Littlehampton Walk: Town Centre & Beach【4K】

Located on the south coast of England, in the county of West Sussex, and just under 20 miles west of Brighton, is the town of Littlehampton.

Geographically Littlehampton is situated on the eastern bank of the mouth of the River Arun as it meets the English Channel. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it is recorded as 'Hantone'. The prefix 'Little' was added later, allegedly to distinguish it from Southampton.

For centuries, Littlehampton was a small fishing village with a port. In 1735 a new port was created with a wooden harbour. Towards the latter end of the 18th century, 'taking the waters' at seaside towns and villages became fashionable, as the curative benefits of the minerals became known. Littlehampton's popularity was boosted by visits from poets Coleridge, Shelley and Lord Byron as well as painter John Constable.

In 1816 the Wey and Arun Canal opened, providing a direct route between Littlehampton and London via the waterways. The canal eventually closed in 1871, perhaps as a result of competition from the railways. In the case of Littlehampton, a rail connection was established in 1863. Today the station is situated on the West Coastway Line running between Brighton and Southampton Central. With its opening in the 19th century, the rail connection made day trips to Littlehampton from London, among other places, possible. Also, around this time, a ferry route was established between Littlehampton and Honfleur in Normandy. These travel links brought about significant growth in the town.

In 1884 Littlehampton Lifeboat Station opened. In 1967 a Blue Peter fundraising appeal helped launch the Blue Peter 1 lifeboat. This served the town up until 2016, when it was replaced by a new lifeboat called Renee Sherman, named after a French lady who lived in Wiltshire and left a legacy in her will.

In 1932 the famous holiday camp tycoon Billy Butlin opened an amusement park in Littlehampton. Originally called Butlin's Park, it was later bought by the Billy Smart Circus family in 1977 and renamed Smart's Amusement Park. In 1995 the current owner, Gary Smart, rebranded it as Harbour Park, as it is known currently. It is located just next to the beach (seen around the 4-and-a-half minute mark).

In 1944, Littlehampton became the base for a special Royal Marine Commando unit called the 30 Assault Unit. This was founded by none other than Ian Fleming, who would go on to write the James Bond novels. The 30 Assault Unit stormed Utah Beach during the D-Day Landings, and went on to seize the entire German naval archive, which was later used as evidence in the Nuremberg trials. In 2013 Littlehampton Town Council granted the unit freedom of the town.

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Filmed: 23rd March 2022

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/xPuwqHnUMwqCM9BT9

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Beach
2:44 Littlehampton Pier
3:45 Arun Parade
4:25 Harbour Park (originally part of Butlin's until 1977)
5:03 Arun Parade
7:20 Pier Road
9:05 Littlehampton Harbour
13:28 Surrey Street
16:09 High Street
18:59 Beach Road
20:33 New Road