River Adur

From Norman times the county of Sussex was divided into sections known as rapes. Each rape was typically centred on a river and river port and was guarded by a castle. Bramber rape was centred on the port of Bramber and the river Adur, with Bramber Castle located close to the river. At various times in the medieval period, Bramber, Steyning and New Shoreham were all major ports on the river. The western Adur also flows close to Knepp Castle, near Shipley. The river has a long history of use for navigation, and Shoreham is known to have been used as a port since Roman times. During the Middle Ages, it was especially active, as it was the location of a Royal Arsenal, and later became a centre…