CoastView - Selsey Bill
Go to other sources or a short history of Selsey
RACE AGAINST TIME AND TIDE: Lorries move a mountain to protect homes
The Argus 5 January 1999
by NIGEL GALLOWAY
WORKMEN are moving a mountain 30 miles to stop homes being washed away in a race against time and the sea.
Bulldozers spent yesterday loading up a convoy of lorries hired by the Environment Agency to move 10,000 tonnes of shingle from the quayside at Shoreham Harbour. The shingle was transported in about 200 lorry loads to repair defences at storm-hit Selsey, near Chichester.
A huge bank is being built up there to stop the sea pouring over the top and flooding homes and holiday caravans. Last week bulldozers worked round the clock to pile up more than 100,000 tonnes of shingle at Selsey. But it was all washed back out to sea by fierce storms over the weekend. An Environment Agency spokesman said: "This is a race against time. "As soon as the high tide recedes we are on to the beach pushing the shingle back up again with bulldozers. "There were some breaches over the weekend, but since then we have managed to contain the sea and there were no breaches at high tide yesterday." The latest operation was mounted as West Sussex councillors pledged not to cut sea defence spending.
It was feared the axe would fall as county - councillors planned to trim millions of pounds from their budget. But the county's coast and countryside committee is now being urged to carry on helping the coastal districts of Arun, Worthing, Adur and Chichester. There will be £220,000 on the table to spend in 1999-2000, the same as this year. but cash for countryside organisations will be slashed.
A council spokesman said: "Grants to coastal districts from the county council for vital sea defence work will be safeguarded."
New sea defence schemes which the county council is expected to back include works at Marine Parade, Worthing, which have been sent to the Ministry of Agriculture for final approval.
Other sources:
Geo Factsheet September 2000 Number 100 Coastal Management at Selsey in West Sussex (School level)
Shoreline Management Plan : Management Unit 2: East Beach to West Beach, Selsey
Sussex Wildlife Trust: Report on Workshop (2001) on Coastal Defence on the Manhood Peninsular (Selsey)
Coastal Defence Strategy: Rivers Arun to Adur (including Selsey)
An exerpt of a paper by J. Duvivier in the Journal Engineering outlining the design and construction of protective works at Selsey following severe damage in the 1950s.
Selsey: Short History from Selsey Society
The history of Selsey starts in the mists of time, the ages being marked by contemporary artifacts and structures.The Romans departed about the year 400 and in the year 477 Ella with his three sons arrived and created the land of the South Saxons, with his capital at Selsey.St. Wilfrid arrived in Sussex in 680/1 and converted the nation of the South Saxons to Christianity, and the Venerable Bede records:" At the time King Ethelwalch gave to the Most Reverend Prelate, Wilfrid land of eighty-seven families to maintain his company, who were in banishment, which place is called Selesea, that is the island of the sea-calf"He founded a monastery/Cathedral and twenty-three Bishops succeeded him until the Cathedral was transferred from Selsey to Chichester in 1075The derivation of the name 'Selsey' is popularly considered to be Seal Island.
There is no doubt that until the end of the eighteenth century, the now peninsula was an island with its own ferry, ferryhouse and ferryman who was paid 'four bushels of barley in 1661 and allowed to collect a halfpenny from every traveller'. The causeway was completed in 1809 and facilitates the only access road, the B2145.Selsey Town sits at the end of the peninsula (Selsey Bill) and it is possible to hear the sea on three sides from the centre of the Town which lies some half mile north of the most southern point. The fishing industry is renowned for its quality Selsey Crab and lobsters.In 1897 Selsey was linked by a light rail track which suffered the same fate as many others and closed in 1935.Selsey Town is really an amalgamation of two communities, Sutton the present day town and Northtown, the site of the ancient cathedral of St. Wilfrid (681A.D).Selsey accommodates one of the largest temporary villages in the whole of western Europe, known as West Sands Holiday Centre which makes provision for some 15,000 residential visitors each week from April to October.The Selsey community is characteristic of many of the smaller communities in the region but more notable as it represents the next largest population after Chichester in the district.Selsey (Seal Island) is situated in the extreme South West of Sussex, being the most Southerly Parish of the County.
Historically the land and sea have provided the people of Selsey with a comfortable living.Selsey was once an isolated fishing community, with 3 Coastguard Stations and a Lloyds of London semaphore signal station, Selsey was long established before Roman Times and it is probable that a mint existed prior to Roman Times.
Selsey had, by the 20th Century become an oasis for writers, musicians and authors. In the 30's and 40's tourism took off for the village with thousands of holidaymakers staying locally in the new holiday camps. Large housing schemes in the 1960's led to a massive rise in the permanent population, which now stands at about 10,000.
SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL EVENTS
Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada in 1588 passed close to Selsey Bill, prior to engagement with the English Fleet commanded by Drake and Hawkins.
Listening Post
The Listening Post was in April 1999 recognised as a Grade 2 Listed building. During the 1st World War a listening post was built in Selsey at East Beach to provide early warning of approaching Zepplins. The structure took the form of an "acoustic mirror" which was built of concrete and shaped like a modern satellite dish. The structure survived and is currently the subject of great interest due to its rarity.
Mulberry Harbours
The famous prefabricated Mulberry Harbours were stored in Selsey prior to the D Day invasion and their use at Normandy Beaches by the allies. Sections that were damaged or sunk off Selsey are visited regularly by sub aqua divers.
RAF Selsey
RAF Selsey was established as an advanced landing ground in May 1943 and during the invasion it played an important part in the air cover of the beaches. The first German aircraft shot down on D Day was the victim of a Spitfire from RAF Selsey. Little remains of the airfield today that occupied the open fields at Church Norton, 1 mile North of Selsey.
Sea Wall
The sea wall was built in the late 1950's to protect the houses of Selsey. Coastal erosion remains a problem for Selsey and upto 25 yards is lost per year.
Tornado
On 7 January 1998 Selsey suffered a tornado, that whilst not its first, certainly caused considerable damage to 25% of Selsey properties. The tornado was reported on world-wide television and Selsey received much publicity. A week later the storms caused the sea to break through the sea defenses to flood the Caravan Park and some properties in the East Beach area.
Selsey Today
Selsey (which gained Town status in August 1995) continues to be well known for its excellent shellfish, still having a smaller but active fishing fleets, its Lifeboat Station dating back to 1860 and its unspoilt coastline, a haven for birdwatchers and those in search of tranquility.As Selsey moves forward into the Millennium it is proud of its achievements in the last few years. The instigation of The Selsey Resource Centre which has made IT training available to all, and a central point in the Town for people to visit for advice on training, careers, jobs and business matters. Selsey High Street has seen many new shops in the last few years, with shops such as The Clothing Company, Boots the Chemist and The Selsey Travel Centre becoming firmly established. With the news that Budgens will soon be building a new supermarket Selsey is retaining its diversity of local shopping and activities (now open) .Selsey boasts one Hotel, numerous bed and breakfasts, guesthouses and the largest Caravan park in Europe.
Information kindly provided by the Selsey Society.