The History of Shoreham Port, Sussex

Shoreham's harbour location has been utilized for maritime activity since at least the medieval period (and possibly as early as Roman times). The town of Old Shoreham existed inland by the Adur in Saxon times, but the harbour itself took shape when the Normans founded New Shoreham near the river's mouth in the late 11th century.

Around 1103, the great Norman church of St Mary de Haura ("St Mary of the Haven") was built to serve the bustling new port town. By the 12th and 13th centuries, New Shoreham had become one of the most important Channel ports in England, enjoying royal patronage and thriving trade. Medieval Shoreham was even described by a 12th-century geographer as a "flourishing" port city, reflecting its early prosperity.

Key Developments:

• c.1075–1100: Normans establish New Shoreham as a port town
• 1103: St Mary de Haura Church consecrated
• 12th–13th c.: Shoreham becomes a major royal port and shipbuilding centre

The 14th century brought decline to Shoreham Port. A combination of factors – coastal storms, silting of the river mouth, plague and war – diminished the town. Coastal erosion and flooding wreaked havoc on Shoreham; a significant portion of New Shoreham was reportedly destroyed by encroaching seas in the late medieval period.

By 1421, a survey claimed the population had collapsed from 500 in earlier times to only 36 residents, illustrating how far the port's fortunes had fallen. The harbour's entrance began to shift eastward as shingle banks built up, complicating navigation. Already by 1587 (Tudor era), records show the river had to turn sharply along a shingle spit before reaching the sea, indicating ongoing silting problems.

Key Events:

• Late 14th c.: Decline after war and plague; coastal change begins to impede the harbour
• 1385: French raid threat leads to coastal defenses being erected
• 15th c.: Harbour largely in disrepair; by 1421 the town is nearly deserted

During the 1500s, Shoreham experienced continued harbour silting and occasional conflict. In 1545, during Henry VIII's wars with France, Shoreham was attacked by the French navy, underscoring its strategic vulnerability.

By the late 16th century, chronic silting had diverted the Adur's mouth far east of the town – by 1587 the river's exit was already about half a mile from St Mary's Church, moving along the shingle bank. A 1580 record notes that Shoreham was used for exporting armaments (ordnance), hinting at a minor military role, though overall legitimate trade had dwindled and piracy was not uncommon in this era.

Notable Tudor Events:

• 1545: French forces attack Shoreham during war
• 1580s: Severe silting forces river's eastward diversion
• 1587: Records show the river's mouth blocked by shingle

The early 17th century brought a resurgence through shipbuilding. Shoreham developed a reputation for constructing ships for the crown and private enterprise. Between 1625 and 1638, at least 21 ships were built for King Charles I at Shoreham's yards.

The port also served as a base for privateers: local captains in the 1620s received "letters of marque" to raid enemy ships during times of conflict. A famous episode occurred in 1651: the future King Charles II, fleeing after the Battle of Worcester, made a dramatic escape to France via a brigantine that set sail from Shoreham's harbour. This event, known as the "Royal Escape," is a notable footnote in Shoreham's history.

By the late 1600s, Shoreham was again contributing to naval power. In 1695–1696 alone, ten men-of-war warships for the Royal Navy (including the first HMS Shoreham in 1693) were built in Shoreham's yards. This flurry of shipbuilding demonstrates the port's capabilities and importance to the navy at that time.

Key Stuart Period Events:

• 1620s: Shoreham thrives as a shipbuilding centre
• 1651: Charles II escapes to exile through Shoreham
• 1690s: Ten Royal Navy warships built at Shoreham
• 1698: Naval survey describes hazardous harbour entrance conditions

With the harbour entrance finally secured in the early 19th century, Shoreham entered a period of growth and modernization. The arrival of the railway in 1840 (the London-Brighton line and a branch to Shoreham) connected the port to a vast hinterland, priming it for expansion as a commercial seaport.

To accommodate more shipping, major infrastructure upgrades were undertaken. In 1846, a new lighthouse was built at the harbour mouth. Then in 1854–1855, the eastern arm of the harbour was dredged and canalised, with a lock constructed at its entrance. This effectively created a sheltered canal or basin, separate from the tidal river, allowing ships to enter at more states of the tide.

Key Victorian Infrastructure:

• 1840: Railway reaches Shoreham, spurring commerce
• 1846: New lighthouse erected at harbour mouth
• 1850s: First lock-built basin opens, creating a canal-like eastern harbour arm
• 1857: Shoreham Fort constructed on Shoreham Beach as part of coastal defenses

Industrial activity clustered around the harbour in the Victorian era. In 1870, the Portslade gasworks was built on the eastern arm, soon followed by a host of related industries. A chemical works was established on Shoreham Beach in the 1870s to utilize by-products of the gasworks.

Other Victorian industries included shipyards, timber yards with timber-ponds for seasoning wood, saw-mills, planing mills, coal wharves, and even a soap factory. Shoreham also continued building ships – both sailing vessels and, later in the century, steamships or barges.

The presence of Brighton and Hove just to the east (rapidly-growing resort towns with no harbours of their own) and Worthing to the west ensured a steady demand for building materials, fuel, and goods through Shoreham. By serving this regional market, Shoreham earned the nickname "the Liverpool of the South" in optimistic 19th-century press.

Industrial Developments:

• 1870s–1890s: Industrial boom – gasworks, chemical works, timber yards transform Shoreham
• 1873: Governance changes – Shoreham Harbour is managed by a new Board of Trustees
• 1880s: Port operations shift eastward – customs house moves from Shoreham town to Kingston

During World War I (1914–1918), the harbour served as a base for minor naval vessels and for shipbuilding of small craft. Although not a front-line port, it contributed to the war effort. Shipbuilding rose again – the demand for vessels saw Shoreham's yards build barges and support ships.

World War II (1939–1945) brought Shoreham Port into further military use. The port was used for shipbuilding and repair – for example, assembly of landing craft and minesweepers. During the D-Day preparations of 1944, Shoreham was one of the secondary embarkation points: on June 6, 1944, troops and vehicles embarked from Shoreham to support the Allied landings in Normandy.

Military Contributions:

• 1914–18: World War I – Shoreham builds small vessels and serves in supply
• 1939–45: World War II – Harbour used for military embarkations (D-Day 1944) and construction of naval craft

After WWII, Shoreham entered an industrial boom. A second large electricity power station was constructed at Southwick in the late 1940s. To accommodate the larger colliers (coal ships) needed to fuel these plants, significant harbour improvements were carried out.

A new, larger lock named the Prince George Lock opened in 1933, replacing the 1850s lock. Then between 1952 and 1957, a major expansion added the Prince Philip Lock alongside it, allowing ships up to 4,500 tons – triple the previous size – to enter the harbour.

By the 1960s, Shoreham was at its zenith as a coal-importing port: over 2 million tonnes of coal per year were being offloaded from collier ships arriving from South Wales and the north of England. The enormous coal yards and the nearly mile-long complex of the Southwick power station became defining features of Shoreham Harbour's landscape.

Peak Industrial Period:

• 1906: A coal-fired electricity power station for Brighton is built at Southwick
• 1933: Prince George Lock opens, enlarging the harbour's capacity
• 1948–57: Post-war expansion – second power station constructed; Prince Philip Lock opens
• 1960s: Peak coal imports (2 million+ tons/year) feed giant power station
• 1970s: Coal traffic collapses as power station converts to oil/gas