Lane) through to the old Charman Dean estate which is now 5^th avenue is classified as a bridle way, not a road or lane. A short walkway to the cottages was present to the now back, through the current fairway close houses.

Through the 1990s the Cottage was extensively, yet sympathetically refurbished, extended and remodelled to what it is today. In 2012 the current Fairway Close was constructed, consisting of the 5 properties. Extensive consultation and planning permissions was required for fairway close and is still current. The wall to the side of the property was partially rebuilt. And surrounding houses have a planning clause that requires permission for any  second storey windows to be clear as currently they are blanked (not clear). This means the property is not overlooked and remains very private.

The cottage presents a very solid, mature property with reminiscent period features such as the working fireplace. Is an approximate 20 min walk to Cissbury ring, 2 min walk to Hillbarn golf course and recreation grounds. 35 min walk to Worthing mainline train station. The local area is, minus a pandemic, vibrant, with a very country feel locally. Passers-by will always say hello and love to chat about the local area and the house.

Please note that pictures used in this document are deemed in the public domain. This document is to provide information to prospective buyers to the Waterworks Cottage. Any objection should be directly emailed to James and James, where upon this document will be rescinding and offending pictures removed.