Colour image of the farmhouse courtesy of Yvette Hammond and Neil DeVille

Roger Bateman articles, blog posts and pages
Never really considered the age of this photo too much before but on looking closely it shows The Church of the Good Shepherd (1913) but no film studio (1915) added to which the Pashley brothers finally closed their flying school at Shoreham in December 1914. Perhaps the earliest aerial photo of Shoreham?
Mention of the Fountain Inn recently prompted a further look. The two 1780’s maps show it (highlighted with a blue dot) followed by the 1872 map after it was, we are told, absorbed into the first Bridge Hotel building.
I’d always thought what was left of the Fountain was the building numbered 2 but it looks from the maps as if it must have been the tall gable-ended building 1 which certainly looks more 18th century or earlier in style than the others.
It had quite a history. Apart from being an inn it had an assembly room that was used to perform plays by touring actors; the local Freemasons met there and poor young James Rook from Old Shoreham was committed for trial there and later hung for his part in the 1790’s robbery of the mail.
Horsham Flyer, Steyning Stinker, whatever your name was for it this’ll bring back memories. For me it was missing the earlier electric train and risk being late for school by catching the later steam train and one glorious summer’s day sunday school outing sandwiched between two exciting journeys in creaking carriages to and from Bramber Castle.
The shop, formed part of Victoria Terrace, on Victoria Road It was next to Jock Hamiltons Garage, and faced the Ritz Cinema, which is now demolished, and replaced by the RopeTackle development . Jacks Bargain stores extended it’s trading space by setting several tables, out side onto the pavement. The tables, were covered with numerous boxes, of all manner of used domestic utensils, rusty meat mincers, lay alongside an old cribbage board, or some well worn eating knives and forks.
Continue reading “Jack’s Bargain Store”This from Roy Wood of photos from William Wood’s funeral in 1934. Wiliam lived at 5, Middle Road (later renumbered 36), Shoreham. He had joined the Royal West Kent regiment in 1892 and was finally discharged in 1917. The Army honours their own – the funeral processon was provided by the Sussex Regt. He is buried in St Julian’s graveyard.
Looking through the history of Ropetackle – what an eccentric place! As well as the ropemaking and shipbuilding past there were, in Victorian times, ancient buildings still standing, quaint sounding cottages, warehouses, a gas works and, spookily, a mortuary alongside an incinerator! In Little High Street there were houses with strange, shop-like windows and this mysterious looking architectural protrusion.
Is it what was left of a partly demolished house; was it built like that to fit into a small space or did it have a special purpose? The 1872 map also refelects its irregularity as part of the longer building to which it was attached. It all adds to a certain air of mystery and antiquity to the area.