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Coombes Road, LANCING, BN15 0RJ

The current building dates from 1906 after the previous one burnt down in October the previous year. The name derives from its position at the end of a causeway or 'padway' that linked the then inn to the ferry over the River Adur. Pads were the name of the wooden faggots sunk into the marsh to elevate the road over the boggy ground. The inn gained a degree of notoriety in the 18th century being a haunt of smugglers who favoured its isolated position on the junction of the main east-west route as well as the road to Steyning via Coombes something it retained into the 19th century until first the lease, then the freehold was purchased by Nathaniel Woodard the founder of nearby Lancing College. The college still own the freehold today.

Under high magnification of the original image, the nameplate below the three windows (beneath the chimney) only bears the word ‘HOTEL’ and likewise above the large window on the left of the ground floor. It was common in WWII to remove anything that might be helpful to enemy forces in the event of an invasion. Above the smaller window on the ground floor are the words ‘SALOON BAR’. It is possible this was where personnel, stationed at Lancing College, came for liquid refreshment. Photographed by my father George Baker during the time he was stationed at Lancing College in June and July 1941. The Admiralty had requisitioned Lancing College in 1941 as part of its need to train new officers of the RNVR (Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve). Lancing College became known as HMS (His Majesty’s Ship) King Alfred III or HMS King Alfred (L). A training course consisted of ten weeks (on my father’s Certificate of Service, his dates were from 30/05/41-06/08/41), the first two weeks at HMS King Alfred II or HMS King Alfred (M) (aka Mowden School, which the Admiralty had requisitioned in 1940), six weeks at King Alfred III (aka Lancing College) and the final four weeks at Hove (referred to as HMS King Alfred or sometimes HMS King Alfred (H)), a former leisure centre, which the Admiralty had requisitioned in 1939. Upon successful completion of the course, the men emerged as Temporary Acting Probationary Sub-Lieutenants and attended further training at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich before being posted operationally http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_King_Alfred_(shore_establishment_1939). On my father’s Certificate of Service in the Royal Navy, the following was written against King Alfred “granted temporary commission as sub lieutenant at RNVR”.

A former hotel.

The elegant gothic building in the centre is the college chapel.

Coombes Road is arguably one of the prettiest roads in Sussex.