Bibliography - Sussex: Harbours
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The Report of J. Smeaton on the Harbour of Rye in the county of Sussex, by John Smeaton, published 1763 (London) accessible at: British Library

An estimate for compleating the harbour of Rye according to the plan and report of J. Smeaton.

New Shoreham Harbour, The Report of J. Rennie, Esq, by John Rennie, published 1810 (W. Smith) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries

Report to the Committee of Subscribers of the Proposed Harbour of new Shoreham

The report of John Rennie, Esq. on view of the Upper Levels, &c. December 26, 1812, by John Rennie, published 1812 (3 pp., Rye: Coleman)

On building a new harbour at Rye, with an estimate of embanking the River Rother &c.

Newhaven Harbour: a collection of reports relative to the harbour and piers of Newhaven in the county of Sussex, by John Rennie and others, published 1846 (Harbour Trustees)

The Guide to Littlehampton: being an historical and descriptive account of the town and harbour, etc., published 1847 (61 pp., Arundel: Mitchell & Son) accessible at: British Library

Newhaven Harbour from 1827 to 1859, by William Stevens, published 1861 (15 pp., Lewes: W. E. Baxter) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries

The Modern history and future prospects of Newhaven Harbour, Sussex: compiled and issued under the authority of the Board of Directors, by Newhaven Harbour Company, published 1884 (Newhaven Harbour Co.)

Harbour improvements at Newhaven, Sussex, by Alfred Edward Carey, published 1887 in Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. (vol. 87, no. 1887, article)

Harbour Improvements at Newhaven, Sussex (inludes plates and appendices), by A. E. Carey, published January 1887 in Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers (vol. 87, article, pp.92-113)

The construction of a concrete wharf at Portslade, Sussex, by Joseph Cash, published 1894 in Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. (vol. 118, article)

Selsey or Pagham Harbour, by Rev. J. Cavis-Brown, published 1910 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 53, article, pp.26-31) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2138] & The Keep [LIB/500271] & S.A.S. library   View Online

Newhaven Harbour, by R. Blaker, published 1923 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 64, notes & queries, pp.195-196) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2149] & The Keep [LIB/500282] & S.A.S. library   View Online

Pagham Harbour, by F. S. Blomfield, published 1929 in Sussex County Magazine (vol. III no. 7, article, pp.462-463) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2307] & The Keep [LIB/500140]

Shoreham Harbour, by C. Richard Ward, published 1933 in Sussex County Magazine (vol. VII no. 5, article, pp.331-332) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2312] & The Keep [LIB/500176]

A New History of Rye. XV - A New Harbour, by Leopold A. Vidler, published 1934 in Sussex County Magazine (vol. VIII no. 5, article, pp.310-315) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9329] & The Keep [LIB/500177]

West Wittering Harbour, by L. F. Ramsey, published 1934 in Sussex County Magazine (vol. VIII no. 12, article, pp.741-743) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9329] & The Keep [LIB/500178]

Old Dell Quay: A Picturesque Corner of Chichester Harbour, by Arthur Lamsley, published 1937 in Sussex County Magazine (vol. XI no. 6, article, pp.394-396) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2316][Lib 9332] & The Keep [LIB/500182]

Shoreham Harbour Official Handbook, published 1938 (pamphlet, Shoreham Harbour Trustees) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 12126]

Hastings & Its Harbours, by J. Manwaring Baines, published 1946 (16 pp., Hastings: Kenneth Saville) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/502764] & East Sussex Libraries

A Critical Period in the History of Shoreham Harbour, 1760-1816, by H. C. Brookfield, published 1949 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 88, article, pp.42-50) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2173] & The Keep [LIB/500341] & S.A.S. library

Littoral diatoms of Chichester Harbour with special reference to fouling, by N. Ingram Hendey, published 1951 in Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society (vol. 71, no. 1, article, pp.1-86)

The Harbour Entrances of Poole, Christchurch and Pagham, by A. H. W. Robinson, published 1955 (article) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 10230]

The Harbour Entrances of Poole, Christchurch and Pagham, by A.H.W. Robinson, published March 1955 in The Geographical Journal (vol. 121, no. 3, article, pp.33-50)   View Online

Rye Harbour in the Reign of Charles ll, by J. H. Andrews, published 1956 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 94, article, pp.35-42) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2179] & The Keep [LIB/500335] & S.A.S. library

Shoreham Harbour development, by H. Ridehalgh, published 1958 in Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers (vol. 11, no. 3, article, pp.285-296)

