Part of this dream was to be the setting up of a ‘pleasant residential area and a shopping centre for West Bognor.’  In 1896 there were only two shops on the north side of Aldwick Road.  The main work commenced at the start of the 1900’s on the north side of Aldwick Road between Charlwood St. and Nyewood Lane. Early shops consisted of the Thomas Tregear, Nyewood Supply Stores and Mr. C. J. West’s fish and poultry shop.

The first shop to be built on the south side of Aldwick Road was the dairy and tearooms of Cox’s Dairy, on the corner of Park Road.  Mr. Edward Cox already had a business in the High Street and opened his Aldwick shop in 1905.  In 1909 the Delmonico Tea Rooms were opened but by 1912 this had become a chemist shop which was coupled with the Swiss Café.  These two were housed under one roof and known as Le Chalet. Principally it was in 1910 that development really started in this area, when the land between Aldwick Road and the sea was auctioned off in 58 freehold plots.  The first thirteen plots were sold for £100 each, with the commencement of the parade in 1912. 

It was in the 1850’s that Bognor Races was the fashionable place to be. The racecourse was on a field that was used for many sporting events, including cricket.  The area was in fact from Marine Parade to Nyewood Lane, with another boundary being Aldwick Road. The owner of this land was Dr. Alonzo Henry Stocker, from Craigweil House.

Today the area is built over, principally by Stocker Road, which is now situated in an area that was once occupied by the grandstand.  Unfortunately there are no pictures available (unless you know different) of the racecourse. Between the 1840’s and 1850’s, during the summer month’s horse racing took place on the beach and a race card still exists providing information on the various races etc., held on October 9th 1855.

Refreshment tents included the names of the local caterers, one of which was Charles Pace who was at that time the landlord of the Elephant and Castle in Steyne Street. Another was John

Edward Mant of The Wheatsheaf in West Street, which is today The Berkeley.

It is interesting to see that the race day would start at 9.30 a.m. with a regatta held before the main event of the day. The local residents would have much enjoyment in those days.  By the 1920’s more developments were taking place, as can be seen in the photo showing just some of the shops and the Post Office on the corner of Charlwood Street.

By the early 1920’s much of the rest of the area remained as undeveloped agricultural fields between Bognor and Aldwick. The area between the two villages then supported grazing cattle, as it had done for generations. This however was soon to change as the Lord of the Manor of Aldwick, William H.B. Fletcher, started to sell parts of his estate. In 1927 he sold a 575-acre site, which was part of the Pagham Farm Estate, and this raised the sum of £29,000. This sale also included a 100-acre site that today forms the Aldwick Bay Estate. 

Each house was to be elegant, individual and comfortable, combining many “labour saving features.” Many of the new homes also included large garages, partial central heating and south facing verandas. An interesting fact is that when the telephone cables were laid, unlike elsewhere, these were laid underground, to help maintain the appeal of the area.

The estate, which originally contained grass tennis courts and all weather courts, combined with its location near to Goodwood, was also advertised as an ideal location ‘for shooting’. The availability of Lord Leconfield’s foxhounds that met near by was all at that time an important aspect of the advertising that was sent to prospective owners. The area boasted that they had access to their own safe & very quiet bathing beach.

Central to the estate from 1932 to 1972 was the Tithe Barn. Members were able to partake in the riding school, floodlit bathing, bridge and also regular dances,  were held on Saturday evenings

To many people the Bay Estate has always been seen as a place for the rich to live and visit.  Over the years many notable people have visited the estate, including film stars, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Jack Hawkins.  Royalty have also been frequent visitors, in recent years including the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and of course Earl Spencer, father of Diana, Princess of Wales, who owned two homes on the estate.

The Bay Estate has developed and changed over the years, but still retains much of the original aims and aspirations of those early developers of this prestigious seaside estate, known originally as “The Sussex Riviera.”

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