Sussex CoastWhere to go
Littlehampton: Things to Do
A day-out guide to the West Sussex town where a busy seafront, a working river harbour and quiet protected dunes sit within walking distance.
Littlehampton packs a seaside town and a river harbour into one easy day out: East Beach and the promenade on one side, the harbour and River Arun in the middle, and the quieter West Beach and its sand dunes beyond.
East Beach, the promenade and the Long Bench
East Beach is Littlehampton's main beach, backed by the seafront promenade and a green. It is shingle at the top, with sand appearing from mid to low tide, and Arun District Council says it has RNLI lifeguards during the summer months. The council also warns never to paddle or swim in the first bay next to the pier, because strong tides make it dangerous; you can safely swim or paddle from the second bay onwards.
If you follow the promenade, you will find the Long Bench, the town's best-known landmark. Designed by Studio Weave and completed in 2010, it measures 324 metres and seats more than 300 people. It is made from hardwood reclaimed from old seaside groynes, including Littlehampton's own, with bright colours at the bends and dips, and it meanders along the promenade, ducking down to let people through to the beach and ending at the East Beach Café.
The harbour, the river walk and the lifeboat station
Littlehampton lies at the mouth of the River Arun. The river, once busy with shipbuilding, is now a working harbour and leisure marina, with yachts, fishing and diving boats coming and going. The Riverside Walk runs beside it from near the railway station down to the seafront, and watching the boats is the main entertainment.
The riverside is a popular spot for crabbing with a hand line; crab lines and buckets are sold locally. Keep children well back from the quay edge and use sea water in the bucket.
The Littlehampton RNLI lifeboat station stands on the east bank of the river, beside the public slipway. It is open to visitors on many days, so you can see the lifeboats up close; check the RNLI's station page before you go, as opening times change. For 49 years the station was home to successive lifeboats named Blue Peter 1, funded by viewers of the BBC children's programme.
West Beach, the dunes and the walk to Arundel
West Beach, on the west side of the river mouth, is quieter and more natural. It was declared a Local Nature Reserve in 1993 and is part of the Climping Beach Site of Special Scientific Interest, with sand dunes, rare vegetated shingle, sand flats and a small patch of saltmarsh. Some areas are fenced to protect plants that are sensitive to trampling, so keep to the paths. A circular walk links Littlehampton and Climping along the beach and back through fields.
For a longer outing, follow the River Arun inland on a flat trail to Arundel, where the castle rises above the town. Put together, the busy East Beach and promenade, the harbour walk and the quiet dunes of West Beach make a full day. Check official sources for lifeguard dates and opening times before you go, and if anyone gets into trouble in the sea or the river, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.
