West Wittering is a village and civil parish situated on the Manhood Peninsula in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It lies near the mouth of Chichester Harbour on the B2179 road 6.5 miles (10.5 km) southwest of Chichester close to the border with Hampshire. The sandy beach was described as having excellent water quality in 2017.[3]
| West Wittering | |
|---|---|
 St Peter and St Paul’s Church, West Wittering | |
  West Wittering Location within West Sussex | |
| Area | 13.63 km2 (5.26 sq mi) [1] |
| Population | 2,700. 2011 Census[2] |
| • Density | 197/km2 (510/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SZ779984 |
| • London | 60 miles (97 km) NE |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CHICHESTER |
| Postcode district | PO20 |
| Dialling code | 01243 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | West Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Parish Council |
The population in 1872 was 616.[4] The 2001 census records a population of 2,684.[1] There is a primary school.[5]
Governance
editWittering was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as comprising four households and a value of one pound. It was principally ploughing land, ploughed by two teams. The tenant-in-chief was Earl Roger of Shrewsbury under the lordship of Ralph of Bignor, whereas prior to the Norman Conquest it was privately owned.[6]
In modern times, an electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward includes some of Birdham and at the 2011 Census had a total population of 4,472.[7]
Natural history
editPart of the Site of Special Scientific Interest Bracklesham Bay runs in between the coastline in the parish.[8]
Chichester Harbour, a Site of Special Scientific Interest is partly within the parish. This is a wetland of international importance, a Special Protection Area for wild birds and a Special Area of Conservation. The harbour is of particular importance for wintering wildfowl and waders of which five species reach numbers which are internationally important.[9] The beach is situated on the Chichester Harbour, which is a protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The beach is well-known for its windsurfing and kitesurfing conditions. The beach is managed by the National Trust, and has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to its rare habitats and wildlife. It is considered to be one of the best beaches in the UK for swimming due to its clean water and gently sloping shoreline.[citation needed]
Notable residents
edit- Michael Ball, actor and singer.[10]
- Nicholas Lyndhurst, actor.[11]
- Bevil Mabey (1916–2010), businessman and inventor.[12]
- Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.[13]
- Lord Nicholas Gordon Lennox, diplomat and son of the Duke of Richmond.[14]
- Sir Henry Royce, engineer, designer of Rolls-Royce cars and aero-engines. From 1917 until his death in 1933.[15]
- Kate Winslet, actress, lives in West Wittering.[16]
Bibliography
editThe locality is referred to in Giles Cooper's radio play Unman, Wittering and Zigo.[17]
At the mouth of Chichester Harbour lies the little settlement of West Wittering, beautiful and glittering when the sea flows round it at high tide, forlorn and untidy when it is out.
— Clare Jerrold
- J.M. Wilson Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales 1872
- Clare Jerrold Picturesque Sussex, Hove, Combridge 1932
References
edit- ^ a b "2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish" (PDF). West Sussex County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
- ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ "Blue Flag Beaches". FEE International. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
- ^ "Historical details".
- ^ "School details".
- ^ "Open Domesday: Hundred of Wittering". Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "SSSI Citation — Bracklesham Bay" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
- ^ "SSSI Citation — Chichester Harbour" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ "Sunday Times December 23, 2007".[dead link]
- ^ "Sunday Mirror May 23, 1999".
- ^ "Bevil Guy MABEY". Gov.uk. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Sunday Telegraph, 29 October 2007 p14 (Issue no 2,420)
- ^ "Lord Nicholas Charles Gordon-Lennox". The Cambridge University Heraldic & Genealogical Society. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "Elmstead House, Elm Lane". Historic England. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ Pells, Rachel (2 April 2015). "Kate Winslet in Titanic battle over plan to build 600ft seawall to protect her home". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 December 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ 1971 Walton-on-Thames, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd ISBN 0-17-432370-0
External links
edit
Media related to West Wittering at Wikimedia Commons
