Bognor Regis

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Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis (West Sussex)
Bognor Regis

Bognor Regis shown within West Sussex
Population 22,555
OS grid reference SZ9499
District Arun
Shire county West Sussex
Region South East
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Bognor Regis
Dialling code 01243
Police Sussex
Fire West Sussex
Ambulance South East Coast
UK Parliament Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
European Parliament South East England
List of places: UK • England • West Sussex

Coordinates: 50°46′58″N 0°40′23″W / 50.7829, -0.6731

Bognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. The nearby villages of Felpham, briefly home to the poet William Blake, and Aldwick are now suburbs of Bognor along with that of Bersted.

Contents

Bognor Regis was originally named just "Bognor", being a fishing (and one time, smuggling) village until the 18th century, when it was converted into a resort by Sir Richard Hotham. Tourism gradually took off over the next hundred years, the area being chosen as an ideal location for King George V to convalesce in during 1929 , The King and Queen actually staying at Craigwell House [1] Aldwick; as a result, the King bestowed the Regis [2] suffix on Bognor.

Local legend suggests the King's last words, upon being told that he would soon be well enough to revisit the town, were 'Bugger Bognor!'.

The Church of England, parish church is dedicated to St Wilfrid while the local Catholic Church is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows.

A 1947 Ordnance Survey map, showing Bognor Regis
A 1947 Ordnance Survey map, showing Bognor Regis

Bognor Regis has a large town centre, much of which has either been pedestrianized or made pedestrian friendly. Since the end of World-War-Two the town has been subject to some piece-meal commercial redevelopment, notably in the early 1960s when a new shopping parade and road (called Queensway), a health-centre and a high-rise block of flats were built on land just north-west of the High Street. In the three decades between 1950 and 1980 much residential development took place to the west and north of the town, since then mostly in-fill development has taken place, mostly redeveloping land that had formerly been used for commercial business.

The town has several areas, and buildings, that still firmly link it with its past. Good examples, and prominent local landmarks, are the Royal Norfolk Hotel and Hotham Park.

In 2003/4 Planing Policy documents [3] were drawn up which would, if fully enacted, lead to much redevelopment & regeneration, then in 2007 renewed interest was shown in Developing a Marina [4].



Bognor Regis lies within the constituency of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, the MP for which is Nick Gibb (Conservative).

Sir Billy Butlin opened one of his Butlins Holiday Camps in Bognor in 1960. The camp later became known as Southcoast World until 1998 and is now known as Butlins Bognor Regis Resort. In 2004 Butlins erected a large indoor water 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 [5].


Bognor Regis Pier at low tide
Bognor Regis Pier at low tide

The 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 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. Such celebrities as Richard Branson are famous for taking the leap of faith.

The Alexandra Theatre is a 352 seat auditorium showing a variety of entertainment from comedy to drama to pantomime. It replaced the Esplanade Theatre in the late 1970s, as of 2006/7 it's long term future is in some doubt, it's location being in part of the local regeneration plans.

Bognor Regis is the home of the Regis School of Music and possibly the largest classical guitar society in the UK, the West Sussex Guitar Club.

The film The Punch and Judy Man, staring Tony Hancock, was made in Bognor Regis.

More recently, the BBC TV series Jekyll had several scenes throughout the series set in Bognor.

The Formula 1 driver David Purley, best known for his attempt to save the life of fellow racing driver Roger Williamson during the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix, was born in Bognor Regis, and where tragically he was killed after crashing his aerobatic biplane into the sea off Bognor Regis on July 2, 1985 [6].

  • Road links
    • A29. To Dorking to the north, where it joins the A24 to London. This road bisects the main East-West trunk road, the A27, at Fontwell and the A272 at Billingshurst.
    • A259. The Coastal Road running along the south coast from Havant in Hampshire to Folkstone in Kent.
  • Bus travel

  1. ^ http://www.localhistories.org/bognor.html
  2. ^ http://www.bognor-regis.co.uk/opus18.html
  3. ^ http://www.arun.gov.uk/bognorregisregeneration Arun DC Bognor Regis Regeneration portal: Main page
  4. ^ http://www.arun.gov.uk/cgi-bin/buildpage.pl?mysql=3871 Arun DC Bognor Regis Regeneration: Developing a Marina
  5. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4158560.stm No place like holidaying at home
  6. ^ http://www.autocoursegpa.com/team_driver.asp?driver_id=11995&season=1977&teamsroot_id=8040 Autocourse G'Prix Archive
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bognor_Regis"
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