The map below shows the town of Steyning in relation to the river and the other towns around it. The South Downs run horizontally across the map past Findon and Patcham, with a gap for the Adur river flood plain past Botolphs and Coombes.
The village of Bramber used to be a sea-port
from Saxon times until the Elizabethan era, and Steyning developed
as a market town nearby to provide supplies for re-victualling
the ships. The Norman castle at Bramber (now largely a ruin -
see the picture at right) used to have a tidal moat, and 
St.
Mary's House in Bramber (at left) is a relic of that era. Steyning
used to support a number of local breweries in conection with
sea-going trade, but these have almost entirely disappeared over
the years.