45-404: Bognor Regis Pier is a pier located in the seaside resort of Bognor Regis , West Sussex . The pier opened on 5 May 1865 to the design of Sir Charles Fox and J. W. Wilson . Initially constructed with a length of 1000 ft (305m), it now stands at 350 ft (107m). The pier is Grade II listed . The pier continued to be developed after opening, with a pavilion being built in 1900. A seaward
90-510: A house for himself known as Merton Grove. This has since been demolished and replaced by Victorian terraced houses including Balfour and Cecil Roads opposite South Wimbledon tube station . The house name was for many years remembered by the name of the Morden Road pub The Grove Hotel, which has in more recent years been acquired by Tesco as a Tesco Metro Supermarket. During his time in Merton, Hotham
135-593: A number of ships under his control – records at the British Library show him as 'Principal Managing Owner' of a number of vessels including the East Indiaman York . He received his knighthood on 2 April 1769 at the relatively young age of 46. Using the money he had made in this venture, Hotham began his long association with property development, first buying land and buildings in Merton , South London, including
180-523: A sizeable crowd in addition to the local media. Inaugurated in nearby Selsey in 1971, the Birdman transferred to Bognor in 1978 when it had outgrown its original location. Competitors have included Richard Branson . The Birdman Event of 2008 was transferred to Worthing after 60 feet (18 m) of pier had been removed by the owners due to storm damage in March 2008. This meant that there were question marks over
225-562: A storm on 4 June, the day before it was due to go over the English Channel to Arromanches, and was abandoned. It washed up on the beach shortly after D-Day. There is a memorial to the brave men who were involved in the Mulberry Harbour project. The memorial was placed there in June 1999, and states: "To mark the 55th Anniversary of D-Day in 1944. This plaque is erected as a memorial to mark
270-416: A town crier to promote tourism. Jane Smith can be seen regularly during the year, giving proclamations in the town and along the seafront in her regal purple and gold livery. The International Bognor Birdman is an annual competition for human-powered 'flying' machines held each summer on Bognor Regis Pier . Contestants launch themselves from the end of the pier, a prize being awarded to the one who glides
315-454: Is based at the Town Hall on Clarence Road. Bognor is an electoral ward of Arun District. Bognor Regis is in the parliamentary constituency of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton , whose current Member of Parliament is Alison Griffiths . Previously it was in the constituencies of Arundel (1974–1997) and Chichester (1885–1974). Bognor was historically part of the ancient parish of Pagham and
360-615: Is especially noted for his development of the Sussex village of Bognor into a seaside resort. He was also sometimes called Hotham the Hatter , to mark his original trade. Hotham was born the youngest of five children in York in October 1722, but otherwise very little is known about his childhood. Having moved to London to become a hatter 's apprentice, in 1743, at the age of 21 he married Frances Atkinson ,
405-703: Is now known as Butlin's Bognor Regis Resort. In 1999 Butlin's erected a large indoor leisure park, the buildings construction sharing aspects similar with the Millennium Dome in London. In 2005, a new £10m hotel, called "The Shoreline" was unveiled at the Bognor Regis resort. A second hotel "The Ocean" opened on the site in Summer 2009 and general landscaping and upgrading have also taken place. A third hotel "Wave" opened in Summer 2012. In 2017 Bognor Regis Town Council appointed
450-544: Is on a branch line from Barnham , on the West Coastway Line . It has half-hourly services to London and to other south coast towns, some being direct. Trains are operated by Southern using Class 377s. Bognor Regis is twinned with: Richard Hotham Sir Richard Hotham (5 October 1722 – 13 March 1799) was an East India merchant, property developer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1780 to 1784. He
495-488: Is one of the oldest recorded Anglo-Saxon place names in Sussex. In a document of AD 680, it is referred to as Bucgan ora meaning Bucge's (an Anglo-Saxon name) shore, or landing place. Bognor Regis was originally named just "Bognor", being a fishing (and smuggling ) village, with a port or haven on the Aldingbourne Rife, until the 18th century when it was converted into a resort by Sir Richard Hotham who renamed
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#1732891316786540-721: Is the town’s local newspaper. Bognor Regis has two secondary schools, The Regis School and Felpham Community College . The area also has several primary schools, both in Bognor Regis and Felpham. Bognor Regis also hosts a university campus of the University of Chichester . Bognor Regis Town F.C. plays in the Isthmian Premier Division . They play their home games at Nyewood Lane. Middleton & Bognor Hockey Club play their home matches at Littlehampton Academy. There are two cricket clubs: Bognor Regis Cricket Club and Pagham Cricket Club. Bognor Regis railway station
