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Southbourne to Chichester walk

The inlets of Chichester Harbour (best at high tide) and the historic Cathedral town.

Coast Estuary West Sussex

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Wed, 06-Jul-22 Wednesday Walk Southbourne to Chichester - the inlets of Chichester Harbour, Old Bosham and Chichester Cathedral 6
Wed, 25-Aug-21 Wednesday walk Southbourne to Chichester - along the shoreline of Chichester's tidal harbour, with lunch in Bosham , then on via Fishbourne to Chichester, for tea in the Cathedral 11 hot sunny
Sun, 01-Jul-18 Sunday Walk: Southbourne to Chichester 7
Wed, 06-Sep-17 "Bozzum" and Chichester Harbour 9 sunny and warm
Sat, 11-Jun-16 Saturday Second Walk - A walk around Chichester Harbour 10 cloudy and very humid
Sun, 07-Jun-15 Sunday Walk 1 1 beautiful
Sat, 05-Oct-13 Southbourne to Chichester 2
Sun, 04-Aug-13 Southbourne to Chichester 12
Mon, 07-May-12 Southbourne to Chichester
Sat, 10-Sep-11 Southbourne to Chichester
Sat, 11-Sep-10 Southbourne to Chichester
Sun, 11-Apr-10 Southbourne to Chichester
Sat, 12-Sep-09 Southbourne to Chichester
Mon, 04-May-09 Southbourne to Chichester
Sat, 12-Apr-08 Southbourne to Chichester
Sat, 15-Sep-07 Southbourne to Chichester
Mon, 27-Aug-07 Southbourne to Chichester
Fri, 06-Apr-07 Southbourne to Chichester
Marcus
Book 1 Walk 37 - Southbourne to Chichester

Length: 18.5 km (11.5 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10 Mostly flat along the coastline then inland harbours
Senior Railcard Holders
London Victoria: 09-35 hrs Southern service to Bognor Regis & Southampton Central CJ 09-42, EC 09-53 hrs
Arrive Southbourne: 11-14 hrs
Younger walkers with railcards
London Victoria: 10-05 hrs Southern service to Bognor Regis & Portsmouth & Southsea CJ 10-12, EC 10-23 hrs
Arrive Chichester: 11-37 hrs Change trains
Leave Chichester: 11-52 hrs Southern service from Brighton to Portsmouth Harbour
Arrive Southbourne: 11-59 hrs
....and meet up with the oldies at lunchtime
Return

Chichester to Victoria: 09 & 39 mins past the hour
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Southbourne
My apologies for the split start, but the earlier train is better for those who prefer a more leisurely pace: the youngsters, who have to wait until their railcards come into play at 10 am, can catch us up during the latter part of the morning or at the lunch pub.
Leaving Southbourne railway station we head for the coast to enjoy a lengthy walk along the coastal path through bends in the coastline. We then head inland over fields to Chidham: do stop here to visit the Parish Church of St Mary - to look at the lovely, amusing dolls made from teasels and placed on the frieze to the north wall. Onwards then along field edges before you take a sweep of Bosham Channel which takes us into Bosham, for lunch at the Anchor Bleu pub. Picnickers usually find a spot on the nearby coastal wall.
After lunch we walk beside the waters edge before heading inland, once again, to the village of Fishbourne. From there the walk proceeds to the city of Chichester. The Cathedral's visiting hours were reduced immediately after Covid but are now back to their pre-pandemic times: a visit is highly recommended. Tea can be taken in the Cathedral's cafeteria (if still open); otherwise, refreshments can be enjoyed at the nearby Wetherspoons pub, the Dolphin & Anchor.
This usually makes for a most enjoyable summer's "seaside" outing and well worth the long(ish) train journeys.
T=1.37
Walk Directions are here: L=1.37
  • 06-Jul-22

    It’s not just the younger walkers that need a later train. Some of us have to connect by train and cannot travel legally before 9.30 to get to the departure station. Additionally my train service to Clapham Junction has been cut 50%.

  • 06-Jul-22

    I’ll be at CJ for the later train having boarded my 4 carriage half a train.

  • 06-Jul-22

    Marion for info - you can travel "legally" before 09-30 hrs - you just need a different rail ticket.

    Planning these walks 'aint easy and I regret I cannot always accommodate everyones specific travel needs - much as I would like to.

