Littlehampton Fort

Started in 2011, the Littlehampton Fort Restoration Project is the vision of local man Andy Orpin, and the team he has assembled to see the currently damaged and overgrown Fort saved, for future generations to enjoy

Littlehampton Fort Restoration Project is a charity and a non-profit organisation with the aim to conserve/restore the Fort on West Beach Littlehampton.

Littlehampton Fort is one of a number of small coastal defence batteries that were built in the 1850s, and is the earliest “polygonal” fortification built in the British Isles that are extant.

The Fort needs repairs and reconstruction to various areas around the site, to ensure that our Fort is still there for future generations to enjoy.

The project has attracted a team of volunteers who are passionate about seeing the Fort restored. For those of you who are interested in becoming involved, there are a vast number of ways you can help. Please see Get Involved and Support Us. Thank you.

I have always had a huge interest in the Fort since I moved to Littlehampton back in 2003. I wondered what was underneath all that foliage, and began to ask around. Lots of local people can recall playing in there as a child, and I loved listening to people’s memories of the Fort. I was so jealous of that experience that I decided to do something about it, I wanted to find out what was there still.

I did some research, talked to lots of people, and found out what I had to do to get involved, and that’s how the Fort Restoration Project began.

My dad (Leonard Orpin) died in 2011. It would have made him so proud to see me accomplish something like this. Like me, Dad also liked anything military. He served in the RAF regiment during the war, and during my teenage years, was always supportive of me in the cadet forces.

Prior to his passing, he was always so interested to hear how I was getting on with the project. It would have been nice for him to see what I have already achieved, but that is now not possible. I know deep down that he is here with me, on my journey to save this Fort.