Welcome to Ferring Probus Club
Thank you for visiting the Ferring Probus Club’s website. We are a Club whose membership consists of retired and semi-retired ladies and gentlemen who enjoy regular opportunities to meet and share time together through various activities. Please come and join us at one of our Coffee Mornings held on the first Tuesday of each month in St Andrew's Church Centre, Ferring, where you will find a warm welcome. Gordon Uphill, President
Ferring Probus Club
Ferring Probus Club, founded in 1982, meets for a lunch and a coffee morning every month for members to socialise, enjoy fellowship, make new friends and develop their interests. Our members come from all walks of life. The Club welcomes speakers who give talks on a wide variety of interesting subjects. In addition to members enjoying a wonderful lunch, followed by a talk, at Worthing Indoor Bowls Club and our coffee mornings, social activities include afternoon tea outings, playing games (eg Shuffleboard) and entertainment (eg films, Bell Ringers).
Learn more about our Club
If you are interested in learning more about our Club please come to a Coffee Morning or contact Gordon Uphill by email: Gordon Uphill
Our NEW WEBSITE
Member Ian Goodall created & maintains this Ferring Probus Club website.
With thanks to David Gibbs and Gordon Uphill for their substantial contributions
which make this website so informative.
Talk at Worthing Indoor Bowls Club Lunch, April 2026
STORY OF HIGHDOWN HILL & UPDATE ON THE BIG DIG
James Sainsbury, curator of Worthing Museum, captivated members of Ferring Probus Club at their April lunch with details of what was discovered during the Highdown Big Dig 2025.
Highdown Hill is an archaeological site of national importance, with its Bronze Age enclosure, Iron Age hill fort (built on top of the Bronze Age enclosure!) Roman activity, including a bathhouse, and, of course, the nationally significant Anglo-Saxon/Early Medieval cemetery within the ramparts.
There is evidence of Bronze Age activity including a burial mound, but the work focused on the enclosure of the old hillfort dating back to the Iron Age. All hillforts were abandoned but ironically at Highdown, then re-fortified by the Romans as a refuge as the Empire started to collapse around 300AD because of Saxon and Irish raiders. At some point from about 400AD to 600AD the so-called Saxons were buried at the top and by applying a holistic approach to the landscape, the dig uncovered archaeological evidence of human activity at Highdown spanning thousands of years.
South of the A259 was the sea until 2000 years ago and so Highdown was a good vantage point for locating food (for example, deer) and for invading boats. The slopes of Highdown provided some of the earliest settlements.
James went on to describe some of the finds including pottery, coins dating back to 500BC, Roman pottery from the 4th century plus artifacts from later dates such brooches, rings, glassware from the drinking warrior culture as well as burials across time.
The Big Dig was able to be undertaken by 160 volunteers and allowed the chronology of the hill to be updated. It is hoped that some of the artifacts found may be viewed in the renovated Worthing Museum, and another dig is planned for 2027.
NEWS - Ferring Probus Club Presentation
Roger & Greta Lovell
Following their lunch the Ferring Probus Club President spoke about how Roger Lovell had served our Club very efficiently and effectively for many years fulfilling many of the roles that are necessary so that the Club runs smoothly. Covid affected many people and organisations but due to his determination Roger steered the Club through this time, transforming it into the mixed club we enjoy today. The President, on behalf of the members, presented Roger with a gift as a token of the Club’s appreciation. A bouquet of flowers was also given to Greta, Roger’s wife, for her support of Roger and her contribution to the Club.
Our next meeting
2 June: Coffee Morning with a talk by Andy Kendall
"Owls about town" with 3 or 4 live owls