Bosham from Fishbourne

The neighbouring harbour village to the west

Bosham is Fishbourne's nearest harbour village, lying about two miles to the west along the A259. It is one of the most picturesque villages in Sussex, with a Saxon church, a tidal quayside, and a history that stretches back to the Roman period and beyond.

Bosham's church of the Holy Trinity is famous as the church depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, from which King Harold departed for Normandy before the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The church has Saxon origins and contains a chancel arch and other features from the pre-Conquest period. The building stands beside the harbour, and at very high tides the water laps at the churchyard wall.

The quayside at Bosham is the village's most photographed feature, with boats, cottages, and the harbour creating a quintessentially English waterside scene. The Anchor Bleu pub sits on the quay and is a popular destination for visitors and locals. Parking on the quay road is famously unreliable at high tide, when the sea covers the road and floods cars that have been left too long.

Bosham and Fishbourne share the harbour, the A259, and the railway line. Bosham has its own station on the Coastway West line, one stop west of Fishbourne. The villages are close enough that they share some community connections, though each maintains its own distinct identity.

For Fishbourne residents, Bosham provides an additional pub, a beautiful walk along the harbour, and a reminder that the area's history runs very deep indeed. The two villages, linked by the harbour and the coastal road, are natural neighbours.