Littlehampton Museum

Littlehampton Museum Littlehampton Museum tells the story of this sunny seaside town from pre-history to the present day. Admission is free, as are all events and exhibitions.

Littlehampton Museum offers a fascinating insight into this community’s history. Explore a variety of exciting galleries, many with audio points and interactive elements to help guide you through the story of the town. Staff will be more than happy to provide any assistance they can, whether you have a question about the museum or the town.

🎉 It’s Ian Fleming’s birthday! 🕵️‍♂️📚Best known as the author of the James Bond books, Ian Fleming also has a fascinatin...
28/05/2026

🎉 It’s Ian Fleming’s birthday! 🕵️‍♂️📚
Best known as the author of the James Bond books, Ian Fleming also has a fascinating connection to Littlehampton.
During the Second World War, Fleming helped set up and command the 30 Assault Unit (30AU), a Royal Marine Commando unit specialising in covert intelligence. Their motto? “Attain by Surprise” ⚡
Their missions included:
🔹 Moving with or just behind Allied troops
🔹 Carrying out small-scale raids
🔹 Seizing enemy codes, ciphers and secret weapons
🔹 Recovering important enemy documents
🔹 Clearing captured weapons and booby-trapped premises
🔹 Destroying ammunition and fuel dumps
🔹 Identifying and arresting key enemy personnel and secret agents
In 1944, the unit spent several months stationed in Littlehampton, training in the build-up to D-Day 🌊 Many of the men later returned to the town for annual reunions at the Marine Pub 🍻
And here’s the intriguing part… 👀
Many believe Fleming may have based James Bond on one or more of the commandos from this remarkable unit. 🕶️✨

image 1: pub sign from The Marine pub, Littlehampton
image 2: members of the 30 Assault Unit's 'B' troop, Littlehampton, May 1944
image 3: cloth badge, 30 Assault Unit

Visit Littlehampton

Looking forward to this event! Come and join us in the museum tent 😃😃
24/05/2026

Looking forward to this event! Come and join us in the museum tent 😃😃

Our Victorians exhibition is now live! 🥳 Running until the 2nd November, this exhibition provides insight into the lives...
23/05/2026

Our Victorians exhibition is now live! 🥳 Running until the 2nd November, this exhibition provides insight into the lives and habits of Victorians in Littlehampton. From businesses and shops, education and home life, to leisure and hardship, meet key figures from Littlehampton’s past and see the world through their Victorian point of view 👓 Of course, this time period gets its name from Queen Victoria’s reign, and we have a special item on display that belonged to the Queen herself! 👸 Entry to the Museum is FREE and we cannot wait to hear about your favourite parts of the exhibition 😁

Visit Littlehampton

A couple of days ago, the BBC reported (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgjpnwpvwpvo) that a Cadbury’s chocolate bar...
22/05/2026

A couple of days ago, the BBC reported (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgjpnwpvwpvo) that a Cadbury’s chocolate bar from 1900 was sold at auction for over £500 🍫💷 During the Second Boer War, Queen Victoria commissioned several chocolatiers to provide chocolate for soldiers.

As we’ve been setting up for our Victorians Exhibition, which goes live tomorrow, Cadbury’s chocolate has been our main fuel source (as you can see from our photo!!!) ⛽️ It’s comforting to know that over 125 years later, we’re still eating the same sweet treats as our Victorian ancestors 😋 If you’d like to know more about Littlehampton’s Victorians, then be sure to visit our exhibition, running from 23rd May to 2nd November 🥳

Cadbury Dairy Milk

21/05/2026

Are you looking for some half term fun? Join us for some crafting inspired by Sussex Wildlife Trust's Marine Photography Exhibition.

Wednesday 27th May 10am-1pm and 2-4pm.

Please share Rustington Heritage Association Rustington Parish Council Sussex Museums Group Rustington Village

Oh rats! 🐀 As we’ve been preparing for our Victorians Exhibition, which opens Saturday 23rd May, we’ve found that the Mu...
21/05/2026

Oh rats! 🐀 As we’ve been preparing for our Victorians Exhibition, which opens Saturday 23rd May, we’ve found that the Museum has been overtaken by rats! 🤯 Not to rat anyone out, but I think it may be our Curator’s fault… too many biscuit crumbs 🍪 We need your help to complete our trail and find them all! You’ll have to work your tail off to find lots in a ROW and make a DENT in the trail, but seeing as though that might be the worst pun I’ve ever made, I’m heading off and leaving you to rescue our galleries! 🙈 There are nineteen in total, almost one in every case, so you’ll really have to give it your all 💪🏼

Victorians Exhibition - One week to go!Staff have been busy setting up our new Victorians exhibition.This is a new exhib...
16/05/2026

Victorians Exhibition - One week to go!

Staff have been busy setting up our new Victorians exhibition.

