Aldwick Explained

Official Name:	Aldwick
Country:	England
Region:	South East England
Civil Parish:	Aldwick
Static Image Name:	AldwickVillageSign.jpg
Static Image Width:	200
Static Image Caption:	Village sign
Area Footnotes:	^[1]
Population:	11,282
Population Ref:	(Civil Parish.2011)^[2]
Area Total Km2:	3.83
Os Grid Reference:	SZ912988
Coordinates:	50.7825°N -0.7069°W
Post Town:	BOGNOR REGIS
Postcode District:	PO21
Postcode Area:	PO
Dial Code:	01243
Constituency Westminster:	Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
London Distance:	NNE
Shire District:	Arun
Shire County:	West Sussex

Aldwick is a seaside village and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, England. Bognor Regis is to the east of the village. The ecclesiastical parish, formerly part of Pagham^[3] includes the smaller settlement of Rose Green.

There are three churches, a few shops and several miles of beach.

History

Aldwick was formerly part of the older Pagham parish and formerly an important tithing, giving its name to a hundred. It was part of the ancient Rape of Chichester.

20th century

Aldwick had, briefly, a home of the constitutional monarch of the British Empire when King George V convalesced (with his wider family regularly visiting) at Craigweil House in 1929, before its demolition. This stay led directly to Bognor attaining the suffix 'Regis'. The area around this has throwback relatively ornate architecture of the early 20th century and a large conservation area.

Amenities

• Avisford Park in Rose Green has a large field that has a play area, basketball court and seating area as well as a sports pavilion for football matches. In 1988 there were plans to build a large Co-op on this field, but due to strong opposition the plan was dropped. Four houses were built on a minority of the formerly larger site.
• The former Ship public house on Aldwick Street closed in 2014^[4] and was subsequently converted to a One-Stop shop.
• Aldwick has a convenience store on Nyetimber Lane, which became in the early 21st century a Co-op Food store, having been refurbished from a smaller outlet.

Churches

Aldwick has three churches: Anglican, dedicated to St Richard of Chichester, built in 1933 (a former iron church existed);^[5] Roman Catholic dedicated to St Anthony of Viareggio;^[6] Free Church (Baptist).

Landmarks

A blue cedar Cedrus atlantica (glauca) was planted by Queen Mary in 1929.

Notable residents

• Duff Cooper (1890–1954) became Viscount Norwich of Aldwick in 1952^[7]
• Sir Arthur Du Cros founded the Dunlop Rubber Company and became director of the Austin Motor Company. Seawater was pumped to every bathroom; and an electric lift served the three floors, an electric organ was installed (with music piped around the house), and a telephone system to every bedroom. Sir Arthur Du Cros was an influential member of parliament also; two Prime Ministers - Bonar Law and Asquith enjoyed his hospitality at Craigweil House.
• Lord Bernstein of Craigweil, one time head of Granada Television, lived at "Five Trees", 78 The Drive, until the 1970s and is thought to have taken the title from Craigweil when he was elevated to the peerage. He received a Life Peerage in 2006 as a Socialist Peer. The House was sold by Lord Bernstein circa 1985.
• John Snagge, the wartime broadcaster, lived at "Little Fellows" during the wartime years that Du Cros' daughter was away. He famously broadcast the landing on the beaches at D-Day and was a contemporary of Alvar Liddel and Stuart Hibberd.
• Sir Maurice Jenks was Du Cros' son-in-law and lived at Little Fellows and was Lord Mayor of London in 1931.
• The last survivor of the Farndon family who founded store Dorothy Perkins, Mrs. Matti Farndon died in October 1995 having lived at the family home here " Kings Lawn", 38 Kingsway.
• Sir Ronald Howe, then the recently retired Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Metropolitan Police Criminal Investigation Branch, lived at "Queenslawn" 36 Kingsway, in which grounds grows the tree planted by Queen Mary.
• The Marchioness of Cambridge had "Three Ways" built at Canons Close, for her occasional use.^[8]
• Raine Spencer (1929–2016), socialite and stepmother to Diana Princess of Wales and daughter of Barbara Cartland, lived in Aldwick.^[9]

External links

• Aldwick Local Businesses and Attractions
• Aldwick Parish Council website
• Aldwick Preservation Society

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish . West Sussex County Council . 26 March 2009 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110608075926/http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/communityandliving/census2001/pop_parish_summary.pdf . 8 June 2011 .
2. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density
3. Web site: GENUKI: Pagham. 15 February 2023.
4. Web site: Closed pubs: Ship, Aldwick. 23 March 2024.
5. Web site: GENUKI: St Richard, Aldwick. 15 February 2023.
6. Web site: GENUKI: St Anthony of Viareggio, Rose Green, Aldwick. 15 February 2023.
7. Web site: Page 3699 | Issue 39592, 8 July 1952 | London Gazette | the Gazette . 28 May 2021 . 30 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200730054040/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39592/page/3699 . live .
8. http://www.arun.gov.uk/main.cfm?type=CRAIGWEILHOUSECONS History of the Craigweil or Craigweil House Conservation Area
9. News: Daily Express. Raine set to reign in Bognor. Adam Helliker. 2 June 2013. 9 August 2023.