585-464: The Bognor Regis town council announced that they had reached an agreement with Butlin to take on the 39 acre Brookland site to build a holiday camp, the site on which Butlins still stands today. The camp first opened to the public on 2 July 1960. There are three tiers of local government covering Bognor Regis, at parish (town), district and county level: Bognor Regis Town Council, Arun District Council and West Sussex County Council . The town council
630-706: The North, can, on occasion, fall below −15.0 °C (5.0 °F) or rise above 35.0 °C (95.0 °F), since 1960, the temperatures recorded at Bognor have never fallen below −9.4 °C (15.1 °F) (January 1963) or risen above 31.5 °C (88.7 °F) (June 1976). Rainfall in Bognor peaks during the winter months, and reaches a minimum in summer, as is typical for the South Coast of England. Billy Butlin opened one of his Butlin's Holiday Camps in Bognor in 1960. The camp later became known as Southcoast World until 1998 and
675-667: The ROX Music and Arts Festival which attracts over 30,000 visitors and features many genres of music in seven performance areas over two days. The town is also home to the Bognor Regis Concert Band, who perform at various local locations and events, including the yearly "Proms in the Park" hosted at Hotham Park . The Picturedrome Cinema in London Road has been trading as a cinema for over 100 years. It has been extensively refurbished,
720-579: The United Kingdom albeit sunnier and milder due to its proximity to the coast - It has, at over 1,900 hours on average, the highest known annual level of sunshine of any British mainland weather station resulting in Bognor Regis being named the sunniest town in Britain. Besides inhibiting summer cloud development, its coastal location also prevents extreme temperatures; Whereas locations in the Sussex Weald, to
765-588: The building in 1806. The house was technically just outside Bognor, being at Aldwick in the neighbouring parish of Pagham . Following his stay, the Bognor Urban District Council petitioned the king to bestow the suffix " Regis " ("of the King") on the town. The petition was presented to Lord Stamfordham , the king's private secretary, who in turn delivered it to the king. King George supposedly replied, "Oh, bugger Bognor." Lord Stamfordham then went back to
810-404: The clock tower remains. Sir Richard Hotham died at Bognor in March 1799 and was buried at the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene at South Bersted , where to this day there is an annual wreath laying ceremony at his grave. Following his death the estate was broken up and in the intervening years many of his fine buildings have vanished, although some gems remain, including Hotham Park House, now
855-593: The crews (and associated handshake) of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project on 17 July 1975 was intended to have taken place over Bognor Regis, but a flight delay caused it to occur over Metz in France instead. Bognor Regis town centre was damaged in 1994 by an IRA device left in a bicycle outside Woolworth's. Fifteen shops were damaged but no injuries occurred. King George V had become ill, requiring lung surgery to be carried out on 12 December 1928. His recovery
900-660: The daughter of his employer, in the chapel of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea . By 1746 he was trading as a hatter in his own right from premises in Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn , a few years later moving to new premises in The Strand . Hotham's wife Frances died in 1760, and the next year, at the age of 39 he remarried, to Barbara Huddart . At this time he became involved with the East India Company , later working up to having
945-483: The first half of the 19th century but grew rapidly following the coming of the railway in 1864. In 1929 King George V spent three months in the area recuperating, and later that year the town's name was changed to "Bognor Regis" by royal consent. Butlin's has been present in the town since the early 1930s when an amusement park and zoo were opened. A holiday camp followed in 1960 and this has more recently moved towards hotel accommodation with modern amenities. Bognor
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#1732891316786990-556: The former urban district in 1985: Bognor Regis, Aldwick and Felpham . The town has several areas, and buildings, that still link it with its past. Good examples, and prominent local landmarks, are the Royal Norfolk Hotel and Hotham Park . The Anglican parish church is dedicated to St. Wilfrid while the local Roman Catholic church is Our Lady of Sorrows Church . Bognor Regis experiences an oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ) similar to almost all of
1035-579: The freehold having been acquired by the Bognor Regis Town Council to secure the building's future, after extensive consultation. The Alexandra Theatre is a 357-seat auditorium showing a variety of entertainment from comedy to drama to pantomime. It was built in 1979 on the site of the former Edwardian Theatre Royal complex. It is currently run by a voluntary trust and shows a mixture of local groups, tribute bands and concerts. The film The Punch and Judy Man (1963), starring Tony Hancock ,
