Bosham, (pronounced “bozzam”) is a small village set on a peninsula protruding into Chichester Harbour. It provides a safe haven for small boats in this tidal creek and is loved by both yachtsmen and artists. When the tide is out, wild fowl, gulls and oystercatchers, flock to feed on the seabed.
The road, which is closely packed with cottages on the quayside, is often flooded at high tide and the pub, The Anchor Bleu, warns customers to remove their parked cars from the front. Behind the quay, is a narrow street lined with picturesque brick, stone and flint built cottages, shops and The Anchor Bleu pub. This leads to the famous Anglo-Saxon Church of The Holy Trinity. Here, Harold Godwin, later to become King Harold, who was killed with an arrow in his eye at the Battle of Hastings, prayed before leaving for Normandy in 1064. He was captured there by William, Duke of Normandy, later to become William the Conqueror. This church is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry.
Legend has it that King Canute of England, Norway and Denmark, tried to turn back the sea. There are several places where it is thought he attempted this, but Bosham has the most convincing claim. There is evidence of a family link with King Canute, in that Bosham’s Church contains the tomb of his youngest daughter.
