The history portal for Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, England
Early football in Shoreham and the ‘Glory Years’
Today’s Shoreham Football Club was founded in 1892 playing competitive matches in the West Sussex Football League as from 1896, the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup competition that had been run since 1882 and the Royal Ulster Rifles Charity Cup (originally the Royal Irish Rifles Challenge Cup) a competition that was begun in 1897.
Continue reading “Shoreham Football Club”
Before the footbridge was built access to the beach was gained either by a long walk through town and over the Norfolk suspension bridge or, for a penny, a short ride across the river in one of the rowing boats operated by a group of ferrymen between Dolphin Hard (the eastern end of Coronation Green) and the south side of the river. In 1901 the Shoreham Workhouse was moved to new premises at Southlands and the original building at Ham Road became the St. Wilfrid’s children’s home. The children there were either from families who could no longer care for them or came from a deprived background – a situation that was recognised with sympathy by many in the town.
Continue reading “The Shoreham Ferrymen’s Treat”
From sowing the seed and harvesting then milling the flour to baking the bread, one Shoreham family provided the full service.
Henry Adams was born on the 22nd October 1798 at Barcombe, Sussex and came from a long line of farming folk in and around mid Sussex. He married Phoebe Avery from another ancient mid Sussex family, ten years his junior and born in Plumpton. Henry was a master miller and baker and owned a fine farmhouse in Plumpton Lane. He married Phoebe at Plumpton on 21st April 1829 and their first child, also Henry, was born there on 9th March 1830.
During the 1950’s cycle rides to Bramber castle were a regular outing for us kids but mostly via the Coombes/Botolphs route. It was far more interesting that way with its winding road and steep hills, each hard climb being rewarded with an exhilarating race down the other side – this in the days when there was little traffic about, particularly on that road.
Continue reading “CHALK – A History of Shoreham (Beeding) Cement Works”
Stories of early flying at Shoreham 1910 – 1918 including personal experiences from pilots and spectators
Continue reading “Canvas, Wood & Wire”
The entire block of houses numbered 13 to 23 in this area of Church Street were built in the1850’s by G.H.Hooper, a Shoreham property developer and descendant of the ancient Poole family of the town. Hooper had previously acquired and demolished the earlier building on the site that was believed to be 16th century. Anciently known as ‘Chantry House (before the later house of the same name in East Street) the southern half was used as the Customs House until the 1830’s. Continue reading “Excavations at Church Street”
Introduction
The Ropetackle site had been the subject of a long-running series of failed development plans, but following the entry of SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) into the process planning, permission was given for a mixed development at the site. Owing to the position of the site within the area of the well-documented Norman new town and busy medieval port, and hence the high potential for the survival of archaeological remains, a condition was attached to the planning permission requiring archaeological work in advance of any development. Hence an archaeological evaluation was carried out in October 2000. The excavation of trial trenches uncovered a number of medieval and post-medieval remains with associated assemblages of pottery, animal bone, building material, clay tobacco pipes and other artefacts. These results confirmed the significance of the site, and underlined the need for more archaeological work.
Shoreham and Southwick Bombing and Other Incidents during WW2
This work identifies the accounts of bombings and more serious incidents (as well as some less serious but nevertheless interesting) in Shoreham and Southwick during WW2. These have been identified primarily from the official West Sussex Action Officer’s Minute Books and in some instances have been embellished with first hand reminiscences of the people that witnessed them.
“A total of 37 raids were carried out on Shoreham and Southwick by enemy aircraft during the war. These involved 143 high explosive bombs, 5 oil bombs and in excess of 2,000 incendiaries causing the deaths of 17 people and injuring 108 others.” (Shoreham Herald 6th October 1944). The number of HE bombs shown in the Minute Book reports are fewer but they do not always include all the bombs in every incident, nevertheless they still amount to over 100. Continue reading “Bombing and Other Incidents during WW2”
Survey of the old Vault in Church Street
Documentary Records.
Described as a ‘Capital Messuage in 1738, the land within which the vaults are situated was owned by the Smith family and then, in 1782, passed to the Bridgers. However, the description of the property whilst mentioning ‘two tenements, malthouse, garden, stables, coach house and coachyard (which included the land and buildings southwards from the Manor House down to – but not including — the old Custom House and west [behind] the latter.) does not mention a vault or cellar at all. Continue reading “Vault in Church Street”
Nowadays Southwick’s Indian Temple remains largely forgotten but in its time was an imposing building that, being visible from many parts of the town, was a familiar sight to most Southwick residents. Continue reading “Southwick’s Indian Temple”