The Sussex Border Walk - Part Eleven: Nineteenth Century Littlehampton

I am continuing my Sussex Border Walk. Today I am in Littlehampton, or at least in the south-east side of the town. I am taking Nikolaus Pevsner's guide to help me explore the buildings, as well as searching for the missing buildings, including the Beach Hotel and the windmills that once stood on the front, from the old OS maps.
Related video: Littlehampton Harbour walk: • Walks in England: Expl...
Mewsbrook Park explored: • The Park - Mewsbrook P...
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[@thehammer3340]

I always enjoyed visiting Little Hampton as a child when I came to Worthing to visit my aunty. Cheers from 🇺🇸 America.

[@RichardVobes]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@katherinekinnaird4408]

I have always admired the little beach houses. Thank you Sir for getting us out and walking about from where ever we are.

[@RichardVobes]

It's my pleasure.

[@ramibu239]

Little Hampton was just so lovely! One can really imagine what it looked like during the height of the Victorian age. I found those homes just so grand & regal along South Terrace & Norfolk Place. However, I absolutely adored those old homes & businesses you showed us in "the hidden places"!😍 Love the little colorful beach huts - they're so cute! Btw...wonder what Pevner would have thought about all these boxy modern builds they are throwing up everywhere now!🙄 At least all of those different roof lines of the mixed Georgians & Victorians (& beyond) had character!!!

[@RichardVobes]

I agree - Pevsner was of his time and the Victorian era was too recent I think for him.

[@reecessetpieces6939]

I live in littlehampton and I want to say thank you for showing others around even if I am a bit late!

[@bullettube9863]

What a difference from the day before, no wind and the channel looks like a mill pond it's so calm! Your walk must have been a lot more enjoyable? Pevsner sounds like someone who wants all the houses to look the same no matter what year they were built. Maybe he should go live in Russia where they build a hundred apartment buildings every year from the same 1954 design? I loved visiting old seaside and lakeside beach towns, they have a special charm all their own as they were built by people to enjoy their surroundings rather then just being a convenient place to live. Those beach sheds look like the owners let their kids pick out the colors! But they also look to be newer and in much better condition.

[@RichardVobes]

Those beach huts are quite new - a little too uniform really but a lovely splash of colour.

[@adrianburn7178]

Thanks for your fascinating walk around Littlehampton. My grandparents moved to South Terrace in the 1920s, in part to assist my grandfather overcome lung damage accrued in WWI. I stayed there myself as a young lad in the 1960s and returned for a look in 2017 (I live in Australia). Many thanks for your historical anecdotes and thoughts

[@RichardVobes]

Thanks so much for your comments and personal info of the place. I did enjoy that walk.

[@janerobertson8950]

Loved this! I think I get as much pleasure walking old streets as the countryside, all very interesting, thank you!

[@RichardVobes]

Well said - the old street is where the life is, and was. Fascinating stuff.

[@shirleylynch4420]

Really loved South Terrace and the beach huts. Very pretty. Thank you . Enjoyed your peaceful walk. Very relaxing.

[@RichardVobes]

Thank you

[@petersparshot4997]

South terrace is not a safe place. Lots of drugs and drunks floating about aimlessly

[@denniskavanagh3075]

Thank you Richard for taking us around a part of Little Hampton that as you say not many people who visit are actually aware of, including me I'm ashamed to say!

[@RichardVobes]

It's a wonderful little historic area.

[@Anglo_Browza]

Littlehampton!

[@martinkavanagh196]

Hi Richard and Thank You. - I feel a most direct link to the land owners of Littlehampton and their Southern Passage .. back in 1952 when 'enjoying' a cramped caravan park holiday there - I strongly remember as an 8 y.o my big sister & I swimming in raw sewage in the cold seas of that beach ...

[@RichardVobes]

Golly, that doesn't sound much fun!

