FEATURE: River Arun homes harbour hidden tale of a sea hero

And none of it is more so than the story of Capt Thomas Isemonger, a seafarer from Littlehampton, who owned the flint-faced warehouses in River Road, where work on the houses is now getting under way.

In 1844, Capt Isemonger rescued a boat full of English people, who had been captured by pirates off the Barbary Coast of Africa.

But for his intervention, the captives could well have ended up as slaves, almost four decades after slavery was abolished in Great Britain.

A stone plaque on the building commemorates Capt Isemonger, and Jane Wood, owner of the acclaimed East Beach Café, and her business partner, Roger Barker, hope as much of the exterior walls of the warehouses as possible can be preserved in the blend of old and new.

It’s more than five years since their business, Brownfield Estates, first submitted plans to redevelop the site, with an apartment block.

Residents of Pharos Quay, directly opposite the site, lodged strong objections about the size and height of the building, and the Environment Agency cited concerns over flooding.

Arun District Council rejected the scheme, but went on to approve the revised proposals for the houses.

“It will be beautiful,” said Jane. “It will win a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) award.

“We want to preserve as much of the old building as we can. It’s the last remaining part of the old riverside on this side of the river.”

The houses have been designed by leading practice John Pardey Architects, which was behind a stunning new extension at the University of Sussex, and has wide experience in public and private projects, including one-off houses, across the south of England.

The building contractor, R. Durtnell and Sons Ltd, was established in 1591 and specialises in heritage projects, such as church restorations and National Trust properties.

The houses, with four bedrooms, bathrooms by David Copperfield and kitchens by Manhattan, are on the market for £695,000.

One has already been sold without a new brick being laid.

To overcome the concerns over flooding, the ground floor will be taken up by car parking, with three floors above, each with balconies.

* Riverside Autos, which previously occupied the site, has now concentrated its business in its remaining premises at the town end of the warehouses.