Solar Boat with Chichester Cathedral
Welcome on board Solar Heritage, Chichester Harbour Conservancy’s solar-powered catamaran. This boat will let you experience the beauty of Chichester Harbour in a quiet and peaceful way
Chichester Cathedral Spire
Stoke Clump
Spinnaker Tower
Goodwood Racecourse
Halnaker Tower
Bosham Church
Isle of Wight
Solar Heritage was purchased with Heritage Lottery funding as way of transporting passengers around the Harbour with little damage to the environment. Solar panels capture energy from sunlight and this is converted to electricity to power the boat.
It has been described as a ‘floating classroom' because one of its purposes is to provide opportunities for school children to come and learn first hand about their environment.
Click here to find out more about solar power and how Solar Heritage works.
A hydralic wheelchair lift was contributed to Solar Heritage by The Friends of Chichester Harbour to enable access to the boat by those who are wheelchair bound.
Bird Watching
Chichester Harbour is a tidal estuary. It supports a wide range of wildlife and is particularly important for its wildfowl and waders. The solar boat is an ideal means of travelling around the harbour to look at these birds, as they do not seem to be disturbed by its presence.
Follow these links to discover more about birds and bird watching
The Harbour Seals have been known to swim close to the Solar Boat.
Click here to read more on seals
If you would like to tour the Harbour, arrange an educational trip or hire the Solar Boat privately.
please contact Chichester Harbour conservancy:
Telephone :01243 513275
Email: solarboat@conservancy.co.uk
The shoreline located on the west side of Itchenor Village is on the sheltered side of the Harbour. Although some of the oak trees lining the shoreline are suffering the results of erosion, their pattern of growth shows that they have not been exposed to strong winds during their growing period. The saltmarsh that has formed along this part of the harbour is dense and has a wide range of saltmarsh plants.
Chaldock Marsh, part of Itchenor Park Farm, is an example of a saltmarsh creation scheme rather than a fully-fledge managed realignment project as there has been no reshaping of the coastal landscape.
The area was once reclaimed from the sea and turned into grazing land. A tidal flap allowed freshwater to drain from the site, while preventing the inflow of seawater at high tide. In order to create new saltmarsh habitat, this flap was lifted to allow the sea access at high tide.
The area is gradually changing from a terrestrial to a saltmarsh habitat and careful monitoring of the vegetation is taking place.
A wheelchair path gives access to beautiful views over the saltmarsh and harbour.
Click here to find out more about wheelchair access around the harbour.
The shoreline west of Itchenor is relatively sheltered. This provides ideal conditions for saltmarsh habitat to thrive.
At low tide, in particular, it is possible to see the dense Spartina vegetation binding the sediment together by its roots in the form of a platform between the lower mudflats and higher shoreline.
Find out more about the saltmarsh grass Spartina
Click here to discover more about saltmarshes.
Click here to see a map showing the distribution of Spartina in the harbour
Chichester Harbour Conservancy has an ongoing project of tree planting in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), to maintain the landscape of shoreline fringed with woodland. Volunteers from the Friends of Chichester Harbour and the Chichester Conservation Volunteers have been helping with the planting.
This beech tree has an impressive gall on its trunk, probably caused by insects.
Ellanore Spit is one of the most important areas of vegetated shingle within the Harbour.
On the sheltered side is rich saltmarsh habitat. The spit and the saltmarsh protect the shoreline behind from erosion.
Old maps show that it was once just a little pimple on the shoreline. The Anglo Saxon word Nore means a hard or landing place. During the last 30 years the spur has grown massively and the end is still growing.
This is as a result of the recharge of material on the beaches at Sandy Point, Hayling during the 1980’s.
There is limited public access to the spit. A fence and notices have been erected to discourage people from walking right along it. This is because it is an important area for ground nesting birds that could be very easily disturbed.
On several occasions during the last few years, human bones have been found lying on the shoreline. The bones have been forensically tested and shown to be very old.
There are several theories as to how the bones got there –
Sandy Point is located on the south east of Hayling Island at the entrance to the Harbour opposite East Head. This part of Hayling Island is quite highly developed and so hard sea defences are required to protect the area from flooding during high tides and stormy weather. The spit, formed in a similar way to East Head* has remained fixed in its current position for a long period of time due to protection by sea defences.
