New Fishbourne

The eastern settlement, Chichester, West Sussex

New Fishbourne is the eastern half of the modern village of Fishbourne, near Chichester in West Sussex. Unlike Old Fishbourne, which belonged to the parish of Bosham, New Fishbourne historically fell within the boundaries of Chichester itself. This distinction shaped the character of the two communities for centuries.

A Different Parish

The boundary between Old and New Fishbourne was an ecclesiastical and administrative one, not merely geographical. Old Fishbourne sat in the hundred of Bosham and answered to Bosham church. New Fishbourne belonged to the sub-district of Chichester and was tied to the city's governance. The two settlements, though neighbours, operated under different jurisdictions for most of their history.

This separation is reflected in the different historical records available for each. The Manor of Old Fishbourne appears in the Domesday Book and the Victoria County History. New Fishbourne, as part of the wider Chichester administrative area, does not carry its own distinct manorial descent.

The Road and the Railway

New Fishbourne developed along the main road between Chichester and the harbour villages to the west. The A259, which runs through the village, has been a route of local importance for centuries, connecting the city to Bosham, Emsworth and eventually Portsmouth.

Fishbourne railway station, opened in 1846 on the West Coastway line, sits on the southern edge of New Fishbourne. The station provides regular services to Chichester, Brighton, Portsmouth and Southampton. Its presence made New Fishbourne more accessible than its western neighbour and contributed to the residential development that characterises this part of the village today.

The Roman Palace

The site of Fishbourne Roman Palace lies in fields between Old and New Fishbourne. When the palace was discovered in 1960, it was a water main being laid along a New Fishbourne road that first struck the Roman remains. The museum and its car park are accessed from Salthill Road, on the New Fishbourne side of the village.

Unification

In 1987, Old Fishbourne and New Fishbourne were formally united under a single Fishbourne Parish Council. The distinction between the two communities had become largely academic by this point, as twentieth-century housing had filled in much of the open ground between them. Today the village functions as one settlement, though the names persist on older maps and in local conversation.

For a broader overview of the whole village, see About Fishbourne.