Shoreham Harbour Development, by H. Ridehalgh, published November 1958 in Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers (vol. 11, no. 3, article, pp.285-296)

Shoreham Harbour Development, by H. Ridehalgh, G. A.Wilson, P. A. Scott, J. Duvivier, F. E. Prior, W. H. Dunkley, J. B. Dalman, A. H. Toms, M. L. Wolfe Barry, P. G. K. Knight, R. W. Bishop, J. R. D. Francis, J. R. A. Garland, A. G. Stephenson and J. H. Jellett, published June 1959 in Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers (vol. 13, no. 2, article, pp.218-233)

Flora of Pagham Harbour. A study in plant ecology, with plates, including maps, by Dorothy French, published 1962 (16 pp., Bognor Regis Natural Science Society) accessible at: British Library

The ecology of Chichester Harbour, S. England, with special reference to some fouling species, by H.G. Stubbings and D.E. Houghton, published 1964 in International Review of Hydrobiology (vol. 49, no. 2, article, pp.233-279)

Shoreham Harbour, by W. G. S. Tonkin, published July 1964 in Geography (vol. 49, no. 3, article, pp.247-251, Geographical Association)   View Online

The natural history of Pagham Harbour. Part 1, The birds and mammals of Pagham Harbour, by W. W. A. Phillips, published 1965 (40 pp., Bognor Regis Natural Science Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [AM 64/1/21] & British Library

Chichester Harbour, or Reflections on Mud and Chi, by Allen Chandler, published 1968 (67 pp., Haselmere, Surrey: Blackdown Bookshop) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 12349] & West Sussex Libraries

The rise of the port of Newhaven, 1850-1914, by D.F. Gibbs, published 1970 (Newton Abbot: David and Charles) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries

The Evolution of Newhaven Harbour and the Lower Ouse before 1800, by John H. Farrant, published 1972 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 110, article, pp.44-60) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2195] & The Keep [LIB/500319] & S.A.S. library

Concealed Eocene outcrop beneath Shoreham Harbour, Sussex, by L. P. Thomas and D . A. Gray, published March 1974 in Geological Magazine (vol. 111, issue 2, article, pp.125-132)   View Online

Evidence from a series of boreholes in the Shoreham area demonstrates the occurrence of an outcrop of Woolwich and Reading Beds lying beneath the drift deposits which form the floor of Shoreham Harbour. The classification of the Eocene strata, their structural relation to other deposits in the area and their conditions of deposition are examined.

The Tidal Threat, East Head Spit, Chichester Harbour, by S. A. Searle, published 1975 (pamphlet, Dunes Group, ISBN-10: 0950400106 & ISBN-13: 9780950400105) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 5931] & West Sussex Libraries

The Harbours of Sussex 1700-1914, by John H. Farrant, published 1976 (pamphlet, 47 pp., Brighton, ISBN-10: 0950526509 & ISBN-13: 9780950526508) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 10304] & The Keep [LIB/504920] & East Sussex Libraries

Harbour works at Brighton Marina: investigations and design, by F.L. Terrett, P. Ganly and S.B. Stubbs, published 1979 in Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers (vol. 66, no. 2, article, pp.191-208)

Chichester Harbour Guide, published 1980 (pamphlet, Chichester Harbour Conservancy) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 7545]

The Reclamation of Pagham Harbour through the Centuries, by John Graves, published September 1981 in West Sussex History, the Journal of West Sussex Archives Society (no. 20, article, p.2) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16404/20] & The Keep [LIB/500480]

Shoreham Harbour Informal Plan, published 1982 (Adur District Council) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8649]

History and Management of Chichester Harbour, by Geoffrey Godber, published 1983 (pamphlet, Chichester Harbour Conservancy) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8808] & West Sussex Libraries

Water Based Leisure Activity in Chichester Harbour, by Nigel Pusinelli, published 1983 (pamphlet) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8809]

The Modern history and future prospects of Newhaven Harbour, Sussex, compiled and issued under the authority of the Board of Directors, published 1984 (Newhaven Harbour Co.)

