Capturing Old Shoreham exhibition

Marlipins Museum

Through visual and sound arts, archaeology, local memories and research, this community-led exhibition traces how the River Adur, Downs and people shaped Old Shoreham over generations before the wider town of Shoreham by Sea was created. For centuries the Adur valley was a place of movement and crossing, linking coast and countryside. Ferries, bridges, railways and roads later reshaped how people travelled. The exhibition follows the layers of change across time. Some traces remain visible; others survive in documents and archaeology. We show stories of the people who migrated, lived and worked here — landowners and labourers, servants and soldiers, writers, farmers and villagers. Their lives reveal Old Shoreham as a place connected to wider changes in Sussex and beyond. The exhibition also looks at today's landscape. The river valley, Downs and green spaces remain important for wildlife and the community, but face environmental pressures. Volunteers and local groups are recording, understanding and caring for these places through conservation work, research and community projects. Capturing Old Shoreham shows you how our place was shaped and reshaped over centuries by water, work, travel and people. A Children's Trail helps ensure that curiosity and conservation are valued by future generations.