River Adur
Encyclopedia
The Adur is a river
in Sussex
, England
; it gives its name to the Adur district of West Sussex
. The river was formerly navigable for large vessels up as far as Steyning
, where there was a large port, but over time the river valley became silted up and the port moved down to the deeper waters nearer the mouth in Shoreham-by-Sea
.
at Betley Bridge.
The western Adur rises at Slinfold
from where it flows around Coolham
and then through Shipley
, where it meets Lancing Brook and flows on to West Grinstead
and Knepp Castle
. The western Adur is tidal as far north as Bines Bridge near Bines Green
, south of West Grinstead.
The eastern Adur rises at Ditchling Common
, in East Sussex
, from where it crosses into West Sussex and meets another major stream at Twineham
. At Shermanbury
, the eastern Adur is fed by the Cowfold Stream. The Normal Tidal Limit is just below this at the footbridge near Shermanbury Church although a weir
just above the confluence
with the Western Adur means that only the highest tides reach here. Up to the early 1800s boats could navigate to Mock Bridge where the A281 crosses the Adur.
From west of Henfield, the two branches of the river meet, before flowing between Upper Beeding
and Bramber
, past Coombes
, through a gap in the South Downs
near Lancing College
where the Adur is fed by the Ladywell Stream. The river continues on to the English Channel
at Shoreham-by-Sea
. The mouth of the Adur is now two miles (3 km) from the town centre of Shoreham due to longshore drift
.
The Baybridge Canal
uses part of the Adur's watercourse.
which was mistakenly believed to be at Shoreham. The river had previously been known as the Sore.
was centred on the port of Bramber and the river Adur, with Bramber Castle
located close to the river. At various times in the medieval period, Bramber, Steyning and New Shoreham
were all major ports on the river. The western Adur also flows close to Knepp Castle
, near Shipley.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; it gives its name to the Adur district of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. The river was formerly navigable for large vessels up as far as Steyning
Steyning
Steyning is a small town and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the north end of the River Adur gap in the South Downs, four miles north of Shoreham-by-Sea...
, where there was a large port, but over time the river valley became silted up and the port moved down to the deeper waters nearer the mouth in Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
.
Watercourse
The Adur begins as two separate branches, the western Adur and the eastern Adur, which meet just west of HenfieldHenfield
Henfield is a large village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies south of London, northwest of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester at the road junction of the A281 and A2037. The parish has a land area of . In the 2001 census 5,012...
at Betley Bridge.
The western Adur rises at Slinfold
Slinfold
Slinfold is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies just off the A29 road 3.4 miles west of Horsham.The parish has a land area of 1695 hectares...
from where it flows around Coolham
Coolham
Coolham is a hamlet in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the crossroads of the A272 and B2139 roads 2.8 miles southeast of Billingshurst...
and then through Shipley
Shipley, West Sussex
Shipley is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies just off the A272 road six miles north east of Storrington....
, where it meets Lancing Brook and flows on to West Grinstead
West Grinstead
West Grinstead is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies just off the B2135 road four miles northwest from Henfield.It is within the ancient division of the Rape of Bramber...
and Knepp Castle
Knepp Castle
The medieval Knepp Castle is to the west of the village of West Grinstead, West Sussex, England near the River Adur and the A24 . The name is though to come from the Old English word "cnæp", referring to the mound on which it stands....
. The western Adur is tidal as far north as Bines Bridge near Bines Green
Bines Green
Bines Green is a hamlet in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies north west of Henfield on the B2135 road between Ashurst and Partridge Green....
, south of West Grinstead.
The eastern Adur rises at Ditchling Common
Ditchling
Ditchling is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is contained within the boundaries of the South Downs National Park; the order confirming the establishment of the park was signed in Ditchling....
, in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, from where it crosses into West Sussex and meets another major stream at Twineham
Twineham
Twineham is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. It is located eight kilometres to the west of Burgess Hill. The civil parish covers an area of In the 2001 census 271 people lived in 100 households, of whom 139 were economically active.The name 'Twineham'...
. At Shermanbury
Shermanbury
Shermanbury is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies on the A281 road north of Henfield. The present day village consists mainly of a ribbon development of bungalows on the east side of the A281, while the ancient parish church is some distance to the...
, the eastern Adur is fed by the Cowfold Stream. The Normal Tidal Limit is just below this at the footbridge near Shermanbury Church although a weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
just above the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with the Western Adur means that only the highest tides reach here. Up to the early 1800s boats could navigate to Mock Bridge where the A281 crosses the Adur.
