Middleton on Sea

I thought for a change we should move out of Bognor Regis into one of the villages and this week I have chosen Middleton on Sea. According to the Domesday Book there was a Manor of Middleton in 1066, which was apparently valued at £4.00. The original church was lost beneath the waves by the 1840s. Sadly none of this particular area remains today.

When we look at the parish currently it is difficult to understand some of the reports from the past, for example it was reported that in 1588 there was a beacon placed 'on the low cliffs of Middleton' to give warning of the Spanish Armada. By 1745 smuggling was being reported at Elmer when apparently five tons of tea was brought ashore. During this incident 36 smugglers were apprehended. This trend seemed to continue when 28 casks of brandy were 'captured by the Revenue Officers in 1788.' We also learn from various books and press reports that there was a subscription church, dedicated on Sunday 22nd

April 1849. This was St. Nicholas, which had a seating capacity of 120 people. By 1870 the Rev. Conder, Rector of Middleton, could regularly be seen taking groups of boys to church by wagonette and for a number of years these boys formed a major part of the congregation. What I then find strange is that Coastguards left the area; one can only assume that they believed that smuggling was no longer a threat on this particular part of the coastline. By 1906 the population of this area had fallen to just 35 people, but this figure has now risen to over 5,000 at the start of the 21st Century.

However prospects for this area were soon to change. In 1914 with the advent of the lst World War an extensive seaplane factory, namely the Norman Thompson Aircraft Company was erected on the seashore. This provided employment for people in the vicinity, whilst the men were off to war. However after the war, when the men returned, this area took on a new vibrant air. The Norman Thompson aircraft factory was closed in 1919 and various sections were sold to a number of new owners, one of the hangers arrived in Bognor to become the Pavilion at the north of Waterloo Square.

By 1923 one area had been transformed into "The New City, Bognor" according to the advertising literature.

This was a 'holiday centre' of the period. I suppose Middleton was still sufficiently unknown at this time that the suffix of Bognor was necessary to advise all those new holiday makers of the locality of their holiday home.

Much of the development of this area commenced after the 1st World War. For some it was a time when they returned to the area where they had worked on the seaplanes. For others it was the purchase of a small holiday home, to be used at weekends.

When areas start to develop it is quite usual for there to be a specific name associated with it and in Middleton it is recorded that Captain H.

Rowlands Coldicott was the person to whom much of the development of this area is attributed. He arrived in the area and purchased large parts of farmland, which existed around the Middleton Road, Sea Lane and sea front area. His idea was to create a residential area and a village community, complete with it's own facilities. Upon the retirement of Captain Coldicott in 1937 the Middleton on sea Association was formed to continue with his vision of the village environment.

For many people this complete area tends to be forgotten as it is situated at the seaward end of a road leading off from the main A259, and subsequently some seem to think it is of minimal importance. This of course is not the case. It is now a very busy and thriving community. It is quite interesting how this area has been perceived over the years, as in 1951 one series of articles, asked, "Do you really know your parish?" The article commences with a reference to the "high-class residential neighbourhood, which is known today as Middleton-on-sea." Interestingly the article continues, as do many others by reference to the area as either Middleton or Middleton and Elmer. At this time it was thought that the name of Middleton originated from the fact that it was situated between Clymping, Cudlow and Felpham. Elmer is a part of the parish of Middleton but seems to be included or not according to the whim of the writer. The population had grown by 1951 until it was believed to be in the region of 2,500 and its income in 1951 was considered to be primarily from its location to the sea rather than the income from the farmlands during the 1800's.

For any local historian finding information or artefacts is both rewarding and interesting so I can imagine how members of the Felpham and Middleton Local History group must have been in 1990 when the started to unearth footings to some of the early coastguard buildings. Such finds as this can of course happen quite accidently, but are vitally important when trying to place or date specific areas of any vicinity.\

Towards the end of the 1990's changes were again taking place specifically with the demolition of the original aircraft hangers from the Norman

Thompson aircraft factory to allow a new housing area to be developed. These houses are situated on roads named to provide constant reminders of the factory.

Other changes were also being discussed such as the introduction of a new wooded area for Middleton, strangely there were negative views on these plans for the New Millenium. Several of the older style nursing homes such as Greenfields and the Nalgo have now gone to be replaced by the new style housing complexes, some of which are specifically for the older generation.

During the end of the 20th century much work was taking place with sea defences to prevent further sea encroachment, which has caused so many problems in the past. One article in the local press in 1962 reported that 'much of the old parish has vanished forever beneath the waves. The article commented that it was believed that two thirds of the parish had vanished beneath the sea, let us hope that the sea defences will prevent any further sea erosion and that the area continues to develop for all concerned.

In 2001 an exceptional document was produced on a village design statement for Middleton on Sea. This document will be invaluable to local historians of the future containing as it does such a wide range of information. At the time of this publication residents were calling for a design for a 'character village.' I hope that these plans materialise and that the village remains as an area of character and history rather than being lost to modern day developments.

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