Coordinates: 50°48′37″N 0°30′19″W / 50.81019°N 0.50521°W
| Rustington | |
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  Rustington
 Rustington shown within West Sussex |
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| Area | 4.32 km2 (1.67 sq mi) [1] |
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| Population | 13,210 [1] 2001 Census |
| - Density | 3,058 /km2 (7,920 /sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | |
| - London | 51 miles (82 km) NNE |
| Parish | Rustington |
| District | Arun |
| Shire county | West Sussex |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LITTLEHAMPTON |
| Postcode district | BN16 |
| Dialling code | 01903 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | West Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Worthing West |
| Website: http://www.rustingtonpc.org/ | |
| List of places: UK • England • West Sussex | |
Rustington is a seaside resort and civil parish near Littlehampton in West Sussex. Rustington is centrally situated on the West Sussex Coast almost midway between the cathedral city of Chichester and Brighton. For local government purposes, it forms part of the Arun district and the administrative county of West Sussex. Officially a village with its own parish council, Rustington is larger than its status implies. The village is located on the A259 which runs to the north of the village providing transport to other towns such as Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and Chichester, and east to the towns of Worthing and Brighton.
It has expanded considerably in the last few years[when?], due to extensive new housing developments, which have altered its original character. With a population of 12,676 in 2001, it has the size and facilities of a small town, including a shopping area containing a number of chain stores. It comes under the Worthing West constituency and its current MP is Peter Bottomley. It is served by Angmering railway station. The parish of Rustington includes the hamlet of West Preston.
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The village
Rustington contains a conservation area which extends from the south end of North Lane to the Lamb Public House in The Street. This area contains many Grade 2 Listed buildings, and planning permission must be sought before any work can be done on the trees in this area. The conservation area has the largest number of historic buildings in the area, with The Street and surrounding roads containing some of the finest C17th & C18th Sussex flint cottages in West Sussex, many of which are thatched. Rustington is still a village because people voted it to be a village.[citation needed]
There is a village information centre at the Churchill Parade car park.[2]
Rustington competes annually in the South-East in Bloom competition, in which it does very well.[citation needed] It holds an annual carnival and fete in August every year and at Christmas has a village carol concert which is free for local residents and features local school children accompanied by the Littlehampton Concert Band.
The local non-league football team, Rustington F.C, achieved the notable distinction of going through the entire calendar year of 2006 without losing a single match, earning them a mention on Sky Sports News on New Year's Eve.
Rustington was home to an American World War I air base, which is no longer in existence. This was situated to the east of the high street.
Rustington now has its own museum, containing local exhibits and a coffee shop, housed in an 18th century thatched house recently converted for the purpose.
Shopping facilities
Rustington's high street has some chain-stores and many family run shops as well as estate agents and charity shops. Located just off the high street is a small courtyard of shops called Churchill Court. On display in the high street is a large Late Ice Age erratic boulder, this was brought to Rustington on the sea ice during the last Ice Age. It was discovered in a local field (Stonefield) and was used as a boundary marker for many years[citation needed]. Rustington also has a retail park located on the A259 road.
Transport
Rustington shares a train station located in Angmering railway station with Angmering and East Preston.
The Rustington Event
The Rustington Event was held in 2006. It was a celebration of Christmas for the village. Shops stayed open late for Christmas shopping and a whole range of different Christmas food and entertainment was laid on. The following year, in 2007, adverse weather spoiled the event with many businesses deciding to close early due to lack of customers turning out and a number of events being cancelled. In 2008, due to lack of interest, the Event was cancelled. It has not yet been decided if 'the Event' will go ahead in 2009.
In the news
- Rustington hosted the 1952 World Chess Championship.[citation needed]
- Paul Pegrum, of Pegrum's bakery (now Forfar's), created the world's biggest hot cross bun to publicise Rustington during the Easter break of 2002. After four hours of cooking, the bun surpassed two out of the three existing records. A weights and measures inspector from Brighton and Hove Council found the bun had smashed the current weight record of 38 kg (83lb 13oz), weighing in at 42.8 kg (94lb 6oz).It is also the widest hot cross bun ever made, coming in at 4ft 4in (132.08 cm) with a circumference of 3.84m (12ft 7in) .[3]
- The British and Irish Meteorite Society was formed in Rustington in 2004.[citation needed]
Air speed records
Two world air speed records were set on the date 7 September over Rustington sea front.
Record 1 - set on 7 September 1946, by Group Captain Teddy Donaldson, flying a Gloster Meteor Star. Donaldson also became the first man to break the 1,000 km/h barrier.[4]
Record 2 - set on 7 September 1953, by Squadron Leader Neville Duke, flying Hawker Hunter WB188, at a speed of 1170.9 km/h.
To celebrate, on 7 September 1996, Neville Duke returned to Rustington to unveil a plaque, marking the event. He was joined by a Gloster Meteor and a Hawker Hunter, which flew over Rustington sea front.
Twin towns
Notable people
- JM Barrie, Scottish author and dramatist. Famous for his work of Peter Pan.
- Graham Sutherland OM - English artist
- Lindsay Anderson, Indian-born English feature film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading light of the Free Cinema movement and the British New Wave. Famous for his work of If.... , that was written on the village's Sea Estate, in a house belonging to the mother of Anderson.
- Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, English landscape architect, garden designer, Architect and author. Who grew up in the village.[5]
- Sir Hubert Parry, English composer. Who lived in Sea Lane from 1880 until his death in October 1918.
- Delirious?, English Christian rock and worship band members live in the village.
- Brian White, Cartoonist. He spent much of his later life in the village.
- Ed Petrie, Comedian, British actor and television presenter. He was born and raised in the village.
- Mitchell Symons, Journalist and bestselling author. He has lived just outside the village since 1995.
References
- ^ a b "2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish". West Sussex County Council. http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/communityandliving/census2001/pop_parish_summary.pdf. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- ^ Littlehampton Gazette
- ^ The Argus 28 March 2002
- ^ Thomas, Nick. RAF Top Gun: Teddy Donaldson CB, DSO, AFC and Bar Battle of Britain Ace and World Air Speed Record Holder, Pen & Sword, 2008. ISBN 1844156850
- ^ 1996 Obituary for Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe who grew up in Rustington
External links
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