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Recent posts and articles listed in published chronological order.

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The Dungeons of Shoreham

In 1857 there was a bit of to-do about the state of the Dungeons – a narrow high-walled alleyway between Victoria Road and what later became Connaught Avenue. It was the most direct pedestrian twitten (betwixt and between) between New Shoreham and Old Shoreham. It was dark, very boggy and in places was covered over by buildings straddling the alley making it a menacing place and earning the nickname “The Dungeons”. The alley bisected the Swiss Gardens site so had particularly tall sides for the entire length to prevent illegal access to the pleasure gardens on either side. For those patrons inside the Swiss Gardens there were wooden footbridges that bridged the alleyway.

The Dungeons looking East from under the Theatre c1910

The 1857 newspaper report: “We have carefully inspected the footway under the Swiss Gardens, and are of opinion that more head-room is required in that part of the passage immediately under the Swiss Cottage, that the height from the ground should not be less than 6ft. 6.; that the passage should be made a little wider under the cosmormamic views; that the pathway should be levelled and made clean; and the water drained off on the right side, from east to west; that the water-spout should be prevented from dripping in the passage; and that sufficient light be admitted for passengers to discern where they tread, -all of which suggestions Mr. Goodchild has engaged to carry out, under the inspection and to the satisfaction of the Surveyors.”

1914 map showing the alleyway and dungeons (marked in orange) passing under the Swiss Gardens Theatre and footbridge.
Continue reading “The Dungeons of Shoreham”

The Buckingham Book

The Buckingham Book

In 2025 a Shoreham resident acquired at auction a significant historical find. It was a rather battered leather bound family scrapbook dating from 1889. It contained photographs, sketches, and cuttings collected by the Head family of Great Buckingham, Old Shoreham. The story behind the “Buckingham Book” book is tantalising. It had been kept in the Head family’s possession for 80 years but had been torn in two, and separated, with the front part donated to a museum. We now have possession of the second half along with its accompanying covering letter from an author unknown. The images in the book are in this gallery.

Covering letter:

This Family Scrapbook compiled by the Head Family to record their time at Buckingham (Buckingham House, Old Shoreham) from 1889 to 1905 was in the possession of Lady (Hester) Marsden-Smedley (née Pinney), the daughter of Lady Hester Pinney (née Head). Before she died, Lady Pinney stated that she wanted me to have it because of its relevance to Shoreham. In due course I made contact with her daughter in Chelsea and arranged to go up to collect it.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Lady Marsden-Smedley would have liked to have kept it, since it contained so much of Family interest. In the event, she simply tore the book in half and gave me the front part, and this I placed in Marlipins. It may since have been dismembered, which is a great pity.

The other half I was very surprised to be offered many years later through a friend. and bought it, at a price, and did not enquire as to its provenance. I still have it, in its somewhat battered slate.

It is (was) three-quarter leather bound, about 100 mm thick in all, the boards approx, 370 x 298mm, with interleaved pages designed as a commercial scrap-book.

It is clear that the Head boys were responsible for most of the snaps, but there are other more professional photos taken probably by William Page, Photographer, of Shoreham, whom Hester (Pinney) said she encouraged. There are also watercolours by Hester of a competent, but amateur quality, together with sundry printed items of interest, and photos of local views and personalities.

The whole gave a unique and fascinating view of the very happy life at Buckingham until Henry Head’s death in 1905, when the family quit Old Shoreham. The house lay empty and in 1911 was gutted, with the grounds occupied by a new house erected to the North.

During their stay at Buckingham, the Heads effectively filled the role of ‘Lords of the Manor’ in the Town, and were most popular. Henry Head was an outgoing and generous personality, and he was clearly led by his very positive daughter Hester (Pinney), abetted by her brothers. The Park was regularly opened to the townsfolk, and Henry seems to have been the leader in the 1897 Diamond Jubilee celebrations. When, apart from a Grand March through the Town to a Fair and general festivities in the Park, there seems to have been a very early filrnshow in the field by the old Swiss Gardens. Fifty years later, Hester Pinney was stilt fondly rernembered in the Town.

The Book records Hunting, Cricket, Yachting (Steam and Sail) Golf, Shooting, Riding, and alfresco entertainments.. The girls from the London Store, D. H. Evans, which the Heads owned, were also entertained in the Summer and are seen obviously enjoying themselves. The Book is a wonderful, unique, record of a lost age, which was soon to come to a tragic stop. One son was lost on the Titanic (sic Christopher Head), and one at Gallipoli (sic. Bernard Head); it is fitting that their memorials are in Old Shoreham Church, in the place that they so enjoyed.

Author unknown, date post-1983

Buckingham House 1904. Built 1820 and abandoned by 1911. The little girls in this photograph maybe the same grand daughters of Henry Head seen in the image below. Hester Harriott Pinney on the right.

The background to the Head family

We can surmise that the book was split in 1983 after Hester’s death. Whilst it is reasonable to assume the Marlipins Museum holds the other half of the book they are currently unable to confirm this.