  • 06-Jul-22

    Well I made the earlier suggested train as it was 3 mins late at CJ. Only 4 others 1 who had paid an additional £10 fare as she was unable to use her Network Card. This was her first walk with the group as she normally organises her own walks using our book. Welcome and hope to see you again. Another used the ticket office at Victoria and was charged £22 instead of £12 with an over 60s travel pass and Senior railcard. En route we met a Clog member from Haywards heath who had caught a later train and finally all made the recommended pub in Bosham at 2.20pm. Two had a very nice lunch but we noted that the Book 1 route was recorded at 9.5 miles and we were using walk notes 2 miles longer hence the late lunch arrival. Luckily the pub is very popular with local tourists and the kitchen stays open until 2.30pm. In the afternoon we met a walker who had missed the later train departing CJ and had travelled to Bosham station to find us.

    One left for Chichester without stopping as she wanted to see the Cathedral. Three left at Fishbourne to catch a bus to Chichester hoping to catch earlier trains but only managed a late arriving bus to catch the 5.39 for Victoria after a very tiring humid day.

    Did anyone catch the later train? We saw no one else all day from that train.

    It is simply not possible to achieve this extended route for a comfortable lunch stop in Bosham but The Old house at home would have been perfect timing especially with the Chidham churchyard for picnics. We did not walk slowly indeed one was reported to be a member of the long distance walkers

  • 06-Jul-22

    6

    Eleven of us did this walk on Wednesday 25 August 2021, taking the same scheduled "early" train. I recall about six of us were in time for lunch at Anchor Bleu, with others joining us for a drink. The Cathedral closed early so we adjourned to the Wetherspoons for walk-end drinks. We had a good day and I hope the six of you on today's walk enjoyed your day.

Marcus
Book 1, Walk 37 - Southbourne to Chichester

Length: 18-5 km (11.5 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10
For Senior Railcard holders
London Victoria: 09-35 hrs Southern service to Southampton Central & Bognor Regis CJ 09-42 EC 09-53 hrs
Arrive Southbourne: 11-14 hrs
For Younger walkers, making use of travelcards
London Victoria: 10-05 hrs Southern service to Portsmouth & Southsea and Bognor Regis
Arrive Chichester: 11-37 hrs Change trains
Leave Chichester: 11-52 hrs Southern service from Brighton to Portsmouth Harbour
Arrive Southbourne: 11-59 hrs
You will probably catch up with the oldies before lunch

Return: Chichester to Victoria: 09 and 39 mins past the hour
Rail ticket: Buy a day return to Southbourne
It's over three years since this seaside walk was given an outing, so let's dust it off and give it a try before the end of summer. The walk is flat, mostly along the shoreline, with sections inland. The route takes a long sweep of Bosham Bay before we stop in this quaint old village for lunch at Anchor Bleu or the cafe nearby: picnickers usually sit on the sea wall.
On then on an inland section before passing by water again on your approach to Fishbourne. The last urban leg into Chichester is not that exciting, but once in this lovely city your reward is a visit to the magnificent Cathedral with its pleasant cafeteria serving as your tea stop.
Enjoy !
T=1.37
Walk Directions are here: L=1.37
  • 26-Aug-21

    11 off the 1st train, I presume none off the 2nd. It was a hot sunny day and a long way to lunch. When we got there, it was predictably busy but I think most people got what they wanted.

    There was a do on in Bosham Church so we couldn’t explore. However, some of us were suitably recompensed by an earlier visit to Chidham church. It has an artful window celebrating its 800th anniversary, and a collection of dolls made from teasels, depicting characters from the same period e.g. Genghis Khan, the Black Death, Joan of Arc (with flames), Leonardo da Vinci, Winston Churchill, the Beatles. Even our own dear queen was there. (Just as well she was labelled because she looked more like a hedgehog). Anyway, worth a look.

    And so to Chichester where, I hear tell, libations were taken in a Wetherspoons. I and two others got the 17:09 from Hell. Held for ages in Horsham to couple with a delayed train then dawdled to East Croydon where we were all turfed off and had to catch another. Good day out though.

  • 26-Aug-21

    Mr Tiger was very unlucky with his journey home. The 7 of us on the 17-39 encountered no problems with the joining train at Horsham and we were back in Victoria almost on time, shortly after 7 pm.

