Exploring local history this summer

More recently, he has become well known in the town for managing a series of high profile community heritage projects and writing many books on local history topics.

In the 1990s, he ran a yearly programme of guided walks across the county that were extremely popular.

Now, this summer, Chris is offering a limited programme of walks and ‘history heritage days,’ including his highly regarded talks on smuggling.

Chris is a busy many these days, with his involvement in the Worthing Community Play and the Worthing Heritage Trails projects, but he has found time this summer to run four guided walks and four history heritage days, delivered through History People UK.

“A lot of people have been asking me if I will be running a guided walks programme again,” explains Chris, “and I also get asked to repeat my short course on local smuggling, so hopefully the events I have organised this summer will meet that demand.”

Full details are available at www.historypeopleuk.org.uk or programmes can be picked up at Worthing Library, Worthing Museum, or the VisitWorthing Centre at The Dome.

Guided walks with Chris Hare, £5 per person.

• Chichester Walls Walk. Sunday, July 13, 11am – 12.30pm. £5 per person. Meet at the northern entrance of Chichester railway station.

Chichester is one of very few towns in England that still retains its city walls – even more impressively, while other towns have walls dating back to medieval times, Chichester’s walls date back to Roman times.

This walk will transport you back over nearly 2,000 years of history, recalling the decay of the Roman city and its subsequent rebuilding and refortification in medieval times.

You will hear how the French seized the city during the reign of King John, and how Parliamentary forces laid siege to Chichester during the English Civil War.

• Chichester: historic streets and buildings. Sunday, July 13, 2.30pm – 4pm. £5 per person. Meet by the statue of St Richard by the cathedral entrance off West Street.

Despite the appearance of being a Georgian town, most of the city’s buildings were refronted in the 18th century, hiding their true antiquity.

Much of Chichester remains Tudor and medieval.

This walk begins at the cathedral – a building that has suffered fire, earthquake and being hit be a lightning bolt.

The walk will include the great homes of city merchants, such as Edes House and Pallant House, and the great civic and commercial buildings of the city, such as the Butter Market and the Corn Exchange.