Chidham
| Chidham | |
| Sussex | |
|---|---|
 Chidham's parish church | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU795040 |
| Location: | 50°49’51"N, -0°52’19"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Chichester |
| Postcode: | PO18 |
| Dialling code: | 01243 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Chichester |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Chichester |
Chidham is a small, isolated village in Sussex, on a small, flat peninsula between the Bosham Channel and the Thorney Channel leading out into Chichester Harbour, in the very south-west of the county.
The village's name is derived from the Old English ceod (meaning bag or pouch) and ham (meaning homestead), the pouch referring to the shape of the peninsula on which the village sits.
The parish church, a flint and rubble edifice, St. Mary's, dates from the 13th century, and may have had a wooden predecessor.
There is one pub: 'Old House at Home'.
History and heritage
A recent excavation found the hand of man in Chidham more than 4,000 years ago. Flint scrapers discovered on the site on the western shore of the peninsula seem to suggest that spear shafts or kiddles (fish traps) and primitive salterns were being made here.
The Saxon Saint Cuthman may have been born here, c.681.
The peninsula is not mentioned in the Domesday Book because it was part of the Manor or Chapelry of Bosham, then belonging to the Bishop of Exeter.[1][2]
Close to the church of St. Mary is the manor house, a large late 17th century building.
Facing the church, on its south side, is a large early 19th century vicarage known as the Old Rectory, now a private house.
The men of Chidham seem to have been farmers rather than fishermen or sailors, due to the good quality of the soil.
In 1812 an embankment wall was built from Chidham to Bosham, where use was made of an old quay. Writing of Bosham in the 1860s Charles Longcroft described how the newly enclosed land was ploughed and planted with corn. 'But one November, there came a raging tide and a gale wind, from the southwest and away went the embankment..'. In 1825 the sea returned covering the farmland and inundating new buildings. One of these is said to have been a mansion, standing at Cutmill whose stone was afterwards used to build Cutmill Cottage. Chidham parish in the 1860s extended to 2,185.0 acres (884.2 ha) and had a population of 310.[2]
During the Second World War bombs were recorded as having fallen within the parish of Chidham. On the night of 8 October 1940 the vicarage, now the Old Rectory, was damaged by an incendiary and a torpedo bomber, carrying a crew of four, crashed close to the church. While the fire in the vicarage was quickly extinguished by the local volunteer fire service, the aeroplane proved a much greater hazard.
On the night of 25–26 April 1941, when there was a raid on Portsmouth, seven high explosive bombs fell near Manor Farm.
About the village
Chidham village lies on a loop-road, halfway down the peninsula. The only road leading out to Cobnor Point is a private road, so access to and from the harbour is limited.
A network of public footpaths for walkers gives access to the shore and intertidal mudflats of Chichester harbour. The land is largely flat and agricultural, but with sufficient variety and cover for a variety of wildlife.
Parts of the Chidham peninsula are potentially at risk from tidal flooding. The west tidebank is in a poor state, but the Harbour Conservancy proposes to realign a section of the bank in autumn 2005; this will have the added benefit of creating 54.4 acres (22.0 ha) of intertidal habitat. Elsewhere, the tidebanks are in generally good condition.
Chichester Harbour is partly within the parish. It is a broad, natural harbour, though by Chidham its is a narrow water. The harbour is a wetland of international importance, a Special Protection Area for wild birds and a Special Area of Conservation.[3]
Society
- Hambrook and District Residents' Association
- Chidham Women's Institute
- Various clubs and societies meet in both the village hall and St Wilfrid's Church Centre
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Chidham) |
References
- ↑ Chidham in the Domesday Book
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Information on Chidham from GENUKI
- ↑ SSSI listing and designation for Chichester Harbour