Birdham

Birdham is a pretty sailing village offering lovely views over Chichester Harbour, just a few miles from the popular sandy beaches at Bracklesham Bay and West Wittering.

Birdham is only four miles south of Chichester and a good half of the village of Birdham lies in the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has a very rural feel and a great sense of history, with its ancient buildings and restored Village Pump on the Village Green. The everyday amenities are all there too, though, and include a convenience store, a post office and The Bell Inn village pub. Birdham Pool is Britain’s oldest marina, having been established in 1935 next to Birdham Mill to provide small boats with a safe harbour at all stages of the tide – it now offers 250 berths for yachts. The famous Salterns Way cycle path (that runs the 12 miles from Chichester to West Wittering beach) passes through Birdham, and the stretch from Birdham Pool to Apuldram is particularly scenic, with lovely views across to Dell Quay. There are also a great number garden centres and nurseries in the area (many with little restaurants or cafés) as the fertile ground and warm climate make this one of the best places in the country for horticultural activity. So if you do holiday here, remember to stop and smell the roses in Apuldram!