Beach House is one of the last surviving beach side villas of the Regency period & is listed Grade II.
In 1846 the house was sold to Sir Frederick Adair Roe Chief Magistrate and Head of the Bow Street Runners. After his death widow continued to live there.
Sir Robert Loder MP for New Shoreham bought the property in 1876.His eldest son sold the property in 1917 after it had been empty & neglected for 6 years.
American playwright Edward Knoblock restored the property and eventually sold it in 1923 to a Mr Cohen who sold the Northern part of the grounds to Worthing Council who created Beach House park. In 1927 the council bought the house & remaining grounds.
The house remained empty until 1936 when it became a home for Basque refugee children. In late 1939 a Civil defence/ Arp unit moved in for the remainder of WW2.
In 1978 the council tried to demolish it but the house was saved following a 5 year Campaign by local residents led by Pat Baring founder of the Worthing Civic Society,now the Worthing Society.
Blue plaques are displayed on the main road side for Edward Knoblock, the Spanish refugees, & Edward VII who stayed at the house several times.
Conversion to luxury flats took place in 1982.
David Pateman
Worthing Society member