    5 of us had a cheapo, good value tea in the Dolphin & Anchor (Wetherspoons) after the disappointment of finding the Cathedral's excellent cafeteria had closed down (a victim of Covid) and the closing time of the Cathedral had been brought forward to 4 pm. Hopefully, when the pandemic is properly under control the previous visitor times will be reinstated - and the caff reopened.

    As Ian mentioned, the Anchor Bleu pub in Bosham was very busy but full marks to the pub's management and staff for their friendly, efficient service. The 3 of us who dined in the pub's front garden enjoyed good lunches which were served promptly. The beer was also good and Mr Tiger, who had joined us for a drink, appreciated his glass of cider.

    The weather was near perfect for today's coastal walk and not too hot for the inland sections.

Mr M Tiger
Mr M Tiger
Book 1 walk 37
11.5 miles 18.5 km. Difficulty: 3/10
Through Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, sometimes along the coast, sometimes inland. Lunch is in Bosham, once an important harbour. The church there is shown on the Bayeux tapestry and has marks where returning crusaders blunted their swords. So it's old.
Chichester Cathedral is old too, and it's full of old stuff. They also got a Chagall window and a Piper tapestry. Entry is free, closes at 7pm. Worth visiting after the walk.
On the way to Chichester, you pass near the Roman remains at Fishbourne, though you’d have to make good time to visit (closes at 5 and costs £9.50).
Trains
Get the 9:33 Bognor/Southampton train from Victoria. (Clapham Jct 9:44) , arriving Southbourne at 11:29
Get a return to Southbourne.
Return trains to Victoria from Chichester: at xx:32 (fastest, direct) and a slower one at xx:53 changing at Angmering.
(You can also travel from Waterloo. This SWT return costs more. 9:30 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo, change at Havant for the 11.18 to Victoria, arrive Southbourne 11:24. Return to Waterloo (changing at Havant) at xx:35 and xx:21)
Lunch
The recommended pub is the Anchor Bleu 01243 572956 in Bosham, There are also cafes at Bosham Walk Arts and Crafts Centre 01243 572 475 and Cumberland Gallery 01243 572 960.
An earlier possibility is the Old House at Home in Chidham 01243 572 477, a gastro pub open from 12.
(To find it, either carry on past Chidham church, following the road round to the right, or (more simply) stay on Cot Lane as you approach the village to reach it from the opposite direction.)
Tea:
The Cathedral's Cloisters Café is recommended but closes at 4 on Sundays. Starbucks at 13 North Street. is open till 6:30. There’s a Wetherspoons, The Dolphin and Anchor, in West Street 01243 790280 and an (untried) craft beer / cocktail bar, The Chantry 01243 792012 in South Gate. That's enough to be getting on with.
Walk Directions here
T=1.37
  • Anonymous
    08-Jul-18

    7 altogether who came off the train. But everyone quickly fragmented. Four ate at the pub, which had some wonderfully placed water jugs near the front door (easy to refill some empty water bottles). Three ate in the church yard. It was rather hot, and not very well shaded anywhere. Also very still, little breeze. Three went on the train home together, where we ran into another club member returning home from a weekend away.

Wed, 06-Sep-17 : "Bozzum" and Chichester Harbour 9
Marcus
Marcus
Book 1, Walk 37: Southbourne to Chichester

 Length: 18.5 km (11.5 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10

London Victoria: 09-32 hrs (Southampton Central and Bognor Regis service) CJ 09-42, EC 09-53
Arrive Southbourne: 11-12 hrs

Return Chichester to Victoria: 10 and 41 mins past the hour to 18-10 hrs, then 18-37, 19-06 and 20-07 hrs

Rail ticket: buy a day return to Southbourne

Apologies to our younger walkers- train times and length of journey do not lend themselves to a post 10 am start today.


This pleasant coastal walk is usually enjoyable on a late summer's day, particularly if the weather is kind to you today.
Leaving Southbourne you soon find yourself walking along the coast as far as Nutbourne, before the route heads inland across meadows and farmland to Chidham. Then you make a long sweep around Bosham Harbour, at the end of which you stop for lunch at Anchor Bleu, a pub overlooking the harbour.
After lunch you head for Fishbourne beside Chichester Channel before a stretch along the road into the centre of Chichester. Tea is best taken in Chichester Cathedral's cafe. It's a short walk then to the railway station for your journey home.
T=1.37
Walk Directions here: L=1.37
  • Anonymous
    05-Sep-17

    Being one of the 'younger' walkers, i.e. not qualifying for pre-10.00 discounts, I will take the 10.06 to Chichester, walk the route in reverse, and invest my savings in a ticket to Fishbourne Roman Palace, slightly off route. I shall see you at the lunch pub...