Click here to find out how a spit is formed
There are several important habitats within a small area: saltmarsh, vegetated shingle, mudflats, sand dunes and coastal heath.
Click here to find out more about some of
these habitats
This interesting habitat is the largest and most important remaining piece of heathland on Hayling Island. It is a designated Local Nature Reserve and included in the Harbour’s Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designation.
It has a wide range of flora and fauna including 3 species of heather, 3 species of gorse, Common Dodder, Dartford Warbler, Adders, Lesser Cockroach and the Bordered Grey moth.
The heathland is managed by periodic grazing of Highland Cattle that helps to maintain the diversity of species.
Hayling Island Sailing Club at Fed. Week
(Matt Simmons)
The largest building that can be seen from the water belongs to Hayling Island Sailing Club. This was built in 2001 with funding from the Heritage Lottery in recognition of becoming the RYA's Centre of Excellence on the south coast. It replaces a 1930’s two-storey brick building.
The Club was formed in 1921 by seven enthusiastic sailors and held its first regatta in 1922. To find out more about the club today click here
Although this tiny lifeboat station can only just be seen from the solar boat, it provides a vital service for the Harbour and open coastline.
It has two inshore lifeboats that are on call at all times and manned by local volunteers.
The lifeboat station has a small museum that is occasionally open to the public. It is one of the most welcoming places in the Harbour.
To find out more about the lifeboat station click here.
Eastoke Point at the Harbour mouth has suffered huge erosion for many years, while accretion has taken place on the northern tip of Sandy Point. Groynes, gabions and recharge schemes have been employed to inhibit the northwards drift of sediment.
Thorney Island, as the name indicates, was once cut off from the mainland by The Deeps. In 1870 the land between the island and the mainland was reclaimed for agriculture by the building of two sea walls at the extreme east and west of the island. It is likely that in the past the island was reached by a causeway, probably along the line of the road leading to the Army camp.
The reclaimed land is still used for agriculture, mainly grazing, but because of its significant nature conservation interest, this use is controlled to sustain the conservation value. This area is now known as Eames Farm and supports several nationally scarce plants and has 70 species of nationally rare or scarce insects.
Click here to see Yeakell and Gardner 1788 Map
showing Thorney Island before reclamation.
In 1935 the residents of Thorney Village were evacuated to make way for a military air base in anticipation of a potential war with Germany. The RAF remained on site until 1976 when it was replaced by the Army. Today it is occupied by the 47th Regiment Royal Artillery. Planes no longer use the runway. Instead it has been colonised by ground nesting birds.
The area of saltmarsh on Thornham Point was created through the process of Managed Realignment.
Click here to discover more about Managed Realignment.
The sea wall containing this area was originally breached by the sea. This breach was enlarged, to ensure the right amount of flowed into the area to create saltmarsh, and a wooden bridge built over the gap to enable people to continue walking along the route of the public footpath
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Several seals have lived on the west side of Thorney Island for the last few years. They can be seen mostly swimming in the Thorney Channel or basking on the mudflats at low tide.
Click here for more information on seals
Pilsey Island is a designated nature reserve located on the tip of Thorney Island.
It is owned by the MOD but is leased to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Access to Pilsey Island is restricted and is only possible by boat. Pilsey Island has vegetated shingle, saltmarsh and sand dune habitats.
The sand dunes have increased significantly since 1997. As well as being a botanically rich area, it is a high water roost for birds and supports ground nesting birds such as the Ringed Plover.
Stakes Island is the remains of an attempt to reclaim land from the sea. In 1870 a barrier was constructed across the entrance to the Thorney Channel to create more agricultural land. Permission for the reclamation was granted by an Act of Parliament.
The embankment barrier was made by building a ‘borrow’ bank. Stakes were driven into the top of this to form a strong matrix. This was built up using Petersfield rock chalk that was transported by cart. The stakes bound the chalk together. This chalk is still visible today.
It took approximately 150 men 6 months to complete the task, but the embankment is said to have lasted only 7 weeks before the section between Cobnor Point and Pilsey was breached by a gale. The charred stakes can still be seen reaching from Cobnor Point to Thorney Island at low tide. During the 1970’s the stakes were cut down to ‘mud-level’ and their present visibility shows how sediment is continually being redistributed within the Harbour.
