June 2012
From the late 19th century to the present day
Introduction
Prior to the later part of the 19th century, the majority of Angmering's shops were to be found in the High Street and Arundel Road. Of course, there were not so many as we see in the village today but the ones that were established were essential to everyday life in the village such as butchers, bakers, general provisions, saddler, coal merchants, drapers, shoemaker, etc.
The location of the shops may be a surprise to us today as virtually all of the village shops are to be found in The Square.
But first, perhaps, we should define the areas known as The Green and The Square. The Green is the triangle of land in the centre of the village containing the war memorial while The Square is whole of the area comprising all the shops in the village centre (but not those on Church Hill), The Green, the houses opposite The Green to its east, Eachways, The Lamb, Pooks Hill Cottage, and Blaber House.
So why the change? The principal reason for this was that The Square, as we know it today, was subject to regular flooding. Even now, every few years, The Square can become a lake after a severe deluge of rain.
June 2012
In the 19thC, a rowing boat was employed for taking people from one side of The Square to the other when the roads were impassible. A stream called Black Ditch (also known locally by some as Patching Stream) runs from Patching Pond through the village centre before winding its way west and into the River Arun. Up to the mid-19thC, there was a pond in the area where The Green is situated today, but this often was considerably larger under flood conditions. The pond was fed by the stream coming down from Patching and it continued from the pond's southern side across the Ham Manor estate.
Village centre in 1813 showing
pond
It can be seen from the map above that few buildings bordered The Square in 1813 and those that did, including the Elmgrove houses, were on higher ground; others were farm buildings. On the eastern side of the pond, in the middle of the thoroughfare, a building can be seen. This is believed to be a forge which utilised water from the stream. The old public houses - The Lamb to the north of the forge and The Red Lion to its south - were situated on slightly higher land.
This flooding affected the everyday life of villagers and so, in the mid-19thC, the stream was culverted under the village centre from the rear of the property Eachways on the eastern side of The Square to the rear of The Big Fry shop on the western side. The pond was filled and, at the turn of the 20thC, the pond's former area was landscaped and lime trees planted. With the stream culverted, the flooding in The Square was minimised which encouraged shops to be opened there. Gradually, over the next century, virtually all village shops migrated to The Square to the extent that there are no longer any shops in the High Street or Arundel Road except those adjoining The Square at the foot of Stubbs Hill and Church Hill.
The Shops in the village centre
The shops' histories are set out below using the following map to identify their locations:
.
Building histories
[dates do not necessarily suggest date business commenced in location, just the time or approximate time when the business was there]
1.
(Built part-18thC)
1845 “The Red
Lion” [ John Nye, publican ]
1867 “The Red Lion” [
William Cheesman, publican ]
1890 “The Red Lion” [ Charles
Cheesman, publican ]
1914 “The Red Lion” [ Philip Maison,
publican ] [Licence transferred to The Fletcher Arms (near Station) in
1933]
c1933 Todman, butcher
1952 Antique shop (Mrs Rowe)
1955
Luke’s Newsagency
2002 Woodies Newsagents
2017 The Enchanted
Florist
2020 The Resourceful Squirrel, micro-bar
2023 Pete's Den, micro
bar
1a.
1938 Miss Lydia Voller, pastries
2.
(Built
early-19thC)
1890 Todman, butcher
c1933 Mortimer’s
Dairies
1938 JE Norris, fried fish
1959 TE Norris, fried fish then wet
fish
c1969 Holmes Estate Agents
c1972 Michael Simmonds, Solicitor
c1995 Hills Publicity Services
2000 Angmering Parish Council
3.
(Built mid-19thC)
1939 E Peskett,
ironmonger
1961 E Peskett, ironmonger
1989 Wests, ironmongers
2000
Angmering Framing & Stitches
2022 The Stone Room, pizza & pasta
restaurant
4.
(Built
mid-19thC)
1939 Peskett & Sons, offices
1961 E Peskett,
ironmonger
1989 Wests, ironmongers
2000 Henry Adams, estate agents
2008 dizzy, charity shop
2010 Graham Butt, estate agents
5.
(Built c1922)
1922 Lloyds Bank
1990 Blumes,
florists
c1995 Bridal Wear
c2001 Hot Records
2003
Marguerite’s, florists
2008 Maverick Hair & Beauty Studio
2019 Margeaux David, glassware
2021 Angmering Village Greens
6.
(Built c1922)
1922 Barclays Bank
1927
Westminster Bank
1946 Scott-Smith & Co, Estate Agents
1956 National
Westminster Bank
1962 Graham Franks, Scott-Smith & Co, Estate
Agents
c1972 – c1978 Holmes Estate Agents
1985 Gateway Building
Society
1989 TA Hill, insurance brokers
c2001 Hot Records
c2004
Maverick Hair & Beauty Studio
7.
(Built late-19thC)
1891 Arthur Elliott, grocer
& draper
1901 Frederick Hodges, grocer
1911 James W Dench,
grocer
1925 William Marsh, grocer (The London Stores)
(new building c1950 - left
hand side)
1955 Edward Peskett & Co, cycle dealer
c1957 Peskett’s Cafe
1959 Scott-Smith & Co, estate agents
1961 M. Graham Franks & Co, estate agents
1967 PW Hagmaier, chemist
1989 Country Chemists Ltd
c1996 Lloyds, chemists
2006 Angmering
Electrical
2010 Sight & Sound, opticians and audiologists
2013
Vintage on The Green
2016 Juna Home & Garden
8.
