The River Adur and Shoreham Harbour: the back story

About The River Adur and Shoreham Harbour: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Brighton Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

The River Adur shapes Shoreham. It carved the gap in the Downs, built the shingle spit of Shoreham Beach and wandered east along the coast until 1816. Today it is lined with houseboats and nature reserves, crossed by bridges old and new, and ends in Shoreham Port, a trust port since 1760.

Stand on the Adur Ferry Bridge at high tide and you see the whole of Shoreham’s story at once: the river running out to sea, the boats moored along the banks, the town on one side and the shingle of Shoreham Beach on the other, and, inland, the line of the South Downs where the river breaks through.

The gap in the Downs

The Adur reaches the sea through a gap in the chalk. On the hill to the east, Mill Hill Local Nature Reserve looks down over the valley; owned by Adur District Council and managed with the South Downs National Park Authority, it is known for its rare chalk grassland and butterflies, among them the nationally scarce Adonis blue. On the western side, Lancing College Chapel stands on the slope of the Downs above the river.

Check opening times and trains on the official sites before you travel.

Bridges over the Adur

For centuries the main crossing was far upstream: in 1801, troops were sent to defend the Adur bridge near the Sussex Pad inn. Today the old toll bridge at Old Shoreham still carries walkers and cyclists across the river beside the church of St Nicolas, while in the town the Adur Ferry Bridge, a footbridge from the High Street by Coronation Green, takes you straight over to the beach.

The houseboats

Along the western bank of the river, between the town and Shoreham Beach, runs one of the most photographed sights on the coast: a line of houseboats, many of them converted from old vessels, painted, extended and planted with gardens. Adur & Worthing Councils describe them as unique, and they are best seen from the riverside path or from Shoreham Beach Green. They are people’s homes, so enjoy them from the public path.

Shoreham Port

At the river mouth the shingle spit ends at the harbour entrance, fixed between two piers since 1816. Shoreham Port was established as a trust by an Act of Parliament in 1760 and still reinvests its surpluses in the port. In its own figures, around two million tonnes of cargo and 14,000 leisure boat movements pass through its lock gates each year, and fish worth about £18 million are landed, making it the third-largest fishing port in England. Shoreham Fort, completed in 1857, still guards the western side of the entrance.

On and by the water

The port has a family walking trail, Anchor Points, with a map you can download from its site. Shoreham Beach Local Nature Reserve protects the rare vegetated shingle of the spit, and in summer the river and the sea are busy with sailing, paddleboarding and rowing: Adur & Worthing Councils list the clubs on their sailing and water sports page.

Our advice: walk out over the footbridge, west along the houseboats to the fort at the harbour mouth, and back along the beach, ideally on a rising tide on a calm, bright morning.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The River Adur and Shoreham Harbour: the back story before you go.