Click here to find out more about the reclamation of the channel
The sections of the embankment that remained intact after the breach are now called North Stakes and South Stakes. Both are important areas of vegetated shingle and valued roosts for harbour birds as well as a regular breeding place for Ringed Plover, Oystercatchers, Redshank and in particular, Little Terns.
Several concrete blocks were put on South Stakes to provide a nesting area for Little Terns that would protect them from high tides and stormy weather.
The Little Terns showed little enthusiasm for this gift, but the Chichester Cathedral Peregrine Falcons have been seen resting on these blocks while visiting the harbour in search of prey.
The channel between the Chidham and Thorney peninsulas is now known as Nutbourne Marshes and is a designated Local Nature Reserve. It has large areas of saltmarsh habitat and is one of the most important areas in the Harbour for wildfowl and waders.
Cobnor Point is the southern tip of the Chidham Peninsula. From this position it is possible to see nearly all the major landmarks inside and outside of the Harbour.
For example you can see the Harbour entrance, East Head, all the peninsulas, the Isle of Wight, Stoke Clump, Chichester Cathedral and the Spinnaker Tower.
Cobnor House is thought to have been built early in the 19th century. It has been owned by the Beale family, along with Cobnor Estate, since just after the First World War.
The philosophy of the Beales through the generations has been to maintain Cobnor’s conservation value to the highest possible standard while at the same time providing access for other people to enjoy its beauty as part of the Harbour environment.
The eroding oak trees with their strangely shaped tops are typical of those found along the parts of the Harbour shoreline that are most exposed to the elements. The strong winds racing up the main channel have caused them to grow in such an unusual way.
Old oak woodland grows behind them on the peninsula. Up until at least the end of the 18th Century this woodland was one of the largest remaining in the Harbour.
Cobnor Point is a wonderful place for beachcombing. Anything might be found there from an old boat, an unopened can of beer to a message in a bottle…
Cobnor Point suffers heavily from erosion. In the past the shoreline was defended using large stones and sandbags full of cement. This has now been replaced by large stones called ‘rip rap’. The stones are either Portland or Purbeck* limestone. The gaps between the stones ensure that energy from the waves is dispersed and the eroding shoreline protected. In time vegetation begins to colonise the defence, giving it a more natural appearance.
*Portland stone lies beneath the Purbeck limestone beds.
A wheelchair path passes around Cobnor Point. Because of heavy erosion the most recently made section of the path has had to be set back from the original footpath.
There are several versions of the story of the Bosham Bell. It goes something like this…
Viking raiders arrived at Bosham in their longboat and decided to steal one of the church bells. They put it in their boat and made off towards the main channel. As they rounded Cobnor Point the wind increased and the boat keeled over. The bell broke through the bottom of the boat and sank. It is said that if one stands on Cobnor Point at certain times, the tolling of the bell can still be heard…
The part of the channel where the bell is said to have fallen is called Bell Hole and Bosham Sailing Club have a bell as their emblem.
Bosham Hoe is a small projection of land found at the end very end of the Bosham Peninsula. The word Hoe is likely to have derived from the Old English word Hoh, which means a projecting ridge, spur of land or peninsula.
It is also connected to the word ‘heel'. The area of the Hoe itself is partially intersected by Furzefield Creek.
Dotted around the Harbour are several boulders known as sarsens or erratics. They are formed from hard sandstones.
One of these erratics can be seen on the beach on the west of Bosham Hoe.
To find out more about these stones, click here.
During the summer months it is possible for walkers and cyclists to travel between Bosham Hoe and Itchenor on the little Harbour Ferry. If you are on the Bosham side, simply walk to the ferry crossing point on the shoreline and wait. You will be seen by Andy the ferryman, who will come and collect you.
Alternatively contact ‘Ferry’ on VHF Channel 8 or telephone 07970 378350.
Up until the end of the 18th century, woodlands were quite widespread around the Harbour. Many of these were cleared during the 19th Century.