1080-496: The furthest distance. Rarely taken completely seriously, the event provides competitors with an opportunity to construct improbable machines complete with outlandish dress, and is viewed as a display of British eccentricity. The spectacle draws a sizeable crowd in addition to the local media. Inaugurated in nearby Selsey in 1971, the Birdman transferred to Bognor in 1978 when it had outgrown its original location. Competitors have included Richard Branson . The Birdman Event of 2008
1125-419: The gentry to resort to the seaside, his property developing side kicked in, and with an eye to gaining some of the fame and wealth of places like Brighton and Weymouth he set about buying land in the area until eventually he had around 1,600 acres (6.5 km ) in his ownership. Then the building started. He built a number of large terraces of houses around the tiny hamlet, with the express aim of attracting
1170-627: The historical association that Pagham Beach had with the Mulberry Harbour Project in support of the liberation of Europe." The plaque continues 'some 50 had been assembled between Pagham beach and Selsey. To hide them from enemy view they were sunk to await refloating when the invasion got under way'. Finally, the plaque records "The Mulberry Harbour project was without doubt, a great feat of British and allied engineering skills, many still remain at Arromanches in Normandy." The historic meeting of
1215-617: The more well-heeled visitor to his new resort, the ultimate prize being to attract the King away from his favoured resort at Weymouth, or the Prince of Wales from Brighton. Ultimately, this was to be unrealised, although minor members of the Royal Family were attracted to stay in the grand new Dome House, built overlooking Richard's new house and grounds known as Bersted Lodge. Complete with private chapel and clock tower, this house still stands, now known as Hotham Park House . The chapel has gone but
1260-470: The necessary attributes of close proximity to the sea, southern exposure, protection from wind, privacy and reasonable access to and from London." The residence selected was Craigweil House , Bognor (demolished in 1939) placed at the king's disposal by owner Sir Arthur Du Cros who was a wealthy businessman, having acquired the house from Dr Stocker who bought it from the Countess of Newburgh who had constructed
1305-419: The part in the Bognor urban district became a parish called Bognor and the part outside the urban district became a parish called Bersted . Bognor had already become a separate ecclesiastical parish from South Bersted in 1873. The urban district council built Bognor Regis Town Hall to serve as its headquarters. The building was designed by Charles Cowles-Voysey and completed in 1930. The urban district
1350-475: The petitioners and told them, "the King has been graciously pleased to grant your request." The change of name from Bognor to Bognor Regis formally took effect on 26 July 1929. Four years later in 1933 the town's boundaries were enlarged, with Craigweil House and Aldwick being within the area added. A slightly different version of the " Bugger Bognor" incident is that the King, upon being told, shortly before his death, that he would soon be well enough to revisit
1395-725: The possible safety of the contestants landing in shallower water. The shortened pier was judged safe for the event in 2010, and the event subsequently returned to Bognor. Annual events now take place at boh locations. Bognor Regis Bognor Regis ( / ˌ b ɒ ɡ n ər ˈ r iː dʒ ɪ s / ), also known as Bognor , is a town and seaside resort in West Sussex on the south coast of England, 56 miles (90 km) south-west of London , 24 miles (39 km) west of Brighton , 6 miles (10 km) south-east of Chichester and 16 miles (26 km) east of Portsmouth . Other nearby towns include Littlehampton east-north-east and Selsey to
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1440-615: The settlement Hothamton, although this did not catch on. It has been postulated that Hotham and his new resort are portrayed in Jane Austen 's unfinished novel Sanditon . On the beach between Bognor Regis and Aldwick lies the wreck of a floating pontoon ( caisson ) which was once part of the Mulberry floating harbours used by the Allies to invade the French coast on D-Day 6 June 1944. It broke free in
1485-406: The south coast did him the world of good, and decided that he would like to have a house of his own there and accordingly bought a plot of land containing a farmhouse, near the sea. He then set about rebuilding the farmhouse as a comfortable villa which he named Bognor Lodge (this has since been demolished). Following his own experience of the curative nature of the sea air, and the current trend for
1530-534: The south-west. The nearby villages of Felpham , and Aldwick are now suburbs of Bognor Regis, along with those of North and South Bersted . The population of the Bognor Regis built-up area, including Felpham and Aldwick, was 63,855 at the 2011 census. A seaside resort was developed by Sir Richard Hotham in the late 18th century on what was a sand and gravel, undeveloped coastline. It has been claimed that Hotham and his new resort are portrayed in Jane Austen 's unfinished novel Sanditon . The resort grew slowly in
