Stretching 1,000 feet (324 metres) along the beachfront in Littlehampton, the award-winning Long Bench (believed to be the longest in the UK) hit the headlines when it opened to the public in 2010. The bench has 4770 slats and provides seating for 300 people. The unusual design project flows and weaves along the promenade over-looking Littlehampton’s award-winning Blue Flag beach and was inspired by ideas and input from children at a local primary school. The bench is popular with visitors and local residents enjoying the wonderful sea views.
A commemorative slat scheme allows individuals to purchase a slat engraved with a personal message to celebrate birthdays, weddings or in memory of a loved one. The scheme is managed by the wood department at local charity The Aldingbourne Trust. The slats are fitted and maintained by people with learning disabilities/and or autism supported by the charity at Aldingbourne Country Centre.
The project was jointly funded by Arun District Council, a “Sea Change” grant from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and a private donation from Gordon Roddick of the Roddick Foundation, in memory of his late wife Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, who was born in Littlehampton.