Southwater is a large village in West Sussex located approximately 4 miles south of the town of Horsham and to the north of Washington, Ashington and Storrington. From the late 19th century up until 1981, the brick industry dominated the area. The closure of the brickworks led to the creation of the picturesque Southwater Country Park with its three lakes constructed from the redundant clay pits. Southwater has seen a large amount of expansion since the 1980s and is now primarily made up of modern housing but still retains some period properties in the centre. A new village centre hub of shops, a doctor’s surgery, pubs and restaurants has been built in the last 10 years which gives the village a real community feel despite its size.