Aldwick and the 'Sussex Riviera'

I once came across a newspaper article about the Aldwick Road shops that stated: "Local visionaries dreamed of building something that would resemble a chunk of Eastbourne."

This graphic description referred to the area called the Victoria Park Estate, something that never came to full fruition when it was first planned in the 1870s.

The main result of this plan was Victoria Drive and the establishment of a post office in Charlwood Street, both of which still stand today.

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Part of this dream comprised setting up a 'pleasant residential area and a shopping centre for West Bognor'.

In 1896 there were only two shops on the north side of Aldwick Road.

The main work commenced at the start of the 1900s on the north side of Aldwick Road between Charlwood Street and Nyewood Lane.

Early shops consisted of the Thomas Tregear, Nyewood Supply Stores and Mr C J West's fish and poultry shop. The first shop to be built on the south side of Aldwick Road was the dairy and tearooms of Cox's Dairy, on the corner of Park Road.

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Mr Edward Cox already had a business in the High Street and opened his Aldwick shop in 1905.

In 1909, the Delmonico Tea Rooms were opened but, by 1912, this had become a chemist shop which was coupled with the Swiss Caf.

These two were housed under one roof and known as Le Chalet.

Principally, it was in 1910 that development really started in this area, when the land between Aldwick Road and the sea was auctioned off in 58 freehold plots. The first 13 plots were sold for 100 each, with the commencement of the parade in 1912.

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It was in the 1850s that Bognor races was the fashionable place to be. The racecourse was on a field which was used for many sporting events, including cricket.

The area was in fact from Marine Parade to Nyewood Lane, with another boundary being Aldwick Road.

The owner of this land was Dr Alonzo Henry Stocker, from Craigweil House.

Today, the area is built over, principally by Stocker Road, which is now situated in an area once occupied by the grandstand.

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Unfortunately, there are no pictures available (unless you know different) of the racecourse.

Between the 1840s and 1850s, during the summer months, horse racing took place on the beach and a race card still exists providing information on the various races, held on October 9, 1855.

Refreshment tents included the names of local caterers, one of which was Charles Pace, who at that time was the landlord of the Elephant and Castle in Steyne Street.

Another was John Edward Mant of The Wheatsheaf in West Street, which is today The Berkeley.

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The race day would start at 9.30am with a regatta held before the main event of the day.

Residents would have much enjoyment in those days.

By the 1920s, more developments were taking place, as can be seen in the photo, showing just some of the shops and the post office on the corner of Charlwood Street.

By the early 1920s, much of the rest of the area remained as undeveloped agricultural fields between Bognor and Aldwick.

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