[@peterhobbs7609]

Very enjoyable amble Richard, love your musings, which add a real sense of history to your walks

[@ginaoneil9565]

Fantastic video Richard! Its so lovely to see the parts of Littlehampton that are not usually seen. My dad lives in Middleton on Sea, Bognor, ive never been to see where he lives so im interested to see if your walks take you that way. Ive been to Littlehampton many times as a child, mostly remembering the indoor funfair they had there. Im like you, I always look to the past when visiting somewhere, imagining the people who were there before us....its great you are doing this...Can you imagine doing this around the whole of the UK? Its also nice when you just stumble across somewhere though...no plans...Really love what you are doing on YT...and when I can afford it next year, I will definitely become a Patreon! Keep Warm!

[@RichardVobes]

Hi Gina, thanks so much for the comments and praise. It is greatly appreciated.

[@CharlieCooper3101]

Lovely beach huts, and you are right I had no idea all those buildings roads with really lovely houses i really them. when I went as a child we only stayed by the seafront and went into the amusements so thankyou Richard for showing me more of littlehampton. I'm hoping to go there some time next year. And now I know theres lots to explore there apart from the beach and amusements, amazing to think some of the walls are still there after all these hundreds of years, great stories to, especially about the windmills. Thanks for a great video Richard.

[@RichardVobes]

Like most places in England, there is so much more to tell from the history than what you typically see. Thanks, Charlie.

[@PortsladeBySea]

Littlehampton is one of my favourite Sussex towns. I would move there but Mrs D is not keen on the place! Thankfully the South East England Development Agency spent a lot of time, money and effort redeveloping the harbour area leading up to the lifeboat station. In my opinion they did a superb job and helped save Littlehampton from economic collapse. The town centre has a good selection of shops, pubs and restaurants. Under normal circumstances Butlins is a very popular holiday centre, where over recent years, they have massively invested and improved the accommodation and facilities for guests. The Littlehampton museum is well worth a visit and full of information about tourism and the seaside entertainment industry, include some very early Punch and Judy acts. It’s a fascinating town which sadly many people never visit.

[@RichardVobes]

Fascinating stuff there, Mike - thanks for the info. I have been albeit briefly to the museum. Must return again.

[@christophernorth3128]

The Sussex edition of The Buildings of England had two authors; Ian Nairn and Nicholas Pevsner. The comments you attribute to Pevsner were written by Ian Nairn who wrote the West Sussex section. Pevsner wrote the second half of the book about East Sussex. Thank you for your very enjoyable and interesting videos.

[@pg-rd7ik]

Having lived in Littlehampton as a young lad (1969 - 1979), and having family and friends who still live there I am very familiar with the area. Interesting bit of folklore regarding South Terrace is that the late great Ronnie Barker spent many Summers living there, and the story goes that he took inspiration for Open All Hours, basing the shop on a store called Coopers in Norfolk Road (near to where you were walking). This could be true as also nearby is a road called Granville Road (David Jason’s character name in that and the subsequent Still Open All Hours sequel, is of course G G G Granville).

[@RichardVobes]

Oh interesting. Thanks for that.

[@01dirtmonkey]

That’s true. The apartment that he stayed in has now been converted back to 1 house. Which is now owned by my friends parents.

[@carolcordell5881]

Finally found the place for comments, as most of the time this Android changes screens so quickly, and we're into the next video. Am not computer savvy, or technically savvy. But, ...... have noticed that the numbers of views, viewers are highly increasing on your most recent border walks, and others. Have enjoyed your childhood stories... Have tried to imagine myself walking, filming by holding the camera at arms length, AND TALKING, giving a history lesson. That seems to be a highly co-ordinated skill. I think I would have to practice a whole lot before I could do that for real. .. Am fascinated with English castles, and hope in a few years to come to England to see "Castles"; Very exciting for me. Also am a seamstress, beginning to sew up period fashions of the 1780s, and 1798s era for still photo fashion shoots, that we could start here. There is a Victorian influence in South West Virginia, that I hope we can move to soon, sooo we can use these Victorian houses as a background for our fashionable, Victorian still photo shoots. Might take us a while, but this is one of our interests we would like to do in the near future. .. Ooooh, wanted to say that I ordered 2 of your coffee mugs which arrived today. Thus am having special coffee as I type out this message. Thought occurred to me that these mugs would make a good Christmas gift. Hope you get a good % of the price. .... Super enjoy watching your videos, seeing all the different house styles. I would prefer a flat as stairs isn't a good idea for me. Already tired. THANK YOU for your History lesson. Loved it.

