LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE HERITAGE GROUP!

Recording valuable information about the town’s exciting historic buildings, volunteers of the Littlehampton Heritage Group have spent the last fifteen months working in partnership with Littlehampton Town Council and with the support of Arun District Council’s Conservation Officer.

Funded by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, perhaps the most important aspect of the group’s work has been raising the profile of heritage within the town. Volunteers have achieved this by recording information about the physical features and the rich history of many buildings around Littlehampton.

An example of these lesser known buildings is N0 41 Beach Road, which is located on the corner of Beach Road and Maltravers Road. Built around 1893 as the new offices of the Littlehampton Urban District Council (the predecessor to both Arun District, and Littlehampton Town Councils), this initial purpose can be noted in some of the building’s more ornate features including the clock and the stone window lintels and surrounds.

After the Urban District Council moved to new offices at the Manor House, Church Street, in 1933, these offices were known as the ‘Old Council Offices.’ Frequently used by the community, this was depicted in a 1937 edition of Littlehampton Gazette via an advertisement for a meeting of the Littlehampton Chamber of Commerce.

Speaking about the project, Chair of Planning and Transportation, Councillor Chris Blanchard-Cooper, said: “The funding for the project concludes in January 2020, but there are still many buildings left to discover! The Heritage Group is keen to recruit volunteers to continue the wonderful work beyond January. If you are interested in helping, even if just by sharing something you know or suggesting a building you would like to see researched, please get in touch.”

Contact Heritage Project Officer, Jonathan Parrett, for further information by calling 01903 732063 or emailing. The work of the group can also be found online on www.facebook.com/LtonHeritage.