Construction Sites

Hey everyone!

So I’m always trying to find new sources of inspiration and I used to live near the Shoreham port here in Brighton, and no don’t imagine anything elaborate because it’s nothing like you’d imagine. It’s basically like a construction site by the water, but even still! I was super intrigued by the machinery and have been knocking up some illustrations that I think would be cool to work into future projects.

I’m not really sure of the history surrounding this area because everything is urbanised, with splatterings of decrepid and unused buildings.

I found some background information here.

• Shoreham is the premier Sussex port (the largest port between Dover and Portsmouth) serving a hinterland of over 400 thousand people including the major towns of Brighton, Hove and Worthing.

• Shoreham Harbour, Sussex,  which was based in the town centre up to the beginning of the 20th century is now mostly to the east of the Shoreham-by-Sea town boundary. The entrance is opposite the Lighthouse on the south coast A259 road and marks the approach to Shoreham from the east.

• Trade fell during the 1970's and port is not working to its full capacity (i.e. there is still scope for further business). Because the small cargo ships that visit the port cannot go out at all states of the tide (a 6 hour window each tide, twice a day*), the trade in the latter half of the 20th century is further afield to Baltic and Mediterranean ports, and the port is unable to compete with nearby Newhaven for the regular cross-channel passenger trade. Fishing has increased in the 1990's.