The canal is 1.75 miles in length, running east–west and parallel with the shoreline, providing facilities to the port of Shoreham.

[1] The River Adur flows from the north, and turns to the east near Shoreham, to reach the English Channel.

A shipbuilding industry developed, and in 1346 Shoreham supplied 26 ships to Edward III for his wars with the French.

This left 1.75 miles (2.82 km) of former river channel, which was turned into a harbour by constructing a lock, near the site of the present dry dock.

It is primarily used for commercial vessels, with the smaller lock used for fishing boats and yachts.