[@RichardVobes]

Thanks so much.Carol. So pleased you worked out the comments. Lovely to read your thoughts and glad the mugs arrived. Enjoy the coffee.

[@RichardDKneller]

I lived at Seaholme Guest House , opposite the Beach Hotel tennis Courts. A friend of mine played there after the War. I had luncheon there once with my Principal, Neville West. My parents went there for dinner dances.

[@mattdow9039]

I recognised "The Dolls House" (6:33) from BBC's DIY SOS program

[@RichardVobes]

Oh really - I didn't see that.

[@leighlawson4854]

@@RichardVobes you can find an online 'book' of photographs describing the restoration, written by the owner.

[@gillyparkman6069]

Really interesting, loved this walk. Thank you Richard.

[@RichardVobes]

So pleased you enjoyed it.

[@michaelwhite8031]

I love looking at all the architecture on your new walks. Very ,very enjoyable.

[@RichardVobes]

Thanks so much Michael

[@Mattriver7]

Top marks for this one, very informative and pleasantly surprising to see so many relics of the past.

[@RichardVobes]

Thanks, Matt.

[@ceeceety2320]

We have a mill very much like your Aaron Tower (spelling might be botched, apologies) which was once called Bevo Mill (pronounced-BeeVoe) and it was built by August Busch of Anheuser-Busch Beer as a restaurant. The neighborhood went into decline and the mill was closed but I just looked it up and found that it's been renovated and is now called Das Bevo and is a restaurant once again. Can't wait to go see what they've done to the place. Your vlogs are so enjoyable! Thanks again for another great one! Tim

[@RichardVobes]

My pleasure - glad you enjoy them.

[@deborahmartin20]

Beautiful buildings, thank you for the guided tour Richard.

[@RichardVobes]

My pleasure

[@leighlawson4854]

Wonderful. So many very happy memories of my childhood home in this video.

[@RichardVobes]

We shall return and you can tell me all about it.

[@Anglo_Browza]

Lived there all my life but still found that very interesting

[@SirTerenceOfEngland]

Lovely video. I'm enjoying the little snippets of local information; and continuing to relish the comparisons to Pevsner's opinions!

[@RichardVobes]

So pleased - good old Pevsner! :)

[@OriginalPoppinus]

Fascinating stuff as always, seeing the outline of the old Estates and way of life, in beautiful Sussex 💚x

[@RichardVobes]

We are so lucky that there still this wonderful little gems in Sussex.

[@adammaverickcurtis]

A bit late to the party here but a great video - the algorithm brought your video to my screen today! A couple of bonus facts - the Dolls House (around 6:40) was the subject of a DIY SOS special circa 2010. Then at 7:30 onwards the road is Western Road, the centre of a controversy in the 1920s. You may see a story based on that on the big screen with "Wicked Little Letters" featuring Olivia Colman coming up :) Of course the road didn't look like that in the 1920s so they filmed elsewhere!!

[@bosiex]

I used to live along South Terrace, the happiest time of my life. Littlehampton is a truly beautiful town, particularly the beach area - the best beach in England in my opinion.

[@RichardVobes]

Lovely place to live.

[@marcintime]

Thanks for a very interesting video, Richard. This is a part of Littlehampton I'm quite unfamiliar with, and I must say there are some lovely buildings there, including those Victorian houses. Even the beach huts look grand! I used to cycle from Goring to Littlehampton down the A259 in the days when there was little traffic, but always made straight for the town centre.

[@RichardVobes]

I think a lot of people do not realise this charming little quarter is there in Littlehampton.

[@Stringtrees]

That is an area of Littlehampton I have never been to. I don't think the Victorian houses looked that bad. I can see that they were a little fussy but from the viewpoint of the 20th Century, they have a certain charm about them.

[@RichardVobes]

Oh I like the Victorian houses myself. Pevsner was a grumpy old chap.

[@heidij8948]

Love seeing my home town, even though I only live in Worthing i still miss it.

[@RichardVobes]

Thaks for watching.

