Littlehampton Museum

17/06/2026

As June is Pride Month, we want to take a moment to celebrate LGBTQIA+ members in our community. This an area of history that is often misrepresented, or not visible throughout historical displays. As part of our new project, Transforming Littlehampton Museum, we will be looking to record some oral histories with LGBTQIA+ members, as well as doing some contemporary collecting to ensure our collections better reflect the current diversity of our Town. Whilst this part of the project isn’t happening just yet, be sure to keep an eye out for these opportunities!

16/06/2026

For Sussex Day we would like to remember the Battle of the Boar’s Head from World War I, which later became known as “The Day that Sussex Died”.
Over 2,000 men from the Royal Sussex Regiment’s 11th, 12th and 13th South Downs Battalions fought, most of whom were born in Sussex, and many of whom would have joined up together. 366 were killed and over 1,000 wounded or taken prisoner, with the 13th Battalion all but wiped out. Among those men killed, two came from Littlehampton.
We are commemorating all of the men with a small display in the Museum tent on Armed Forces, Families and Veterans Day in Littlehampton, Saturday 27 June, 10.30 to 5 on the Seafront Green. Pop in to see us and to find out more.


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10/06/2026

World Cup fever has fully enGOALfed (some) of us here at the Museum and we simply can’t wait for kickoff tomorrow! Okay, so there’s no we, it’s just me who’s excited…

To celebrate, we’re having VAR look through our MODES records for football related items! The first image shows the cover of a “Sinclair User” magazine, which was a magazine for home computers, usually the ZX Spectrum. This issue is from 1986, where the World Cup was hosted in Mexico, and 40 years later we find ourselves beginning the World Cup in Mexico again! The second image goes back even further, to 1966, advertising a “go-as-you-please” ticket for the year England won the World Cup.

Even older is the third image, which shows a programme for Littlehampton Town vs Bognor Regis in 1955. That’s the sort of match worth staying up until 3am for! You may think my puns are tactical, but really I’m just winging it, and the more I make the Messi-er it gets!

Finally, for the second half, how about some fun facts related to our current exhibition? And no, I’m not talking about a friendly game. Victorians are on display in the Museum’s Hearne and Butterworth Gallery, and you can visit today for free! The beautiful game has changed a lot since Victorian times, so here’s a hattrick of my favourites:
There were no referees until 1871, and disputes were to be solved between each team’s captain.
The crossbar was not a standard requirement until 1875, and before that, if the ball went between the posts it was a goal, no matter the height!
“Hacking” used to not only be permitted, but celebrated, as a tactical way of getting the ball off an opponent too good for you. If in doubt, kick their shins out! Early Victorian footballers would likely have needed walking sticks more than most, as hacking wasn’t banned until around the 1860s.

The World Cup is an excellent time for cultures to mix together and unify, so whoever you’re cheering on this tournament, we wish you the best and lots of fun! And that’s it, full-time, no more puns. They think it’s all over… it is now!

10/06/2026

Come and join us in the Museum Tent 🤩

Did you know the Littlehampton Museum will be at Armed Forces, Families and Veterans Day on 27 June?

Join the Museum team for wartime exhibits and heritage activities, while The Vintage Trio perform classic wartime songs among the static military displays from 13:50.

A great opportunity to discover the town's own connection to military history.

Saturday 27 June, Seafront Green, from 10:30. Free entry.

Full programme: www.lovelittlehampton.co.uk

04/06/2026

Its and we are delighted to celebrate our own wonderful museum volunteers. They undertake all sorts of activities for the museum including research, documenting, sorting, painting, cleaning mannequins, looking for images of Victorian mustachioed men (!).. all with a smile on their faces. Thank you 🙏
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30/05/2026

📷 We’ve uncovered this fascinating photo while researching a small display for the upcoming Armed Forces, Families and Veterans Day in Littlehampton.
It shows some Royal Sussex Regiment soldiers, and we believe it may date from the First World War, or perhaps just before. We’d love to hear what you think. 🤔
We’re especially curious about the circular object between the two groups of men — could it be something connected to the Kursaal/Casino?
And we love spotting Shelter Hall in the background too, now the Windmill Cinema. 🎞️
This photo links to our display remembering the Littlehampton men of the Royal Sussex Regiment’s 11th, 12th and 13th South Downs battalions who were killed or injured at the Battle of the Boar’s Head during the First World War. 🌺
If you have any ideas about the photo, please do share them in the comments below. 👇
🎪 Do come and see our display and craft activity in the Museum Tent at Armed Forces, Families and Veterans Day on Saturday 26 June

Armed Forces Day Visit Littlehampton

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

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24/05/2026

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

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 😁

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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