Old Shoreham Heritage Trail - Guided Tour
St Nicolas Church, St. Nicolas Lane, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN435NH
The modern coastal town of Shoreham-by-Sea has its origins in Old Shoreham, a village, rural parish and ancient crossing point of the Adur Estuary. For more than two millenia Old Shoreham has been a place of settlement and a crossroads connecting the Weald and central Sussex to the sea and the old roads of the South Coast. The village itself was thriving several hundred years before it was recorded in the Domesday Book. Everyone who crosses the River Adur on the modern A27 bypass travels though the middle of the Parish.
The new heritage trail will span from Shoreham Airport to the crest of the Downs above the village. The route crosses the Adur by the Grade II* 18th century wooden Toll Bridge, probably the last remaining example of this type of bridge. Continuing through the Conservation Area, you will pass some of the oldest buildings in Shoreham, including St Nicolas church, a Grade I listed building founded by Anglo-Saxons. Beyond the village , Mill Hill leads to a local Nature Reserve, the South Downs National Park and The Living Coast, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Alongside these guided walks the trail will be available for self-guided tours.
For families, enjoy our family trail in the church to learn more about this fascinating, ancient building and join in the dressing-up fun and learning with period-style clothing from medieval times specially-made for the Festival by theatre and film costumier Joan Staley and her friends. .
St Nicolas Church, St. Nicolas Lane, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN435NH
The last part of the tour rises up a steep hill to a viewpoint over the Adur Valley.
Alongside the guided trail , you will be able to follow a self-guided tour at any time. Please note that self-guided tours are not covered by our event insurance and are at your own risk. For more details and our full programme of Festival events (published in August), please see the individual event entries or join our mailing list via [email protected]