The only two ancient coppices that have survived are Salterns Copse and Old Park Wood on the opposite side of the channel. Old Park Wood is an ancient native woodland. It is situated on the eastern side of the Bosham Peninsula and is privately owned.
Old Park Wood possesses one of two heronries that are found in the Harbour. Both Herons and Little Egrets are frequent visitors to the wood’s shoreline and may sometimes be seen ‘decorating’ the trees when they are roosting.
Lighter's Field is a meadow that has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
It is particularly important for the orchids that grow there: The Green Winged Orchid (Orchis morio) and the Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii).
Click here for more information on the DactylorhizaFuchsii Common Spotted Orchid (Ramin Nakisa).
Old maps dating from the end of the 18th Century show an interesting landmark that can be very easily missed. A little promontory on the Harbour side of the wood was known as Cuckold’s Point. Copperas Point was located on the opposite shoreline by Salterns Copse.
Cuckold’s Point disappeared from 19th Century maps and became labelled as Copperas Point instead.
Copperas Point has now returned to its original position, but the name Cuckold’s Point has been forgotten.
Itchenor Reach is the first part of Chichester Harbour that you will see on your tour. You will notice that there are many moored boats and probably moving boats that the Skipper of Solar Heritage must negotiate.
A map of the mooring areas can be seen in the Conservancy Harbour Office.
Moorings are allocated to individuals, boatyards, marinas, the Manor of Bosham and the Conservancy.
The advantage of mooring a boat at Itchenor is that it is accessible at both low and high tide. Some moorings within the harbour dry out at the bottom at low tide.
Boats may also anchor temporarily off East Head, Pilsey Island and in the Fairway (west of Itchenor).
In order to guide boats safely through the Habour, different channel markers are used to give particular messages.
You can find out more about these by clicking here.
Chichester Harbour is popular for its water-based activities. It has about 17 miles of navigable channels and at present there are more than 12,000 boats registered at the Harbour Conservancy Office.
Within the Harbour there are 14 sailing clubs, 6 marinas, 3 activity centres, 3 sailing schools and approximately 600 people employed in water recreation.
You will see many types of boats using the Harbour. Some are for recreation and some are working boats.
The Chichester Harbour Conservancy patrol boat keeps an eye on water-based activities within the Harbour. They collect harbour dues from visiting boats as well as giving a helping hand to those in difficulty.
You can find out more about the activities of the Harbour Patrol Team by clicking on to the Patrol Diary
Fishermen often unload their catch onto the pontoon at Itchenor
The Itchenor to Bosham ferry is also based on the Itchenor pontoon.
Click here for more Information
Chichester Harbour Watertours provide guided tours of the Harbour on a regular basis during the summer season.
To find out more click here
You have now reached the end of your Solar Boat tour and have returned to Itchenor. Itchenor is a popular place to visit during the summer months, in spite of its general lack of facilities for visitors.
The Chichester Harbour Conservancy Office is based here, as is Itchenor Sailing Club, Haines Boatyard and Northshore Yachts Ltd.
The main pontoon is often a hive of activity.
The Solar Boat and Chichester Harbour Water Tours depart from here, as does the ferry that crosses to Bosham Hoe. Fishermen unload their catch, and the Harbour Patrol boats are kept moored alongside.
It is on this pontoon that an important sewage pump-out facility is available for sailing boats. .
The history of Itchenor dates back to the 7th Century and the arrival of Icca, a Saxon marauder, who decided it would be a good place to live.
The village thrived and eventually became a place of significant in the Harbour. It has a long history of ship and boat building that still continues.
This was built by the 3rd Duke of Richmond in 1784 as his ‘hot sea bath’. He lived in Goodwood House, which can be seen clearly on the distant horizon. When he intended to visit Itchenor a signal was flashed from the top of Trundle Hill to let it be known that he was on his way.
Jetty House was eventually leased to HM Customs during the 19th Century and became the only Customs House in the harbour.
Itchenor Sailing Club was formed in 1927. Their unique Clubhouse was originally four 17th Century cottages that have been enlarged and improved. The buildings were requisitioned during the Second World War by the Army and the Navy in preparation for the D-Day landings.
At low tide a rusty landing craft can be seen near the Northshore jetty. Landing craft were built by Northshore Marine during the Second World War to be used in the D-Day Invasion.