Worthing and the Glasshouse Industry

Malcolm Linfield presents a talk on Worthing and the Glasshouse Industry.

Early evidence of market gardening in Worthing can be seen on Phillip’s map of 1814, and it was in these gardens that the first greenhouses appeared in the 1830s. From these modest beginnings, a major pioneering industry developed, which employed hundreds of people, and greenhouses appeared all over the town. 

The Worthing GIasshouse Industry was very important to the local economy for over 70 years, yet most people in Worthing today have no idea it ever existed. My talk outlines the story of this fascinating industry, how and why it all started, the challenges faced by the growers over the years and how and why it declined. Many people have ancestors who worked in the industry so this should be a subject of interest to both family and local historians.