This is a new exhibition running from 23 May to 2 November which is bringing to life the people who lived in the town during the Victorian era (1837–1901). Through personal stories, contemporary accounts, and objects from the museum’s collections, the exhibition charts Littlehampton’s remarkable transformation from a quiet fishing village into a bustling seaside resort with a thriving harbour, trading goods from all over the world.

• Discover the stories behind family businesses, some of whose names are still familiar today
• Let your little ones have a go at running a Victorian sweet shop
• Explore the realities of everyday life, including the town’s notorious sewage problems
• Enjoy hands-on activities designed for all the family

Visit Littlehampton Sussex by the Sea .by.the.sea

🐀 HISTORY FANS! 🐀***Opening in time for May ½ Term***Travel back to Victorian Littlehampton… Do you have sharp eyes? Fr...
14/05/2026

🐀 HISTORY FANS! 🐀

***Opening in time for May ½ Term***

Travel back to Victorian Littlehampton…

Do you have sharp eyes?

From Saturday 23 May to Monday 2 November, see if you can spot the trail of mini rats hidden around the Museum, leading you into our new Victorians exhibition:

🏘️ Explore the stories behind local family businesses
🕵️ Have a go at running a Victorian sweet shop
🎩 Meet the people who lived in the town
✋ Get stuck into hands-on activities along the way!

Best of all? Entry is absolutely FREE! 🎉
📍Littlehampton Museum
🌐 www.littlehamptonmuseum.co.uk

Visit Littlehampton

This weekend, 9th and 10th of May, is National Mills Weekend, which is an annual celebration of windmills and watermills...
09/05/2026

This weekend, 9th and 10th of May, is National Mills Weekend, which is an annual celebration of windmills and watermills! 🥳 Promoted by the mills section of The Society For The Protection Of Ancient Buildings, this weekend celebrates and highlights the rich history of mills throughout the country 🫶 To join in, we are sharing some images of Arun Mill, alongside it’s history:

The Arun Mill was built in 1831 by the millwright Henry Martin and was a major landmark of Littlehampton for a century 📍 Known as a tower mill, it was one of the largest ever built in Sussex, and got it’s name due to its close proximity to the mouth of the River Arun 🌊 Henry Martin sold the mill a year later in 1832, for £726, equivalent to over £76,000 today! The mill was sold to a man called William Boniface, who added a storehouse, two cottages and other buildings in 1835. The mill then went through a succession of millers, before closing in 1913, and being demolished in 1932 in replacement of the Butlins amusement park 🎢 The first image shows the mill in 1913, whilst the second is a view from the Pier, dated 1912. The final image does not have a date but provides a closer view of the mill. More information regarding the mill can be found here: https://www.sussexmillsgroup.org.uk/lostmills.htm

It’s just over 2 weeks until Victorians! 🥳 This week we’re taking a sneak peek at a very special item in our collection,...
07/05/2026

It’s just over 2 weeks until Victorians! 🥳 This week we’re taking a sneak peek at a very special item in our collection, a nightdress belonging to Queen Victoria 👸 This item was donated by a Mrs Ayling (nee Snewin), whom we put a post out about a couple of weeks ago. It is reported that Mrs Ayling’s Littlehampton grandmother (born 1806) was embroiderer to Queen Victoria and then to Queen Alexandra, coming into possession of this item via her work 😯 The nightdress has a very visible Royal Cypher embroidered into it, pictured in this post, showing a crown and a “VR” for “Victoria Regina,” which is Latin for Queen Victoria 👑 The nightdress is white cotton and is incredibly soft, showing its high quality, decorated with lace, frills and some embroidered patterns. To see the dress in full, and to see more of our Queen Victoria collection, be sure to visit our Victorians Exhibition which will go live Saturday 23rd May and runs until 2nd November! 😁🫶

This week, 5-12th May, is Donkey Week, and donkeys just so happen to be our curator’s favourite animal! 🥰 Swipe to the e...
05/05/2026

This week, 5-12th May, is Donkey Week, and donkeys just so happen to be our curator’s favourite animal! 🥰 Swipe to the end to see her holding Donald the Donkey, next to our donkey calendar! 🫏 Although dogs are a close second, we want to take this opportunity to look into some donkey-themed items from our collection:

The first image shows nine donkey shoes which were discovered at Avon House 🧲 This has made us wonder if donkeys were housed at Avon House, and if you’d like to know more about this you can read the research pack on this topic on our website! These shoes will also be on display in our upcoming Victorians Exhibition 👀

The sepia postcard showcases donkey rides on along The Common by South Terrace, with the image taken c1930s 🫶

Finally, the piece of artwork, titled “Old Bright, the Postman”, is made of cloth and velvet, by George Smart 📬 The postman is in Frant and the date on a stone in the background says “1827.” Old Bright is depicted walking his donkey across a watercolour view of Frant 🖼️

Address

Littlehampton Museum, Manor House, Church Street
Littlehampton
BN175EW

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9am - 4:30pm
Friday 9am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+441903738100

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Littlehampton Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Littlehampton Museum:

Shortcuts

Share

Category