From west of Henfield, the two branches of the river meet, before flowing between Upper Beeding
Upper Beeding
Upper Beeding is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the northern end of the River Adur gap in the South Downs four miles north of Shoreham-by-Sea and has a land area of 1877 hectares...
and Bramber
Bramber
Bramber is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located on the northern edge of the South Downs and on the west side of the River Adur. Nearby are the communities of Steyning to the west and Upper Beeding to the east, and the other side of the river....
, past Coombes
Coombes
Coombes is a hamlet and civil parish in the Adur District of West Sussex, England. The village is in the Adur Valley northwest of Shoreham-by-Sea....
, through a gap in the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
near Lancing College
Lancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
where the Adur is fed by the Ladywell Stream. The river continues on to the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
at Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
. The mouth of the Adur is now two miles (3 km) from the town centre of Shoreham due to longshore drift
Longshore drift
Longshore drift consists of the transportation of sediments along a coast at an angle to the shoreline, which is dependent on prevailing wind direction, swash and backwash. This process occurs in the littoral zone, and in or within close proximity to the surf zone...
.
The Baybridge Canal
Baybridge Canal
The Baybridge Canal was a short canal built entirely within the parish of West Grinstead in the English county of Sussex. It opened in 1826, and closed in 1875.-History:...
uses part of the Adur's watercourse.
Etymology
The name Adur is a relatively recent (17th Century) invention, based on the name of the Roman fort Portus AdurniPortus Adurni
Portus Adurni was a Roman fortress in the Roman province of Britannia. Listed in the Notitia Dignitatum, it is generally accepted as having been located at adjoining Portchester in the English county of Hampshire and was later converted into a medieval castle known as Portchester Castle...
which was mistakenly believed to be at Shoreham. The river had previously been known as the Sore.
History
From Norman times the county of Sussex was divided into sections known as rapes. Each rape was typically centred on a river and river port and was guarded by a castle. Bramber rapeRape of Bramber
The Rape of Bramber is one of the rapes, the traditional sub-divisions unique to the historic county of Sussex in England. Bramber is a former barony, originally based around the castle of Bramber and its village, overlooking the river Adur.-History:...
was centred on the port of Bramber and the river Adur, with Bramber Castle
Bramber Castle
Bramber Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey castle in the village of Bramber, West Sussex overlooking the River Adur .William De Braose constructed the castle c1070, along with the Norman church, on a natural mound and most of the surviving masonry dates from this time...
located close to the river. At various times in the medieval period, Bramber, Steyning and New Shoreham
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
were all major ports on the river. The western Adur also flows close to Knepp Castle
Knepp Castle
The medieval Knepp Castle is to the west of the village of West Grinstead, West Sussex, England near the River Adur and the A24 . The name is though to come from the Old English word "cnæp", referring to the mound on which it stands....
, near Shipley.
Settlements
- SlinfoldSlinfoldSlinfold is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies just off the A29 road 3.4 miles west of Horsham.The parish has a land area of 1695 hectares...
- ShipleyShipley, West SussexShipley is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies just off the A272 road six miles north east of Storrington....
- West GrinsteadWest GrinsteadWest Grinstead is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies just off the B2135 road four miles northwest from Henfield.It is within the ancient division of the Rape of Bramber...
- DitchlingDitchlingDitchling is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is contained within the boundaries of the South Downs National Park; the order confirming the establishment of the park was signed in Ditchling....
- TwinehamTwinehamTwineham is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. It is located eight kilometres to the west of Burgess Hill. The civil parish covers an area of In the 2001 census 271 people lived in 100 households, of whom 139 were economically active.The name 'Twineham'...
- WinehamWinehamWineham is a hamlet in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies south of the A272 road 2.5 miles northeast of Henfield. Historically called Wyndham the settlement has one public house, the Royal Oak....
- ShermanburyShermanburyShermanbury is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies on the A281 road north of Henfield. The present day village consists mainly of a ribbon development of bungalows on the east side of the A281, while the ancient parish church is some distance to the...
- BramberBramberBramber is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located on the northern edge of the South Downs and on the west side of the River Adur. Nearby are the communities of Steyning to the west and Upper Beeding to the east, and the other side of the river....
- Upper BeedingUpper BeedingUpper Beeding is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the northern end of the River Adur gap in the South Downs four miles north of Shoreham-by-Sea and has a land area of 1877 hectares...
- CoombesCoombesCoombes is a hamlet and civil parish in the Adur District of West Sussex, England. The village is in the Adur Valley northwest of Shoreham-by-Sea....
- Shoreham-by-SeaShoreham-by-SeaShoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...