In the same year as the 1891 census this family group photograph is on the East steps to Buckingham. It appears to show Henry Head (age 56) next to his daughter Hester Head (16) (standing) and seated an unknown woman. Henry’s wife Hester Head Snr (56) is seated in black (probably in mourning for her son Hugh who died in Nov 1890). Henry’s sons are seated, believed to be John Alban Head (17)and Bernard Head (15) later killed in Gallipoli in 1915. The other ladies are not identified.
The same view 130 years later

Hester’s father was Henry Head b.1834 m.1860 Died 1st July 1905
Hester’s mother was Hester Head (née Beck) b.1835 m.1860 d.1907
Hester became Hester Pinney (née Head Jnr.) by marriage in 1900 b.1875 d.1958
Hester’s daughter Hester Harriott Marsden-Smedley (née Pinney) b. Pune India 21st June 1901. Married Basil Futvoye Marsden-Smedley 1927. Hester died in 1982 in Chelsea.
Hester’s daughter was Henrietta Hester Marsden-Smedley b.1935 d.1998

0215 –  – Henry Head with his daughter Hester Pinney and grand-daughters at Buckingham House. It is probably Hester Harriott in her mother’s arms. c.1903 a couple of years before his death. Location at the front door to Buckingham ©SAS

Sons and daughters of Henry and Hester Head:

Link to Head Family Tree (from page 32)
Census returns for Buckingham 1841-1901

The contents of the Buckingham Book (II)

The mystery of what happened to the first half of The Buckingham Book is perhaps explained by a number of photos in the SAS / Marlipins Collection of images. Whilst there seems to be just 11 images they are of a similar nature to those in the second half of the book. The suggestion is these 11 were cherry picked by SAS and the rest of the book is in their archive awaiting full scrutiny and publication.

The selected contents of the Buckingham Book (I)

Further reading:

The timeline of Buckingham House(s)
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Toon Ghose – Shoreham Airport Painting

This is the history of a local Shoreham painting with its backstory. The painting is of Toon Ghose flying his De Havilland Chipmunk “Lillibet” over Shoreham Airport in the late 1970’s. This painting has for some time been present on the shorehambysea.com “Paintings” section, numbered B63. It was written with the aim of providing a provenance for the painting:

I remember seeing Toon at Shoreham Airport during the late 1970’s, just before my teenage years, where I was introduced to him by my cousin, Ashley (Ash) Roote. Ash learnt to fly at Shoreham and was a member of Toon’s flying club, where Toon also flew as an instructor. The Flying Club was called Toon Ghose Aviation, or TGA, and I well remember the TGA window stickers that were a ‘must have’ for ‘anybody who was anybody’ at the airport at the time!

Continue reading “Toon Ghose – Shoreham Airport Painting”
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Tally Ho Launch – 6 years project

Many of you will know of the monumental project to rebuild “Tally Ho”, who’s origins were at the old Stow’s shipbuilding yard at the bottom of East Street. She was built in Shoreham in 1910 as the “Betty” and had a varied career including completing the Fastnet race in 1927, traversing the globe, being wrecked in the Americas and eventually laying as a hulk for decades in the US. In 2018 she was rescued by Leo Goolden who set about rebuilding her to sail again. That project became a 6 year YouTube sensation that culminated this month with the re-launch of Tally Ho.

https://www.youtube.com/@SampsonBoatCo/videos

The history of Tally Ho (Betty)

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From Garden Close to Downside

The first part of Shoreham Garden City at Greenways Crescent

From Garden Close to Downside

Alan Lambourne has kindly allowed us to publish his memoirs of growing up in Shoreham in the 40’s 50’s and 60’s. He recounts the stories of his family running Lambourne’s Butchers in Upper Shoreham Road, and of his early years at Garden Close (Kingston by Sea) and Downside. A witty and lively style of writing illuminates the stories during an idyllic time when family came first and only the best sausages were on the table.

Glad and Bill

Click above to view the PDF on mobiles.

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Hebe

On the corner of Victoria Road and Hebe Road, the Hebe pub (possibly named after HMS Hebe) was built to serve the clientele of the very popular Swiss Gardens. The Swiss Gardens entrance (built 1838) was opposite. I estimate the Hebe was built after 1844 but before 1872.

The Hebe ghost image: 1894 and 2018 ©Roger Bateman
Continue reading “Hebe”
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A Forgotten Corner

The chimney marks the building at the east end of the High Street, now Coronation Green area, where Thomas Clayton’s ‘Roman Cement Manufactury’ once belched it’s chalk and lime laden smoke depositing grey ash over the town during the early 1800’s; a barracks was set up there during the Napoleonic War invasion threats; it later became the Albion Steam Brewery and finally the Winton family’s printing works before being demolished  during the 1938 road widening. Behind that Paine’s ironmongery business traded for many years alongside Snelling’s butcher shop.

High Street, Albion Steam Brewery montage
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