(Built
late-19thC)
1891 Arthur Elliott, grocer & draper
1901
Frederick Hodges, grocer
1911 James W Dench, grocer
1925 William Marsh,
grocer (The London Stores)
(new building c1950 - right hand side)
c1978
Holmes Estate Agents
2017 Cooper Adams Estate Agents
9.
(Built 1950)
1950
Marsh’s, grocers
1970 Wavy Line, grocers (CH Stickland)
1974 Spar
(Oakshotts)
1993 Wards Food Stores
199? Londis (Wards Stores)
2008
Co-op Stores
10. to 13.
(Built 18thC - 19thC)
Residential houses
14.
(Built late-18thC or early-19thC)
1899 Rose
Best, confectioner
1922 Sarah Hills, sweets & drinks
15.
(demolished early 1950s)
1920 Herbert Mills,
fishmonger
16.
(Built 1934)
1911 George Bonnett, dairyman
(new shop)
1934 Mills & Son, fishmongers
1950 S Howard
& Sons Ltd., fish, poultry & game
1953 SL Fudge, fishmonger &
poulterer
1961 AH Silver, fishmonger & poulterer
aft 1968 Maurice
Erret (fried fish) [for 5 years]
aft 1973 Jackson (fried fish)
1989
The Big Fry (Tony Sullivan)
2000 The Big Fry (Mark Edwards)
17.
(Built 1934)
1934 Bonnetts, dairymen
1950 WH Cullen, grocers & fruiterers
1953 CJL Herbertson, grocers &
fruiterers
1961 GE Wood, butchers
1993 Nigel's, butchers
c1995
Barry Youll, butcher
198? James May, butcher
c 2002 Café
Feliz (3 owners operated under the name)
2014 That Little Cafe in
The Square
2016 Tea in the Square
2022 Lee Francis Flooring
18.
(Built
1934)
1934 Bonnetts, dairymen
1950 WH Cullen, grocers &
fruiterers
1953 CJL Herbertson, grocers & fruiterers
1968 HW Sturt,
greengrocer & florist
1971 FA Ledger, fruiterer & florist
1988
Penn's greengrocers & florist
1989 Nigel's, greengrocer &
florist
1993 Springmont Fruits
1996 Katie's, fruit & vegetable
c2003 Jeffery's Hairstylists
2023 Salon in the Square
19.
(Built 1934)
1934 Bonnetts
1950 WH Cullen,
grocers & fruiterers
1953 CJL Herbertson, grocers & fruiterers
1970 Jeffery's Hairstylists
2023 Salon in the Square
20.
(Built 1933)
1938
Mortimer’s Dairies
1961 Mortimer’s Dairies
1963 South Coast
Dairies (Highfield & Mortimer’s)
1972 Angmering Dairy
(EVHarsley)
c1980 Unwins/Threshers, off-licence
2011 Meat in The
Square, butchers
21.
(Built 1933)
1961 Corner Shop (JH Ellis),
tobacconists & confectioners
1989 Angmering News
2010 Regency
Patisserie, bakers
2014 Meat in The Square .....and More
22.
(Built 1952) (1, Church Hill)
1952 Wool &
Knitting Shop (Willis)
1961 The Children’s Shop (H Sains)
1962
The Children's Shop (Mrs MK Burgess)
19?? Stitches (Jan Searle)
1997
Angmering Framing & Stitches (Pat & John Turner)
2000 Angmering
Cycles (Martin Richardson)
2010 The Wardrobe, ladies fashions
2016
Cloudberry Bags, fashion boutique
2024 The Barber Shop
23.
(Built 1952) (2, Church Hill)
1957 Flair (OC
Boyce & VJ Le Maistre), antiques & boutique
1974 Skipper, C &
Coulthard, M, physicians
c1975 Vetinary practice
24.
(Built 1931)
1934
Cosh & Hammond, electrical engineers
1954-66 PW Hagmaier, chemist
1966-1970s George Hammond Electical
1977 Mary Anne’s Tea Rooms
1983 La Casita Restaurant
1992 Old Timbers Restaurant
c2000 Santa
Maria Restaurant
2008 Shafiques, Indian takeaway
25.
(Built c1885)
1887 William Langley, grocer
1913 Alfred Langley, grocer
bef 1922 Walter Cheesman, grocer &
greengrocer
aft 1993 Bygones, antiques
2007 Pearl Dental, dentists
2016 (private residence)
26.
(Built 1929)
1929
Pooks Hill Tea Room & Hairdressers (Miss Briggs)
27.
(Built 1780)
1780-2011 “The Lamb Inn”,
public house
2012 “The Lamb at Angmering”, public house &
restaurant
28.
(demolished c1938)
1895 - 1938 Jesse Horton,
shoemaker
There are probably inaccuracies in the above listing and certainly missing businesses. It would be appreciated if corrections and updates could be sent to me at Angmering Village Life (see Contacts page).
Neil Rogers-Davis
September
2012
Note:
I would like to thank Roy Green and
Richard Standing for their assistance in identifying Angmering businesses. Also
Sharon Francis.