Join the West Sussex County Times in celebrating 150 years of trusted news in Horsham District

The West Sussex County Times is this year marking a milestone in the history of the newspaper and the community - 150 years of delivering trusted news.
West Sussex County Times. Edition 23rd October 1987. Hurricane Great Gale
Copypic Steve Robards SR1902855 SUS-190402-114940001West Sussex County Times. Edition 23rd October 1987. Hurricane Great Gale
Copypic Steve Robards SR1902855 SUS-190402-114940001
West Sussex County Times. Edition 23rd October 1987. Hurricane Great Gale Copypic Steve Robards SR1902855 SUS-190402-114940001

The County Times today continues to offer an unrivalled news service plus coverage of sport, community news, arts and entertainment, and lifestyle and property, across its two editions - one for Horsham and one for South Downs - and in conjunction with its website - wscountytimes.co.uk - and its sister paper, the Horsham Gazette.

An exhibition looking at the history of the County Times opens at Horsham Museum and Art Gallery in the Causeway on Friday (February 15) and runs to April 12.

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It features a story telling the history of the paper, front pages from across the years which highlight significant moments in Horsham’s history, and a video about the County Times.

West Sussex County Times. Edition 14th July 1995
Copypic Steve Robards SR1902851 SUS-190402-114856001West Sussex County Times. Edition 14th July 1995
Copypic Steve Robards SR1902851 SUS-190402-114856001
West Sussex County Times. Edition 14th July 1995 Copypic Steve Robards SR1902851 SUS-190402-114856001

The museum is owned and run by Horsham District Council, and has an enthusiastic Friends group and band of volunteers.

County Times deputy editor Tim Hopewell-Ash said: ‘‘The museum is a wonderful facility and resource. We are most grateful to the council and the museum team for hosting and helping us with our exhibition about the newspaper’s history.

‘‘We do hope readers and museum visitors find it interesting.’’

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The museum is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and admission is free.

West Sussex County Times. Edition 9th September 1994
Copypic Steve Robards SR1902848 SUS-190402-114739001West Sussex County Times. Edition 9th September 1994
Copypic Steve Robards SR1902848 SUS-190402-114739001
West Sussex County Times. Edition 9th September 1994 Copypic Steve Robards SR1902848 SUS-190402-114739001

The newspaper which was to become the County Times was first published on March 1, 1869, by M & R Albery with the masthead Albery’s Horsham Journal and Monthly Review.

At a price of 2d, it set out to publish, among other things, ‘tales, poetry, travel in many lands, sports and adventures’.

This was the predecessor of the Horsham Advertiser which started life on October 21, 1871.

It took the title West Sussex County Times in 1893.

West Sussex County Times. Edition 31st October 2003. HRH Queen's royal visit to Horsham
Copypic Steve Robards SR1902839 SUS-190402-114403001West Sussex County Times. Edition 31st October 2003. HRH Queen's royal visit to Horsham
Copypic Steve Robards SR1902839 SUS-190402-114403001
West Sussex County Times. Edition 31st October 2003. HRH Queen's royal visit to Horsham Copypic Steve Robards SR1902839 SUS-190402-114403001
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For many years, the County Times was a self-contained business in Market Square with journalists, advertising and administrative staff, printers and a full printing press under one roof.

However to enable expansion the company bought premises in North Street, Horsham, which in 1981 provided for a bigger press, able to print colour, and to expand the print preparation area.

Printing of the paper was later centralised at state of the art printing presses in Portsmouth and the North Street premises were sold for redevelopment.

The company had proudly marked its centenary in 1969 and in 1994 it marked 125 years of service to the community by commissioning and paying for a sculpture incorporating a public notice board to be installed in the Carfax. The sculpture was last year included in a national archive of public artworks.

West Sussex County Times. Edition 31st October 2003. HRH Queen's Royal visit to Horsham
Copypic Steve Robards SR1902807 SUS-190402-114330001West Sussex County Times. Edition 31st October 2003. HRH Queen's Royal visit to Horsham
Copypic Steve Robards SR1902807 SUS-190402-114330001
West Sussex County Times. Edition 31st October 2003. HRH Queen's Royal visit to Horsham Copypic Steve Robards SR1902807 SUS-190402-114330001
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In 2013 the layout of the Market Square offices was considered no longer suitable for what had become a modern multimedia operation and the County Times moved to Springfield House in Springfield Road. The premises in Market Square were redeveloped as homes and called Press House, in memory of their time as newspaper offices.

The previous year the County Times had undergone one of the biggest changes in its history when it switched from a broadsheet format to a compact, or tabloid, size.

The County Times will be publishing a special souvenir edition in March to mark its 150th birthday. If you have special memories of the paper which you would like to share with readers, email them for publication to [email protected].