The SS Arthur Wright was built by William Pickersgill & Sons at their Southwick, Sunderland yard in 1937 for the Brighton Corporation. It was a 1,097-ton vessel, the Corporation’s first collier, and used for conveying fuel to the electricity works at Portslade. Named after the first (1894) manager and engineer of the works (he also designed the first domestic supply meter) the Arthur Wright carried coal mainly from the Yorkshire and Welsh coalfields via the ports of Goole and Port Talbot.
To coincide with the re-opening of Shoreham’s Marlipins Museum this May 2022 it is worthwhile mentioning that a visit to the first floor gallery will give a rare opportunity to view in person the original sketch made by Butler in 1786. This accurate snapshot of Shoreham is especially revealing. Roger Bateman’s meticulous examination and research is linked below.
Shoreham’s church of St Mary De Haura has been a landmark for many centuries. For over 250 years the bells suspended in the tower belfry have been rung from the Ringing Room many feet below. The belfry, the ringing room, the clock movement and the tower roof are only accessible via a very narrow spiral staircase in the North East corner of the tower.
Note: video was taken using a remote 360 camera & telescopic pole safely from within the tower parapet.
Hamish McKenzie is the current St. Mary’s Bellringer’s Tower Captain – and one of his additional roles for many years is to ascend the narrow steps to raise the flag on national days and state occasions. www.Shorehambysea.com were granted access to accompany Hamish to the roof to raise the flag of St. George to mark St. George’s Day 2022.
East Street, New Road and the footbridge have not changed too much over the last 100 years. However the encroachment of large buildings on the waterfront has restricted views of the river significantly. Note the position of the photographer on the tower roof was identical, except a little shorter. Maybe a tripod was used in 1922 or they sat down away from the low parapet?
To celebrate St George's Day 2022, ShorehambySea.com were allowed escorted access to film the hoisting of the flag of St. George on the recently refurbished flagpole on the tower of St. Mary de Haura. To view the four 360 images click with the mouse and scroll and zoom around the views of Shoreham town. Note: imagery was taken using a remote 360 camera & telescopic pole safely from within the tower parapet.
On Palm Sunday 2022, Mike Riddiford recorded the Bell Ringing before the Service and later recorded a fascinating interview with Ian Vaughan from the St. Mary’s Bell Ringers in the Churchyard. The recording starts with the sound from the inside Ringing Room, where you will hear Ian calling the bells and then later the Tower Captain Hamish leading the bell ringers.
The St. Mary de Haura Bellringers are keen to encourage new ringers to join them. Bell Ringing uses number notation, so it is not necessary to have any musical knowledge, although a sense of rhythm and a good memory can be helpful. Once the basics have been mastered, ringing becomes a group activity with the opportunity of visiting other towers and making new friends.
Shoreham has 5 bridges over the Adur. Before 1781 the only way to cross was by ferry boat or detour upriver to cross at Bramber bridge. The ‘old’ Toll Bridge changed this in 1781, followed 50 years later by the suspension Bridge and causeway to Lancing. Within 12 years the railway was extended westwards from the Shoreham terminus with the building of an impressive viaduct / wooden trestle rail bridge (1845). This was replaced 50 years later. By 1921 Shoreham had a new footbridge to the beach and 2 years later the original Norfolk Bridge was replaced. 46 years later a brand new ‘flyover’ road bridge was constructed as part of the new A27 trunk road, bringing the tally of river bridges to five.
3 Bridges. 1919 taken from an Avro aircraft by AW Wardell. Before the footbridge was built.