  • 05-Sep-17

    Splendid, young Anonymous - we oldies look forward to meeting up with you at the lunch pub.

  • 07-Sep-17

    7 met on the platform at Southbourne railway station, and 2 joined us at lunchtime having walked from Chichester (including young Anonymous) so I make that 9 .

    The weather was near perfect for a day's coastal and harbour walking, sunny and warm , only clouding over late in the afternoon.

    The tide was in as we set out along the sea wall accompanied by a pleasant breeze. We stopped to visit the lovely church in Chidham, to admire the home made puppets representing people and events of historic interest over the centuries - including the four Beatles. Highly recommended next time you try this walk.

    Onwards then beside Bosham Harbour into Bosham for lunch at the Anchor Bleu pub. How nice to find it not full and crowded for once. 6 of us dined in their upstairs dining room, with harbour views, and we all enjoyed excellent meals. The two Chichester starters joined us at the pub and they, too, partook of the cuisine on offer. We left the youngster to finish his luncheon as he was continuing to reverse his walk to Southbourne, whilst his companion from Chichester elected to return to Chichester with the oldies. I got left behind mid-afternoon as I was book checking and updating the directions (mostly still fine). I last spotted the group crossing the railway on the new bridge as they entered the city. A brief stop for me in the cathedral cloisters, then on to the station for my journey home (bang on time - thank you Southern). I believe the group stopped for tea somewhere in the city - perhaps one would like to add an addendum to my report. Utilising a number of adjectives:

    Lovely walk

    Perfect weather

    Pleasant company

    Excellent lunch

    Good travel

    Nice day

Walker
Book 1 Walk 37 Southbourne to Chichester
Length: 18.5km (11.5 miles)
Toughness: officially 3 out of 10: actually 1 out of 10 (entirely flat)

9.30 (Portsmouth-bound) train from Waterloo to Havant, arriving 10.49, changing there (crossing to the other side, I think) for the 10.56 (London Victoria-bound) train to Southbourne, arriving 11.03.

OR

9.36 train from Victoria (9.42 Clapham Junction, 9.53 East Croydon) to Southbourne, arriving 11.12 (But see Note on train choice below)

Buy a day return to Southbourne: if you are going via Havant, this must be "Any Permitted" (£22.40 with a Network Card). If you are going from Victoria it can be "Southern Only" (£19.20 with a Network Card)

Note on train choice: I have picked the Havant option as the "official" train for this walk to minimise the possibility of disruption from the ongoing "staff sickness" industrial action by RMT members, which has led to train cancellations on Southern routes (the Waterloo-Havant train is South West Trains, so not affected). Though the Havant-Southbourne connection is a Southern service, if it is cancelled the next train is only 20 minutes later, arriving 11.23. If 9.36 from Victoria (a Southern service) is cancelled, you have to get the 10.06 to Barnham and change there (arrive 11.27, depart 11.42), getting to Southbourne 11.57.

 For walk directions click here.
This walk was once a firm SWC favourite but seems to have become neglected in recent years. So I though it time to give it a revival.

It takes you along the edge of Chichester Harbour - a once marshy, low-lying coast which has a fascination all of its own. To begin with today the tide will be about half way in, with extensive mudflats (and interesting bird life - bring binoculars!) but as the day goes on the tide will rise, peaking at 6pm. (You will notice the long gap between low and high tide: this is due to the curiosities of water flows in Chichester Harbour.)

The walk starts with a short section along the harbour, then is inland for a while, and then there is a long loop around the harbour to Bosham (which appears deceptively close early in the loop).

Bosham itself is a charming, ancient port village, with a characterful (though popular) harbourfront pub and also a couple of cafes/tea rooms for lunch. After another inland section across fields, the walk then returns for a third stint along the harbour, before you come to Fishbourne, which has remains of a Roman palace (you will be challenged to do the walk and also have time to see this, however, as it shuts at 5pm.

The last section is along roads into the attractive ancient city of Chichester, with tea possible in the cathedral cafe.

