West Itchenor
| West Itchenor | |
| Sussex | |
|---|---|
 The foreshore leading to Itchenor Sailing Club | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU799012 |
| Location: | 50°48’19"N, 0°52’0"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 289 (2011) |
| Post town: | Chichester |
| Postcode: | PO20 |
| Dialling code: | 01243 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Chichester |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Chichester |
West Itchenor is a village on the Manhood Peninsula, jutting out from the south coast of Sussex. This village is to be found to the north of the B2179 Chichester to West Wittering road, four and a half miles south-west of Chichester. The waters of Chichester Harbour lap against the village.
The 2011 census reported a parish population of 289 people lived in 140 households. It is part of the Manhood Hundred in the Rape of Chichester.
Since the desertion of East Itchenor in the 15th century, the village has been simply referred to as Itchenor.[1]
Parish chuch
The Church of St Nicholas was founded around 1175 by Hugh Esturmy, as a chapel which was surrounded by the streams of the sea at high tide. It became the parish church during the Middle Ages.
In 1935 its parish joined with the Parish of Birdham to make the Parish of Birdham with Itchenor. In 1986 the Parish of Birdham with Itchenor united with the Parish of West Wittering to make the Benefice of West Wittering and Birdham with Itchenor.[2]
History
A settlement is thought to have been established during the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43.The name 'Itchenor' is typical of the early Saxon settlement, from Iccan ora, meaning Icca's shore', after an otherwise unknown chieftain. The Domesday Book of 1086 names the village as Icenore,[3] in 1187 it was called Ichenore,[4] and by 1243 Westichenor.[5]
The Domesday Book records that Icenore was held by Warin, a vassal of Earl Roger de Montgomerie, whom William the Conqueror rewarded with vast grants of land across England. [6] The manor later became a parcel of the Earl of Arundel.[7]
In 1175 the Lord of the Manor, Hugh Esturmy, built a chapel in West Itchenor, adjacent to the River Haven: before the construction of a sea wall and sluice in 1931, a spring tide would cause the river to rise and surround the building. Between 1180 and 1197 the chapel became the parish church, dedicated to St Nicholas, the patron saint of seafarers.
East Itchenor was part of the neighbouring parish, Birdham but was never more than a mansion with around 100 acres of farmland although it did have its own chapel.
Towards the end of the 19th century, West Itchenor became a popular destination for Londoners who could afford a second home in the countryside and the cost of travelling there. These people, known locally as 'DFLs' (Down from London),[8] have caused the rapid growth of the village since that time. However, despite the increased number of households, the number of full-time and economically active residents has fallen, as house prices have increased with the demand for second homes. This in turn caused the closure of the general store and post office in 1974 and of the local village school.[9] The Itchenor Society estimated in 2012 that over 40% of all households were second homes
During the Second World War, Itchenor Shipyard served as a base for the Admiralty's manufacturing of Fairmile B motor launches and Itchenor Sailing Club was requisitioned by the Army, which mounted an anti-aircraft gun at the club. This wartime activity made West Itchenor a restricted area and required residents to produce identification papers as they entered the village.
Economy
Since the 1700s shipbuilding has provided the main source of employment in the village – West Itchenor was the site of a prominent shipyard during the Napoleonic Wars in which a number of warships were launched, such as HMS Pelorus in 1808 and HMS Curacao in 1809. In 1800 the Transit, a 101 foot long, four-masted barquentine weighing 200 tons, was built at the yard and is said to have been revolutionary in the design of its hull and rig. During the 19th century construction began to decline, as the development of railways provided a more accessible mode of transport. Shipbuilding in West Itchenor made a modern revival with the opening of Haines Boatyard in 1912. In 1936 a new yard, called the 'Itchenor Shipyard' was built on the site that had seen production during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Northshore Yachts Ltd now occupies the site of the Itchenor Shipyard and has overseen the complete manufacturing of Fisher and Southerly yachts, since the mid-1970s.[10] In April 2013 it was reported that Northshore was experiencing financial difficulties and that the future of the boatbuilding company and its estimated 160 employees is in doubt.[11]
About the village
Itchenor Sailing Club has been the site of social activity within the village since its founding in 1927. Since then it has hosted national and local sailing competitions, including annual events such as Schools Week and Junior Fortnight. The sailing club is recognised as a Royal Yachting Association Volvo Champion Club and has produced a number of successful Olympic sailors. Chichester Harbour extends 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.[12]
Pictures
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about West Itchenor) |
Old Haven
Footpath adjacent to Itchenor Reach in Chichester Harbour
View of the Harbour from the foreshore
River Haven, contained in the village pond
The Ship Inn
References
- ↑ "Lost mediæval village on Chichester Harbour". Country Life. 22 June 2010. http://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/country-houses-for-sale-and-property-news/lost-mediæval-village-on-chichester-harbour-22498.
- ↑ Guide to the Church
- ↑ Stuart Fisher (January 2012). The Rivers of Britain: Estuaries, Tideways, Havens, Lochs, Firths and Kyles. A&C Black. p. 258.
- ↑ J. H. Round, ed (1899). Calendar of Documents preserved in France. London: Public Record Office.
- ↑ L F Salzmann, ed (1916). Feet of Fines For the County of Sussex: Vol. 3, 1308-1509. Lewes: Sussex Record Society.
- ↑ "Itchenor's entry on The Domesday Book Online". http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/sussex2.html#itchenor.
- ↑ James Dallaway (1815). A history of the western division of the county of Sussex. 1. T. Bensley. p. 48.
- ↑ Carol Lewis (11 October 2013). "The rise of the DFL — that's people moving Down from London". The Times. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/property/bricksinsider/article3891660.ece.
- ↑ Tony Wales (October 1999). The West Sussex Village Book. Countryside Books.
- ↑ "Southerly - About". Southerly website. http://www.southerly.com/about/.
- ↑ Laura Kitching (April 23, 2013). "Northshore Yachts in 'financial difficulties'". Practical Boat Owner. http://www.pbo.co.uk/news/534357/northshore-yachts-in-financial-difficulties.
- ↑ SSSI listing and designation for Chichester Habour
