Shoreham

Shoreham grew at the mouth of the River Adur on the Sussex coast. The Norman settlement of New Shoreham became a flourishing port, and by the late thirteenth century it was the leading harbour in Sussex for the export of wool. Its church of St Mary de Haura stood beside the commercial town and its harbour on the English Channel.

The coast was never still: shingle moved eastward across the river mouth, causing silting and shifting the places where ships could land. Maintaining a safe and usable access to the sea became a recurring problem for the port. In 1762 a new harbour entrance was made to improve navigation for ships, allowing Shoreham's harbour to continue serving ships despite the changing shoreline.