Dell Quay

Tiny waterside hamlet with a pub, sailing club, and slipway on a tidal arm of Chichester Harbour.

Dell Quay is a tiny waterside hamlet at the head of a tidal channel of Chichester Harbour, about a mile south of Fishbourne village. It consists of a handful of houses, the Crown and Anchor pub, the Dell Quay Sailing Club, and a slipway, and has been a landing place since at least the medieval period when it served as the main port for Chichester. The setting is the draw. At high tide, the harbour water comes right up to the pub terrace and the quay edge, and the views across the water to Thorney Island and the wider harbour are expansive. At low tide, the mud is exposed and the wading birds come in to feed. The atmosphere changes completely between the states of the tide. The Crown and Anchor is the social centre, a waterside pub that has been serving harbour visitors for centuries. The sailing club operates a dinghy racing programme through the summer. The slipway provides launch access for small boats and kayaks. Dell Quay is reached via Dell Quay Road from Fishbourne or Appledram Lane from the A259. Parking is very limited and the lane is narrow. At weekends and in summer, the hamlet fills with visitors, and arriving on foot or by bicycle is often the better option. The walk from Fishbourne takes about twenty minutes and is one of the most pleasant short walks in the area.