Buckingham House Timeline

The Buckingham House Timeline

The first Buckingham House (c1655-1820)

1782 – View of the East front of Buckingham the seat of Colville Bridger Esq. in the parish of Old Shoreham by Samuel Hieronymous Grimm © British Library Board

The first Buckingham House known as “Buckinghams” (or “Great Buckingham” to differentiate it from the Bridger’s farm at Little Buckingham) was built in the c1655 for the Bridger family. Note the main East-West road took a more direct route passing just South of the house and through Little Buckingham Farm. This would join the Avenue and The Street to emerge at St Nicolas Church and the Toll Bridge. Lidar imaging from the air reveals the exact route of the road across the park (shown yellow in the photograph below) and that also suggests the original approach to the front of the house was along the straight avenue of trees still evident in the park.

The Buckingham House Timeline

The first Buckingham House (c1655-1820)

Shoreham Airport – a timeline of development

Shoreham-airport-map

This pdf map of the entire site shows the expansion and change of use of the fields over time from 1910 to 1950. Compiled from various sources and original research of Tim Webb “History of Shoreham Airport” Pub.1996

November 8, 2023August 22, 2025

History of Shoreham Street Names

by Gerry White

As a child I read that Wilmot Road had been named after Lord Wilmot a supporter of King Charles, and his son Prince Charles, who escaped to France, this could not have been done without the help from the Noble Lord.

I also found out that Lennox Road, was named after an earlier Member of Parliament, who had represented Shorcham. I had never before given much thought to the origin of Street names. Therefore I decided to make notes and to find out more about other streets in this ancient town. I was not disappointed.

September 15, 2023August 22, 2025

Victoria Road School

Junior School (built as The Victoria Upper Council School in 1915)

Victoria Road school has a curious history. Following the Education Act 1870, a school board for New Shoreham was established in 1872, taking over the National Schools and replacing them with a new school in Ham Road in 1875.

In 1913 £4500 was allocated to build a new school on Victoria Road. This was the preferred site to the alternative proposal between Rosslyn Road and Gordon Road. Clearance of many mature trees was required and demolition of the derelict and overgrown Swiss Gardens including removal of the walls to the “Dungeon” passageway between Victoria Road and Old Shoreham.

By 1915 older children from Ham Road School went to the newly built Victoria Upper Council School.

Anders Lundquist Collection

Anders passed through Shoreham on many occasions from the 60’s As a keen amateur photographer he decided to record the ordinary. 50 years later that ordinary provides an evocative window into a once familiar world.

Shoreham Station and level crossing July 1968 ©Anders Lundquist

May 12, 2023August 22, 2025

Memories of Shoreham by Sea

A 1940’s/50’s childhood in Connaught Avenue and West Street
by Gerry White

I was born in Connaught Avenue, Old Shoreham parish in 1938 and apart from the war years, lived and grew up in Old Shoreham. In 1946 the front gardens were still planted with vegetables. The big air raid shelter was in position on the green that separated the even number houses on the north side of the road from the odds on the south side. Orchard Close had not been built and the land was owned by the Worley family.

GW1 — A Connaught Avenue winter in the 1950’s (photo Bartlett Collection)

Map of photographs

Shorehambysea.com has embarked on a new project to map the locations of the 3000+ photographs it has in the various galleries. The map will eventually have a layer of pins showing where each image was taken, a description and click-to-view link to the full size image.

The plan is to build this resource with the help of local volunteers who will add the pins to the map from the original galleries.

Shoreham-by-Sea.com Photo Map Project:

Click to access the interactive map of photograph locations

February 4, 2023August 22, 2025

Gunnery Training Dome 1943 – present

Before & Afters

Before and Afters – 100 years

Slider the cursor to reveal 100 years of difference in the evolution of the Shoreham landscapes.

Swiss Gardens viewed from the tower 1910 : 1920

The Long and Winding Steps

Shoreham’s church of St Mary De Haura has been a landmark for many centuries. For over 250 years the bells suspended in the tower belfry have been rung from the Ringing Room many feet below. The belfry, the ringing room, the clock movement and the tower roof are only accessible via a very narrow spiral staircase in the North East corner of the tower.

Note: video was taken using a remote 360 camera & telescopic pole safely from within the tower parapet.

Hamish McKenzie is the current St. Mary’s Bellringer’s Tower Captain – and one of his additional roles for many years is to ascend the narrow steps to raise the flag on national days and state occasions. www.Shorehambysea.com were granted access to accompany Hamish to the roof to raise the flag of St. George to mark St. George’s Day 2022.