The Royal British Schools are also well worth the inspection of the visitor: the boys are taught reading, writing, grammar, linear and perspective drawing &c.
To the North of Horsham, on Hurst hill,
is Moated House, formerly belonging to the family of the Westons: this mansion was the residence of Robert Hurst ob. 1483, whose monument in the church, the reader will remember.
Nearer the town, is a very ancient building formerly belonging to lord Hoo and de Hastings, whose remains are interred in the church: a farm house at present the property of the duke of Norfolk alone marks the site of this once splendid and princely edifice.
Chesworth, one of the oldest houses in the county, was formerly as before said, the residence of the noble family of Braose, this truly romantic structure is situated a little to the south east of the town, of which it is one of the chief objects of interest. The unfortunate Thomas duke of Norfolk, who fell a victim to the malignant jealousy of
Queen Elizabeth, was apprehended here, A.D. 1571. It is said that the papers concealed by Higford, and which led to his conviction, were discovered under the roof of this building. Several apartments of very spacious dimensions, but of whose existence the inhabitants were totally ignorant, were discovered through accident, by a maid servant about 20 years since. The chapel now used as a wash-house, is still quite perfect, and of great height: several niches for the statues of saints, and receptacles for holy water, may be discovered in the sides: through the falling of part of the wall, a few years ago, several Roman coins were dug up, from which circumstance, it has been by some persons imagined, that the place was originally a Roman villa.
To the west of the town, is Hills place, or rather the remains of an elegant residence,
so called; it was formerly the property of the lords Irvine, and was considered a very handsome specimen of the domestic architecture of the age, in which it was erected. It was taken down a few years since, and no vestige left to mark its site, save the remnants of a farm house in existence before the building of the mansion itself, and part of a wing added to the structure, on the marriage of lord William Ingram, one of the family.