436 REPORT— 1885. 
refers to the waste of land by the sea opposite the parishes of Rustington and 
Preston, mentions remains of trees on the shore, and speaks of Ruston Park, 
with large trees, standing [in 17041] on what is now the sea. He also (p. 35) 
mentions a tradition that [in 17041] the land at Tarring extended much 
further seaward. At Worthing like traditions prevail. I was told in 1832 
that old men remembered the land being out as far as the grass-banks. 
Opposite College House School, Worthing, the sea in 1832 was washing away 
the beach, and laying bare the foundation of the playground wall. A moderate- 
sized groyne was put down, which made beach accumulate, and the encroach- 
ment stopped. I saw four similar groynes put down that same year opposite 
Mr. Elwes’s large house; these also produced an even shingle beach which 
stopped encroachment. But just east of College House playground was an 
extra large groyne, with a great pile of shingle west of it and a large hollow 
eastward. Close to this was a coastguard house. About fourteen years after, 
I found that this house and the ground it stood on were entirely gone. Dixon 
(p. 37) says 70 feet of land were destroyed here in twelve months. Many 
years ago I saw the remains of the coast road, half washed away, that ran 
from Worthing past Heene towards Goring. The coast road from Worthing to 
Lower Lancing was then perfect and in regular use. I believe it is now 
dilapidated by the sea. The sea-front of Worthing, being cared for and pro- 
tected, has never been changed within my recollection. Dixon (p. 37) says 
‘the sea formerly gained much on the shore.’ At Littlehampton, the Baths, a 
building which stood on the beach in 1835, has been entirely destroyed. 
14. Newhaven and Seaford. 
By A. E. CAREY, Resident Engineer, Newhaven Harbour Works, Sussex. 
1. More especially the coast from Old Nore, Newhaven, Sussex, to Seaford Head. 
2. The coast consists of two Chalk headlands, respectively 180 and 250 feet above 
sea-level, with an alluvial valley between, forming roughly the segment of 
circle to sketch. One mile from the eastern headland a low range of chalk 
hills about 60 feet high comes down to the sea front. 
a. W. to 8.S.W. 
5. a. W.S.W. b. S.toS.S.E. ec. N.W.to W.N.W. 
6. The flood tide in the Channel striking Seaford Head causes a false or counter tide 
in Seaford Bay. 
7. (1) a. 20feet. b.16 feet 6 inches. (2) a. About an average of 200feet. b. About 
an average of 120 feet. 
8. Shingle and sand, covering a partly artificial bank of clay and mud. 
9. a. Depth varies so greatly that it is difficult to state with any accuracy. The 
greatest depth would be about 10 feet, mean depth perhaps 3 feet. b. Bank 
above mean high water varies little. Remainder of bank constantly varying. 
ce. W. to E. d. Say 5 or 6 inches one way. e. Except above mean high 
water, the shingle forms generally a tolerably uniform continuous slope. After 
a succession of southerly winds, fulls are sometimes formed, but these are 
very variable. 
10. The shingle is slowly diminishing, none now coming from the west side of the 
harbour. 
11. To a small extent only from artificial abstraction. 
12. a. About 8.S.W. b. To low-water mark. e. About 150 yards. d. (1) About 
8 feet out of ground. (2) About 4 feet, very variable. (3) About 1 foot, very 
variable. e. Timber piling planked. f. Their influence has been to arrest 
and maintain the existing banks of shingle. The whole of the system of 
groyning has been carried out by the Newhaven Harbour Co., who have recently 
constructed a sea wall about 20 feet in rear of the top of the foreshore bank, 
from the east pier to about 13 miles east of this. These combined works will 
render the foreshore secure, probably for many years. 
13. a. Above high-water line principally. wb. For the purposes of sea-walling, 
breakwater construction, &c. e. Under the Act of the Newhaven Harbour 
Co. d. No. 
1 These dates, 1704, are gained by calculation, not given by Dixon. 