The Development of Shoreham Harbour 1760-1880, by Judy Middleton, published 1984 (pamphlet, published by the author) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9142] & The Keep [LIB/503037]

Field Survey of Chichester Harbour, 1982, by Caroline R. Cartwright, published 1984 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 122, article, pp.23-28) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9140] & The Keep [LIB/500309] & S.A.S. library

The Harbours of Sussex as part of an Inland Transport System in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries, by John H. Farrant, published 1985 in Sussex Industrial History (issue no. 15, article, pp.2-11) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16389/15] & The Keep [LIB/506525]   Download PDF

The stretch of coast within the bounds of the ancient county of Sussex has no intrinsic significance in transport history. Since the silting of Rye harbour in the seventeenth century, it has lacked a major natural harbour, for Chichester was and is accessible only to small craft. None of the harbours had more than a local hinterland (with one exception mentioned below): although the hinterlands cannot be defined with much precision, and varied over time and for different commodities, in general they probably did not reach beyond the limits of the county because of the proximity of Southampton to the west, London and the Medway to the north, and Dover to the east.
Furthermore, 'harbour' has to embrace any place frequented by shipping, whether or not graced by harbour works, because much cargo was landed from vessels run aground on the beach until the 1820s and continued to be at Hastings and in Chichester harbour until about 1880.

The Development of Shoreham Harbour 1760-1880, by Judy Middleton, published June 1985 in Sussex Genealogist and Family Historian (vol. 7 no. 1, article, pp.7-14) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [MP 6277] & The Keep [LIB/501193] & CD SXGS from S.F.H.G.

The Lost Harbour of Sussex [Pagham], by Tony Oldfield, published 1987 (article) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9720]

Aspects of the ecology of the micro-invertebrates in the intertidal soft sediments of Chichester harbour, by N. S. Thomas, 1987 at Portsmouth University (Ph.D. thesis)

Chichester Harbour: Past and Present, by Angela Bromley-Martin, published December 1991 (96 pp., Hughenden Publications, ISBN-10: 0951753312 & ISBN-13: 9780951753316) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 12337][Lib 11604] & West Sussex Libraries

Bygone Rye Harbour, edited by Jo Kirkham, published 1 November 1992 (Rye Memories, 116 pp., Thomas Peacocke Community College, Local History Group, ISBN-10: 1870600150 & ISBN-13: 9781870600156) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

Roman salt production in Chichester Harbour: rescue escavations at Chidham, West Sussex, by Richard Bradley, published November 1992 in Britannia (vol. 23, article, pp.27-44)   View Online

As a schoolboy in the early 1960s the writer discovered a series of Iron Age and Roman salt-production sites along the shoreline of Chichester and Portsmouth Harbours (FIG. 1). These areas were visited intermittently over the next ten years and many of the observations made at that time were published in 1975. That study described the topographical setting of these sites and the character and chronology of the surface finds. It also included some discussion of the economic context of salt-making and its place in the settlement pattern.

The Impact of Marshland Drainage on Rye Harbour, 1550-1650, by S. Hipkin and J. Eddison, published 1995 in Oxford University Committee for Archaeology monograph (vol. 41, article, pp.138-)

Chichester Harbour: A History, by John Reger, published 1 January 1995 (176 pp., Chichester: Phillimore & Co. Ltd., ISBN-10: 1860770193 & ISBN-13: 9781860770197) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 13159] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

Romney Marsh: The Debatable Ground, by Stephen Hipkin, published 1 June 1995 in Romney Marsh: The Debatable Ground edited by Jill Eddison and Mark Gardiner (pp.138-147, Oxford University School of Archaeology, ISBN-10: 0947816410 & ISBN-13: 9780947816414) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/500169] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

Rye Harbour nature reserve : a 25 year review 1970-1995. Part 1, a description and history, by Barry Yates, published 1997 (ii + 50 pp.) accessible at: British Library

Reserve Focus: Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, East Sussex, by B. Gibbons, published 1999 in British wildlife (vol. 11, part 2, article, pp.123-125)

Chichester Harbour News and Guide, published 2001 (pamphlet, Chichester Harbour Conservancy) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 14912]

Sedimentary response of Pagham Harbour, southern England to barrier breaching in AD 1910, by A. B. Cundy, A. J. Long, C. T. Hill, C. Spencer and I. W. Croudace, published August 2002 in Geomorphology (vol. 46 nos, 3-4, article, pp.163-176) accessible at: University of Sussex Library

Rye Harbour : your guide to a shingle nature reserve, published 2003 (37 pp., Rye Harbour Nature Reserve) accessible at: British Library

Pagham Harbour, West Sussex, by V. J. May and J. D. Hansom, published 2003 in Geological conservation review series (vol. 28, article, pp.278-280)

Dungeness and Rye Harbour, by V. J. May and J. D. Hansom, published 2003 in Geological conservation review series (vol. 28, article, pp.310-313)

