Marlipins Museum

Marlipins Museum stands on Shoreham-by-Sea’s High Street in the Adur district of West Sussex. The building dates from the 12th to early 13th century and is Grade II* listed. Its front shows a striking chequerboard of limestone and flint. The northern wall was first built between 1167 and 1197 and later rebuilt in the 15th century. Caen stone was added to the front in the late 13th to early 14th century. The roof was repaired in the 15th century and new timbers installed in the 16th. The building’s origins remain uncertain. It may have been a wool and hides storehouse or a market court called the Court of Piepowders. Deeds from 1347 describe it as an Oat Market on the corner of Middle Street. By 1488 it was known as ‘Malappynnys’, a cellar with a chamber above. The Sussex Archaeological Trust bought it in 1922 and opened it as a museum in 1928 after repairs. Inside, the museum focuses on Shoreham’s maritime past and local Sussex history. The Archaeology Gallery covers early prehistory to medieval times. Two new galleries display changing pictures from a large art collection. The building itself is one of six Grade II* listed structures in Adur district.