Aldwick and Craigweil History

1929 and after

Aldwick, the residential village immediately west of Bognor Regis, gained lasting prominence through its association with King George V's convalescence at Craigweil House in 1929. The house stood on the coast between Aldwick and central Bognor and was a substantial private residence chosen for the King's recovery on account of its sheltered position and the mild microclimate of the Sussex coastal plain. The King's stay brought Aldwick and its surroundings into the national spotlight and gave the wider area a royal connection that persists in local identity. After the King's departure, Craigweil House continued in private use for a few years before being demolished in the mid-1930s. The site was developed for residential housing, and the Craigweil estate of bungalows and houses now occupies the land where the King convalesced. The name Craigweil is preserved in street names and the local area designation. Aldwick itself has a longer history as an agricultural parish, with its own medieval church and a distinct identity predating the royal connection. The village was gradually absorbed into the wider Bognor built-up area during the twentieth century as housing spread along the coast road, but it retains its own parish council, shops along Aldwick Road, and community organisations. The royal connection, though confined to a single episode in 1929, is the defining historical association and the reason why the Craigweil name is known beyond the immediate locality.