Littlehampton harbour, 1071-2003 : writings and photographs by present-day people working on or by the river, or having a strong connection with it, compiled by Gwen M. Eggleston, published 2004 (80 leaves, Littlehampton Historical Society) accessible at: British Library

Chichester Harbour News and Guide, published 2005 (booklet) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 17994]

Bygone Rye Harbour, edited by Jo Kirkham, published April 2006 (Rye Memories, 2nd revised edition, 100 pp., Thomas Peacocke Community College, Local History Group, ISBN-10: 1870600258 & ISBN-13: 9781870600255)

Chichester Harbour: News and Guide, published 2009 (booklet) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16270]

Bosham: a key Anglo-Saxon harbour, by Philip MacDougall, published 2009 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 147, article, pp.51-60) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 17254] & The Keep [LIB/500365] & S.A.S. library   View Online

Evidence from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle demonstrates the existence of a substantial fleet of ships possessed by the Godwine family during the early eleventh century. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle further reveals that the port area for these ships was that of the waters of Chichester Harbour while specifically mentioning the Manor of Bosham. This article explores this evidence while examining the necessary extent of such facilities and their possible exact location. In particular, the site of a likely protected harbour is indicated together with additional areas that might have hosted facilities for the building, maintenance and winter protection of this fleet. It is also noted that it was this same fleet that came into possession of Harold Godwine, the last Saxon king of England.

Shoreham Harbour Insights: 250 Years at the Heart of the Community. Shoreham Port 1760-2010, by Adam Trimingham, published 1 July 2010 (92 pp., Shoreham Port Authority, ISBN-10: 0956578101 & ISBN-13: 9780956578105) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries

Peerless Piers. The story of the Hastings and St Leonards Piers, by Steve Peak, published 2011 (54 pp., Hastings: SpeaksBooks) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/501545] & East Sussex Libraries

Peerless Piers tells how and why Hastings Pier was built in 1872, and was to prove so successful that a rival pier was constructed in St Leonards nearly two decades later.
Hastings Pier began a new era in the history of British piers, being the first to have a grand entertainments pavilion as part of its design. When Earl Granville opened the pier in August 1872, he described it as being "a peerless pier - a pier without a peer!" It was a winner for over a century, attracting many visitors to the town, but the nearby St Leonards Pier, which started life 19 years later, was to be a financial failure. It suffered a serious fire in 1944, was never re-opened, and its remains were cleared away in 1953.
Hastings Pier began a long slow decline in the early 1980s, culminating in the major blaze in 2010 that wrecked much of it. But the Heritage Lottery Fund has provisionally awarded a major restoration grant that could create another 'peerless pier'.
The book tells the story right up-to-date, describing how St Leonards and Hastings once had piers within a mile of each other, but nearly became pierless in 2010.

Chichester Harbour: England's Coastal Gem, by Liz Sagues, published 31 October 2013 (224 pp., Robert Hale Ltd., ISBN-10: 0709097611 & ISBN-13: 9780709097617) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries

Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a special place of tranquillity in the crowded south of England. It is recognized nationally and internationally and is appreciated by many hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. This book, which includes previously unpublished memoirs and features famous figures from King Canute to P.G. Wodehouse, draws together the myriad threads that have given the harbour and its surroundings their unique character, telling an engrossing story that stretches far into the past, present and future. It encompasses topics as varied as geological and historical tumult, the harbour's vital importance as a refuge for threatened wildlife, the change from commercial port to centre for leisure pursuits, the impact of war and the threat from climate change. Liz Sagues brings to life the people who have contributed so much to Chichester Harbour, from the saintly Saxon cleric whose practical fishing skills ended a village famine to environmentally committed twenty-first-century farmers, and from a king's favourite mistress to Olympic medal-winning sailors. The book is for those who already love the harbour - and for the many more who, as they read on, will join them. Provides a unique broad-ranging study of Chichester Harbour AONB and its close surroundings Richly illustrated with approximately 200 colour photographs Includes previously unpublished memoirs and features famous figures from Kings Canute and Harold to P.G. Wodehouse, Sir Henry Royce and Clark Gable Tours through the harbour villages and suggests walks which cover millennia in minutes and give a real taste of the harbour Written with magical, compelling style by an award-winning journalist

Chichester Harbour: case study of a coastal system, by Jane Dove, published February 2016 in Geography review (vol 29, no. 3, article, pp.22-26)