Exploring Selsey

Selsey is the southern most point in Sussex and is at the tip of the Manhood Peninsula. It’s a West Sussex coastal town with a long and significant past.

Selsey was once known as the Isle of the Seals which is where the name comes from and Manhood is a Saxon word that means common land!

St Wilfrid and the first days of Christianity in Sussex

Selsey is where it all began when it comes to Christianity in Sussex. Iron Age man, the Romans, and the Saxons were all here at some point but in the early 7th century, St Wilfrid arrived and converted the locals. He built a monastery, a cathedral and created an episcopal seat for the first bishop of the South Saxons here. This was later transferred to Chichester in 1075. There are no remains of the Selsey cathedral these days but you can visit Church Norton, where it is believed the cathedral was. There you’ll find an interesting church and the remains of a Norman fortification. St Wilfrid is one of a handful of our Sussex saints.

Selsey fishing 

They have been fishing in Selsey for a long time! St Wilfrid might have you believe that he taught the locals how to fish. But evidence has been discovered that suggests they may have been fish trapping since the Bronze Age. These days, Selsey is home to the oldest fishing fleet in the country, and many of the fishermen can trace their fishing roots back hundreds of years.

You’ll find a small number of fishing boats moored up on East Beach not far from the Lifeboat Station. When we visited, two fishermen were just bringing their catch of the day in which included some fine lobster.

It should come as no surprise then that Selsey is famous for its seafood, in particular its cockles (one of the Seven Good Things of Sussex), lobsters, and more recently, its crabs. Head to the nearby Crab and Lobster for a seafood menu or, if you want to buy fresh crab, try Julie’s on East Beach or The Old Piggery Farm shop as you head out of Selsey on the B2145.

Lifeboats 

Wander down to the Lifeboat Station and you’ll find a small Visitor Centre where you can see the Shannon All Weather Lifeboat at close quarters and learn about the brave crews who have been saving lives in Selsey since 1861.

Beaches 

Being coastal, you can expect lots of beaches. Arriving on a sunny day, East Beach is magnificent if mainly a pebble beach. You can walk along it as far as Pagham Harbour and if you do, you’ll pass some stunning homes, holiday homes and gardens, which include an eclectic collection of properties made out of railway carriages.

From the beach, you can see across to Bognor and the distinctive crest of the South Downs stretching far into the distance. If you want to pause and admire the view, you’ll find a number of seats built into the wall of the coastal path, and apart from the occasional fisherman and dog walker, the beach is quiet, unspoilt, with an interesting array of flowers and plants.

As you round Selsey Bill, you come to Oval Beach which is a small but sandy beach and keep walking and you’ll come to Marine Beach. From here, on a clear day you can see the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower.

The Bill 

It’s a great shame that you can’t walk right around the edge of Selsey Bill owing to a small development of private housing but with a minor detour you are back on track. In between Oval Beach and Marine Beach you come to Bill House. These days, it’s a care home but it is also an impressive Grade II listed Arts and Crafts building built in 1907. You yearn to get inside for a look around. There are also curious little turrets built in front of the house on the sea front.

Mills 

If you’ve strayed as far east as Sidlesham Quay (where you’ll find the Crab and Lobster), you’ll be standing on the site of a mill.  The first recorded mill here was as long ago as 1275 and the last mill built here was in 1775 and was described as magnificent.  If you head west of the town to the holiday park, you’ll find Medmerry Mill, a Grade II listed tower mill originally built in around 1827 on the site of an even older post mill.

Art Deco and sculpture

On the High Street, look out for the Pavilion. Designed by London architect, Harold Arthur Woodington, it’s a pre-WWI theatre, cinema and live entertainment venue – one of only a few left from that era. It has an original stucco plaster façade and is about to be renovated and re-opened. It also has an interesting Charlie Chaplin café.

Head out of town on either Chichester Road or Manor Road and look out for The Wave at the side of a roundabout. This is a large bronze sculpture inspired by the famous Japanese prints Great Wave by Katsushika Hokusai. Made in 2000 by William Pye, the sculpture found a home in Selsey in 2020. It’s known as Kanagawa or ‘The Wave’ and it welcomes visitors to the town.

Finally, look out for Littorina (the Giant Winkle) due for installation at Medmerry by Two Circles Design.  Planning permission is still pending but the piece is part of the Culture Spark Project – a creative partnership between the district council, Chichester Festival Theatre and Pallant House Gallery.

Heritage trails and walks 

The Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group have a fabulous collection of publications and details of walks. These include The Selsey Tramway and a number of Heritage Trails. There is a Blue Plaque Trail (with three different walks) and you can download details from their website for free.

The Selsey Seal Art Trail