[@justinejones4527]

I remember the Beach Hotel, used to go to a CB radio club there in the early 80s

[@RichardVobes]

Oh golly - a shame it has gone.

[@davidmills636]

I love the vision that the Georgians and early Vicroians had for our gentile seaside resourts

[@RichardVobes]

Yes indeed.

[@MrGreatplum]

Great stuff, Richard. Pevsner was an opinionated so and so (I’ve said it before!) - probably helped to sell books! Thanks for showing parts of Littlehampton I wouldn’t normally see when taking the boys to the sea side!

[@RichardVobes]

I know he was a bit grumpy. I think that adds to his charm, but useful for me to find interesting places. :)

[@johnbyrne2756]

Pevsner and Poet Laureate Betjeman had a long running spat years ago. The great poet had a keen eye for good architecture although not qualified in that field. Pevsner though was having none of it, Betjeman wasn't qualified and that was that, probably thinking he should stick to his unimportant silly rhymes!!

[@MrGrahamwhitt]

My eldest Daughter lived in South Terrace overlooking the tennis courts , for a while. Not nice in the winter with the wind from the sea!

[@bigmanjeeb]

You have made Littlehampton look much nicer than it really is, but I think most places are like that along the seafront areas. Good video

[@RichardVobes]

Thank you

[@kezzaba1]

Some of those grander houses on South Terrace remind me of some of the posher parts of St Leonards and Hastings. I wonder whether the builders were the same. I’m loving the flint and pebble houses btw.

[@RichardVobes]

They are amazing houses. I love them. I wonder if they get cold in Winter.

[@carolross6583]

I grew up in London (Pimlico) and the Sunday school I attended as a child, occasionally took us to Littlehampton on day trips by coach, during the summer of course. This would be late 50's. We loved it.

[@RichardVobes]

How smashing!

[@reecessetpieces6939]

I live here now and I want to now if it was as beautiful in person as it is now?

[@juniajosh3858]

Good morning! Pevsner worked with my grandfather back in the day, during the war I think..at the AP. Wish I could say more! I'm shocked by my own ignorance. Littlehampton has some nice bits.

[@RichardVobes]

What an interesting connection with Pevsner. Thanks for sharing. :)

[@juniajosh3858]

@@RichardVobesA pleasure... I know a little about the AP but next to nothing about Pevsner himself, except that he, Ian Nairn, Betjeman and Hugh Casson all worked there at around the same time. It must have been quite a party..literally. I suppose this is why I like your content..it's alive and insightful, without the heavyness or arrogance that comes with being too "academic"!

[@leighlawson4854]

How interesting! There is a new edition, 'Sussex West, Pevsner Architectural Guides' published in May 2019.

[@juniajosh3858]

@@leighlawson4854 thank you! I shall definitely check it out. I can imagine it must be interesting reading for all us locals!

[@bustedfender]

LA (Little ‘Ampton) is an amazing place to come from. Not so nice to go to, especially on a Friday night.

[@JBMtravels]

Hey 👋 Vobes hope this comment finds you well, I would like to say I really like your content as it is really interesting, well detailed and I feel it is on point with the information you provide and talk about. You have inspired me to keep travelling and if it wasn't for you I wouldn't still be traveling anymore but I'm still going thanks to you. Now may I ask for your advice, what are ten places in Sussex with good hotels and could you also tell me one place outside Sussex that is a good place with good hotels so basically I need to places to visit. I look forward to your reply Many thanks JBM Travels (Jim Mowat)

[@RichardVobes]

Golly - that is a big question - so many - everywhere has something to offer.

[@realgreendress2330]

Fascinating. I wonder how many very humble dwellings were demolished to make way for the terraces?

[@RichardVobes]

I am not sure there was any before then.