1575-456: The top of the poll. He did not stand at the 1784 general election but stood at the by-election at Southwark two months later in June 1784. He lost the contest very narrowly. In Parliament he voted with the opposition until the fall of the North government and made two speeches. In 1784 he was a member of the St. Alban's Tavern group who tried to bring Fox and Pitt together. Hotham found the climate of
1620-487: The town, uttered the words "Bugger Bognor!" Although there is little evidence that these words were actually spoken in this context, and although the sea air helped the King to regain his health, it is certain that the King had little regard for the town. Billy Butlin made his first appearance in the town with his Recreation Shelter, which was situated on the corner of Lennox Street and the Esplanade. The Recreation Shelter
1665-402: The wider Hundred of Aldwick, an ancient division of Chichester Rape . From around 1465 it was included in the parish of South Bersted . In 1822 improvement commissioners were established to govern the town. The commissioners were replaced by a local board in 1867. Such local board districts were reconstituted as urban districts in 1894, when the civil parish of South Bersted was also split;
1710-422: Was also built around this time. During World War II the pier became a Royal Navy observation station, named HMS St Barbara. In 1964 and 1965, storm damage destroyed the pavilion. A series of fires in 1974 led to the pier being closed. In 1989, Bognor Regis Pier was awarded a Grade II listing status by English Heritage . Despite this, the condition of the pier continued to decline, and in 1994 an application
1755-484: Was appointed a Magistrate , and in 1770 the High Sheriff of Surrey but suffered a further setback in 1777 when Barbara died, leaving him a widower for the second time at age 55. Hotham began to be involved in politics, and at the 1780 general election he played a major part in the campaign to elect Admiral Keppel at Surrey. Hotham himself contested Southwark , and was returned as Member of Parliament for Surrey at
1800-485: Was made to demolish the structure's remaining seaward end. The International Bognor Birdman is an annual competition for human-powered 'flying' machines held each summer in Bognor Regis. Contestants launch themselves from the end of the pier, a prize being awarded to the one who glides the furthest distance. Rarely taken completely seriously, the event provides competitors with an opportunity to construct improbable machines complete with outlandish dress. The spectacle draws
1845-736: Was partly shot in Bognor Regis. Several scenes of the film Wish You Were Here (1987) were also filmed in Bognor Regis. The BBC series Don't Forget the Driver (2019) starring Toby Jones was filmed and set in Bognor. Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital first opened in 1919 and is managed by the Sussex Community NHS Trust . Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC South and ITV Meridian , received from Rowridge transmitting station . Local radio stations are BBC Radio Sussex , Heart South , Greatest Hits Radio West Sussex and Passion Radio . Bognor Regis Observer
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1890-528: Was renamed Bognor Regis in 1929, and was significantly enlarged in 1933, absorbing the neighbouring parish of Felpham and the Aldwick area from the parish of Pagham. Bognor Regis Urban District was abolished in 1974, becoming part of Arun District. No successor parish was created for the former urban district at the time, and so it became an unparished area , directly administered by Arun District Council. Three new civil parishes were subsequently created covering
1935-440: Was slow and on 22 January 1929 Buckingham Palace issued the statement saying "it has been realised by the King's medical advisers that, prior to the establishment of convalescence, there would arrive a time when sea air would be necessary in order to secure the continuation of His Majesty's progress". The Palace statement went on "with the knowledge, a careful search was made for a 'residence' not only suitable in itself but possessing
1980-488: Was to prove to be a popular entertainment venue, containing one-armed-bandits and dodgem cars. This was eventually followed on 5 July 1933 by the Butlin Zoo on the seafront, which contained a wide array of animals, including brown, black and polar bears, hyenas, leopards, pelicans, kangaroos, monkeys and "Togo the snake king". Within three years, Billy Butlin was opening his first holiday centre at Skegness. Eventually, in 1958,
2025-419: Was transferred to Worthing after 60 feet (18 m) of the pier had been removed by the owners due to storm damage in March 2008. This meant that there were questions over the safety of contestants landing in shallower water. The shortened pier was judged safe for the event in 2010, which returned to Bognor. Bognor Rox free music and arts festival is held each summer. 2015 was to be the 25th anniversary of
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