Amberley
This fragment from the O.S. map of 1914 shows the relationship between the River Arun and three of the villages adjacent to its route, revealing that the parish of Amberley, outlined by a dotted line, includes most of the eastern bank of this river section. It reaches down to the chalk and lime works, Amberley Station, and the Houghton Bridge complex.
The wharves here provided access to the river for the parish, and postcard scenes would be identified as either Houghton or Amberley, depending on the photographer and the subject viewed.
The village of Amberley was popular with visitors and much photographed. Approaching by road from the turnpike, the first contact would have been ‘The Square’, complete with two shops. This card was published by S. Ruff (whose own shop is on the left) and was posted in Amberley in 1913 between two members of the Wood family. Although the shops are no more, the village now has the award winning Amberley Stores and a Post Office situated close by this view.
The environs of the village are shown in this enlarged section of the O.S. fragment, identifying the locations of some of the views featured in these pages. Ditches and the village pond have been coloured in blue for clarity.
