Shoreham air crash memorial

On 22 August 1951, a DC-6 airliner crashed near Shoreham Airport, killing all 20 people on board. The memorial sits quietly in this corner of Sussex, marking what remains one of Britain's deadliest aviation accidents. It's a sobering spot - just a simple stone marker in the landscape, but it hits differently when you know what happened there.

You won't find much fanfare here. No visitor centre, no gift shop, just the memorial itself and the weight of history. This isn't the sort of place you visit for entertainment value. It's for those with a genuine interest in aviation heritage or local history - people who appreciate quiet, respectful remembrance. You can visit any time, though dawn or late afternoon tend to feel more appropriate than midday crowds.

The memorial works well as a contemplative addition to a Sussex caravan holiday rather than a destination in itself. If you're based at one of the nearby parks like The Barn or Eastern Sands in Lancing, it's close enough for a brief detour - takes perhaps twenty minutes total. Combine it with a walk around Shoreham Airport itself, which remains operational, or head down to the coast. The memorial doesn't demand hours of your time, but it's worth stopping for if you're in the area. A reminder that some places matter less for what they offer visitors and more for what they represent.