Goring-by-Sea

Goring-by-Sea, commonly referred to simply as Goring, is a neighbourhood of Worthing and former civil parish, now in Worthing district in West Sussex, England. It lies west of West Worthing, about 2.5 miles (4 km) west of Worthing town centre. Historically in Sussex, in the rape of Arundel, Goring has been part of the borough of Worthing since 1929.

It is thought that the place-name Goring may mean either 'Gāra's people', or 'people of the wedge-shaped strip of land'. Usually known as "Goring", the "by-Sea" suffix has been added to differentiate it from the village of Goring-on-Thames in Oxfordshire.

Around the 6th century Goring became part of the kingdom of Sussex. Like in other villages in the south of Sussex, the people of Goring had land to the north that they used as summer pasture in the Weald, at Goringlee, near Coolham. This route would have been used as a droveways for driving livestock, especially pigs. The parish of Goring existed at the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, under the name Garinges. Unlike the other parishes in the area covered by the present Borough of Worthing, which have been in the Rape of Bramber since the 11th century, Goring forms part of the neighbouring Rape of Arundel. (Rapes are the six ancient subdivisions of the county of Sussex, each named after a castle and its associated town.) The former parish of Goring incorporated four manors. The most important of these passed from the Earls of Arundel to Roger de Montalt, 1st Baron Montalt and several other holders.

The former parish of Goring included Castle Goring, a country house built for Sir Bysshe Shelley, 1st Baronet in the late 1790s. Intermittent residential development began in the 19th century and continued throughout the 20th century. Although the railway came to Goring in 1846, there were so few passengers using Goring station that it was closed for a period. Goring's population expanded after 1929, when it became part of the borough of Worthing, and again in 1938 when the railway was electrified. Over a period of around 50 years, much of old Goring was demolished, although a few buildings survive. Begun shortly before 1939, the Goring Hall estate was developed as a garden city, with concentric crescents near the seafront.

In 1921, the parish had a population of 653. On 1 April 1929, the parish was abolished and merged with Worthing.

Goring has a mixed pebble and sand beach which is a popular beachgoing area for a wide variety of watersports including kitesurfing. The southwest of Goring contains part of the Goring Gap, a protected area of fields and woodland between Goring and Ferring. The former village of Goring lies in the south of the former parish. North-east of this is the Maybridge estate. North of Maybridge is West Durrington. To the north and west of West Durrington lies Castle Goring, Titnore Wood and the eastern slopes of Highdown Hill, including Highdown Gardens.

St Mary's Church, the Anglican parish church, was originally built c. 1100AD as the Church of Our Blessed Ladye of Gorynge, and was rebuilt in 1837 by Decimus Burton for David Lyon of Goring Hall.

The Bull's Head on Goring Street has existed as a pub since at least 1770. This may be the same pub that was closed in the early 17th century by puritan-minded Justices of the Peace.