‘24. 
ENCROACHMENTS OF THE SEA. 
work of destruction, almost along the whole line 
of coast. In a few centuries, even without the aid 
of any violent inroads, the patches of tertiary strata 
still remaining on the Sussex chalk cliffs must en- 
tirely disappear : within the memory of the writer, 
the plastic clay near Newhaven, the cliffs at 
Brighton, and the sandstone of Bognor, have 
visibly diminished. 
These encroachments of the sea along the coast 
of Sussex have continued incessantly, from time 
immemorial ; and when so considerable as to have 
occasioned sudden inundations, or overwhelmed 
fertile or inliabited tracts, have been noticed in 
our historical records. In the “ Taxatio Ecclesi- 
astica AnglicB et W auctoritate P. Nicholas, 
(A. D. 1292 ), and Nonarwn inquisitiones in curia 
scaccarii (A. D. 1340), the following notices oc- 
cur, of the losses sustained by the action of the 
sea, between the years 1260 and 1340 ; a period 
of only eighty years. 
At Pett, marsh land overflowed by the sea ; the 
tithes of which were valued at two marks per 
annum. 
Iklesham and Ryngermersh, lands of which the 
tithes were 49.S‘. Sd. per annum. 
Thornye, 20 acres of arable, and 20 acres of 
pasturage. 
Selseye, much arable land. 
Felpham, GO acres of land. 
Middleton, GO acres. 
Briglithelmston, 40 acres. 
Aldringion, 40 acres. 
Portslade, GO acres. 