Trains back from Chichester: are at 17.10. 17.41, 18.10, 18.37, 19.07, 20.07 and 21.07, taking 1hr 40 minutes approximately)

T=1.37
  • 11-Jun-16

    10 on this walk, 8 travelling via Havant, 2 on the direct train from Victoria. Ironically it was the Havanters who were hit by a Southern cancellation of their connecting train, while the direct service operated as planned. But there was another Havant connection 20 minutes later so we only started ten minutes behind the others and soon caught them up.

    Low tide (lower than I expected, to be honest) meant a lot of green slime in view on the coastal bits of the walk. It was also cloudy and very humid accompanied by a steady drip of raindrops which were a bit like adding water to the coals in a sauna. Despite this an enjoyable walk. Nice flowers, a painted lady butterfly or two, and terrain that was different from the usual. Nice to see former SWC stalwart Catherine B back on a three week visit from her native Australia. Lunch in Bosham outside the Anchor Bleu pub was also very pleasant and enlivened by a bride and her maids of honour walking past in full regalia. On the last stretch of coastal route to Fishbourne we at last saw some sea as the tide came in and Fishbourne Meadows had lots of (relatively) rare Southern Marsh Orchids. A few visited Chichester Cathedral.

    The "recommended tea place" in Chichester is long gone - no trace of it remains. But six of us found a pub and five of us had dinner and we all got the 8pm train home. I made a note on current tea options and a few minor direction changes and will update the online version soonish.

Sun, 07-Jun-15 : Sunday Walk 1 1
Mr M Tiger
Mr M Tiger
Southbourne to Chichester, Book 1 Walk 37
11.5 miles 18.5 km.
Difficulty: 3/10

A meander along the coast of Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with some inland sections. Lunch is in Bosham, an important harbour in days gone by. Its church is depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry and bears marks where returning crusaders blunted their swords. King Canute's daughter is said to be buried there. So it's old.
Towards the end of the walk you have the opportunity to detour to the Roman remains at Fishbourne (though this closes at 5 and costs £8.80) and in Chichester you have the cathedral. It's an old one, full of old stuff. They also have a not-quite-so-old Chagall window and a Piper tapestry. Entry free, donations welcome, closes at 7pm.
Trains
Get a return to Southbourne.
Get the 9.17 Portsmouth Harbour train from Victoria. (Clapham Jct 9:23) This takes you direct to Southbourne, arriving at 11:07.
(There's also a 9:30 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo, changing at Havant for the London Victoria train (arr 1052 depart 11.01), arriving Southbourne 11:08. This South West Trains journey costs a little more)
Returning from Chichester:
The xx:15 takes you direct to Victoria. The xx:27 changes at Brighton. The xx:53 changes at Barnham.
Lunch
The recommended pub is the Anchor Bleu 01243 572956 in Bosham, which serves food all day on Sundays (reduced menu from 3). There are also cafes at Bosham Walk Arts and Crafts Centre 01243 572 477 and Cumberland Gallery 01243 572 960
The Old House at Home in Chidham 01243 572 475 is an earlier possibility. Open from 12.
Tea:
Hadleys, 4 West St 01243 771 631 is recommended.
There is a Slug and Lettuce in South St.on the way to the station.
Directions in Book 1 or here
It is possible to finish the walk early by walking the 2 km from Bosham to Bosham station, where trains are at xx:47 changing at Barnham. Or xx:32 changing at Havant. Fishbourne is one stop down the line on the xx:47 (handy for the palace?)


  • Peaked Cap and Whistle
    31-May-15

    Advance singles are available online from Southern. http://www.southernrailway.com/offers/advance-tickets/ These may work out cheaper for some of you but having to specify time of travel is awkward for the return leg. If you already get reductions, a cheap day return may still be best, so compare carefully.

  • Anonymous
    03-Jun-15

    Hello there!

    I'm new and understand that these walks are self-organising. But how/where can I meet the other walkers?

  • 03-Jun-15

    If you can't identify them on the train, they will be obvious on the platform at the station at the start of the walk. Groups tend to be a bit bigger on Saturdays than Sundays, so if you are new to the walks and want to be sure, try one of the Saturday walks first.

  • 09-Jun-15

    N = 1 me!

    Yes I was alone at Southbourne as the train pulled away. I enjoyed the walk it was beautiful weather and great scenery.

  • Anonymous
    05-Apr-17

    1 therefore, and beautiful