Activities in Horsham

West Sussex is well known for its stunning scenery. When the weather’s at its glorious best there are few more tranquil places to visit than Sumners Ponds, a quarter of an hour’s drive away from town, towards the South Downs National Park.

Sumners Ponds is 100 acres of lakes and picturesque woodland habitat that’s perfect for picnics, has its own working farm to explore, and an array of fishing lakes where you can pitch up and enjoy the pleasure of angling over the course of a summer afternoon. The lakes are filled with carp, bream and their cohorts just waiting to tease you.

If you’re a keen angler you can bring your own fishing gear and save yourself a few pennies. Alternatively, you can hire equipment from the Sumners Ponds main office.

If you fancy a bit of fresh air and an enjoyable walk that’s a little closer to our Horsham Station hotel then make your way over the road to Horsham Park. It houses the lovely  Human Nature Garden, a sculpture-filled area that’s perfect for a relaxed sit down for an hour or so.

If you’re visiting Horsham in the summer months, on Sundays you can make your way to the Podium bandstand to enjoy free music concerts for the general public. They begin at around 2:30pm and can range from classical right the way through to pop and jazz.

Horsham Park is also home to a large skate park, bowling greens, tennis courts, a maze, football pitches and children’s play areas. So when the sun decides to shine it’s among the most popular places to be in Horsham.

Continuing with our outdoorsy theme, Warnham Local Nature Reserve is a large 92-acre stretch of lakes, wetland and woodland habitat that provides the perfect home for birdlife and more than 400 different plant species.

Pay a visit to Warnham Local Nature Reserve and depending on the time of year you can spot herons, kingfishers and more than twenty different species of dragonflies. As well as keeping your eyes peeled, be sure to also listen out for the tell-tale drumming of the local woodpeckers.

As if the bird and bug life wasn’t enough, fuzzy mammals also manage to make their way to Warnham Nature Reserve. Roe Deer, bank vole, red foxes, squirrels and rabbits are regularly spied in this local Eden of ours.

If you want to delve into the art and history of the area then you can always pay a visit to Horsham Museum on the Causeway. The museum’s collection is spread across 18 galleries with works ranging from a 10-foot-tall sculpture of the Crucifixion of Jesus to a significant collection of works from Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley, as well as prints from John Guille Millais, the celebrated nature artist.

The Horsham Museum is open from Monday through to Saturday, and best of all admission is free so even if you only have an hour or two to kill in town it’s worth paying a visit to see its fascinating collection of art and artefacts.

The Capitol Horsham heads up our selection of your Horsham entertainment options. It’s best known as an incredible theatre. However, it’s also the local cinema where you can catch all of the latest blockbusters as well as a curated programme of art house releases you may not get to see elsewhere. Take a look and see what’s on during your stay.

On the edge of Horsham Park, The Rec is a locally-owned tenpin bowling alley that also hosts comedy nights and live music. There’s also laser quest and an arcade full of games and pool tables.

Of course, sometimes you simply can’t beat a trip to the cinema for killing a bit of time. If you were wondering, Kidderminster’s Reel Cinema is just down the road from The Museum of Carpet, on Green Street. You can watch all the latest blockbusters while munching your way through a mountain of popcorn.