[@paulliebenberg3410]

Richard, are those flint pebbles in the building walls through and through as a structural element or are they just a decorative facing? Do you happen to know the source of the flint? (I'm assuming they're coming down the rivers from highlands somewhere before ending up on the beaches)

[@bullettube9863]

Paul Liebenberg: Using beach stones or cobbles as they are known here, aren't only on the outside. The builders laid down a layer of mortar then a layer of stones a foot at a time, letting the mortar set so that the wall didn't sag. Skilled masons would lay the stones in a really decorative pattern. The trouble with using rounded stone though is that the stones don't have any jagged edges for the mortar to grip and over time the stones pop out. Flint is very rough, and would either be laid in rustic fashion, or face chipped to present a flat surface. After the mortar had set several face coats of plaster would be applied inside and sometimes on the outside as well. Of course, in the "olden" days labor was cheaper and the stones were even cheaper as farmers cleared them out prior to planting and sold them for pennies a pound. Toady, only the rich can afford to have a house built like these now. I'm not from England, but watched a TV show about how these interesting houses were built and the mistakes people made trying to save money when remodeling.

[@MrGreatplum]

Paul, the flint is found within the chalk of the South Downs (only about 6 miles or so north.) I think it was originally structural but if it’s built these days, it would be decorative.

[@RichardVobes]

Thanks for the answers to Paul's interesting question.

[@bullettube9863]

@@RichardVobes Your welcome! The cobble stone houses are just one of the many varied building methods used in Britain. The packed earth Cob hoses in the west of England for instance. This method is considered economical and environmentally friendly today! The use of lime mortar is considered today better for the environment then cement because cement requires a lot more heat from oil or natural gas. Many people now believe that the old way of building makes more sense then originally thought!

[@johnbyrne2756]

ON THE BORDER (verse 11 of ???) Once railway tendrils touched the coast they came here in their hordes From smokey towns for seaside air the copious trains aboard On Littlhampton's spacious green to demonstrate charade With vigour vain Victorians did swan and promenade. JB20

[@RichardVobes]

So very true.

[@silverfox558]

Hello Richard, this is a very interesting video, thank you. I have many happy memories with my family from the 70's and 80's holidaying in Littlehampton. We used to stay at the Beach Hotel and I think it was a travesty it was demolished to make way for the flats. At one point after its closure it was going to be refurbished but it never happened. Do you or any others know what happened between its closure (around 1989) and its demolition in 1994? There were reports about the closure being linked to asbestos in the building but I've not been able to substantiate anything.

[@RichardVobes]

It does seem a shame to have demolished the old building.

[@mw6901]

I worked Littlehampton as a Police officer back in the early '00s. A funny old place with some interesting and sinister stories to it....

[@RichardVobes]

Yes, I imagine you could tell some stories about the place.

[@aabb55777]

I assume that the houses from 7:30 on were renovated in the interior for modern conveniences.

[@RichardVobes]

Oh yes, I am sure they are. People live in them so they are not museum pieces. Be funny if they were, of course! :)

[@leighlawson4854]

Yes, I can vouch for that! I was taken into my granny's old house in that road some years ago, and having been modernised it was unrecognisable inside! My parents' own rented cottage there was demolished in 1956, not being deemed suitable for habitation, though we were happy in it.

[@davidkitchen7941]

Lovely beach huts - but they do look a bit vulnerable to very high tides.

[@RichardDKneller]

The Pavillion was there in the sixties at least.

[@richm2835]

Quite surprised at the amount gated communities/estates you've come across on your travels in some of the videos in this series.

[@RichardVobes]

Yes, I know - people want exclusive access to the sea, it would appear.

[@gl7983]

What! No graffiti on the beach huts?! Is Littlehampton actually inhabited?

[@RichardVobes]

Good question - it was a Sunday morning when I went around there.

[@lindakane4717]

Great video of a part of Littlehampton little known including Western Road. People may be interested to know of a book titled The Littlehampton Libels by Christopher Hilliard- A Miscarriage of Justice and Mystery about Words in 1920s England - it tells the story of a poison -pen mystery that led to a miscarriage of justice in the years following WW1. There would be 4 criminal trials before the real culprit was finally punished with the case challenging the police and the lawyers as much as any capital crime. Its the story of the police investigation. All set in the Western Road area !!! and with reference to many Liitlehampton placed incl Beach Hotel.

[@RichardVobes]

That sounds fascinating, Linda.

[@deanmc178]

would have loved a beach BBQ with richard on the video..

[@RichardVobes]

Next time!

[@deanmc178]

the home of richard suggett

[@ballyhoo48]

The cars are ugly