Selsey Bill
Encyclopedia
Selsey Bill is a headland
into the English Channel
on the south coast of England
in the county of West Sussex
.
The southern most town in Sussex is Selsey
which is at the end of the Selsey (or Manhood) Peninsula
and Selsey Bill is situated on the towns southern
coastline. It is the easternmost point of Bracklesham Bay
and the westernmost point of the Sussex Coast.
, and is derived from the Old English meaning Seal's Island, there is no evidence to suggest that the place name Selsey Bill is particularly old. A report for the Royal Navy in 1698 by Dummer
and Wiltshaw mentioned Selsey Island but not Selsey Bill.'
The place name does not appear to have been used before the early 18th century when it started appearing on maps; it is possible that the idea was taken from Portland Bill
, another headland, on the western side of the Solent
.
Thomas Pennant described the location of Selsey-bill in his book A journey between London and The Isle of Wight published in 1801 (note bill in minuscule, reflecting the resemblance of the headland to the shape of a birds beak).
The place name Selsey-Bill has become synonymous with the town of Selsey, for example Edward Heron-Allen
wrote about
The Parish Church of St Peter on Selsey Bill Sussex even though the church
is situated in Selsey High Street.
Popular references to Selsey Bill include the song "Saturday's Kids" by The Jam
(from the 1979 album Setting Sons
), along with "Bracklesham Bay
": "Save up their money for a holiday/To Selsey Bill, or Bracklesham Bay and the Madness
song "Driving in My Car
": "I drive up to Muswell Hill, I've even been to Selsey Bill." The references are to Selsey Bill although most of the holiday facilities are the other side of Selsey.
There were Pontin's holiday camps
at Selsey and Bracklesham Bay, although they are now both closed. The Pontin's at Broadreeds, Selsey, has now been redeveloped, and was the only site that was near to the Bill.
However both the modern Admiralty Chart and also the Ordnance Survey map of the area confirm that Selsey Bill is a headland and mostly covered by sea at high tide and Selsey is part of the mainland.
There have been many wrecks off Selsey Bill over the years, probably one of the first recorded was Saint Wilfrid
who when appointed Archbishop of York
went to Compiègne
in France
, to be consecrated. On his journey back home, in c.666, he was shipwrecked off Selsey Bill and was nearly killed by the heathen inhabitants.
Henry VI
granted that lands of Chichester Cathedral should be exempt from the Court of the Admiralty
in the manner of wrecks, this meant in effect that any wrecks off Selsey Bill would be the bishops property.
In the 18th century members of a notorious smuggling gang
were captured and tried for the brutal murder of a supposed informant and a customs official , Chater and Galley. Seven were condemned to death at the assizes held at Chichester in 1749, after they had been executed at the Broyle, Chichester, two of them were subsequently hung in chains
at Selsey Bill, a Yeakel and Gardner map has a Gibbet Field marked on it where it is believed the smugglers hung.
Since 1861 there has been a lifeboat station to the east of Selsey Bill, and there are a system of beacons that warn sailors of the treacherous
Owers and Mixon rocks that are south of Selsey Bill.
s and they are read out on BBC Radio 4
, four times a day.
It gives a summary of gale warnings in force, a general synopsis and area forecasts for specified
sea areas
around the UK.
In addition, some bulletins include a forecast for all UK inshore waters, as distinct from the coastal waters. Selsey Bill is a boundary for two areas of the Met Office
's Inshore Water forecast
.
The area to the west extends to Lyme Regis
and to the East to North Foreland
. Selsey Bill is in sea area Wight.
In the 19th and early 20th century the local fishermen jointly owned a longboat, operated by 22 oarsmen. If any vessel was stranded off the Bill then after any rescue work had been completed the pilot of the longboat would negotiate with the skipper, of the damaged vessel, a price to assist them to safe harbour. In modern times the "Channel Pilot for the South Coast of England and the North Coast of France", cautions sailors that Selsey Bill is difficult to locate in poor visibility. However, in clear weather when the wind is moderate, a short cut can be afforded by using the Looe Channel that passes through the rocks and ledges south of the Bill, which is marked by buoys. The pilot recommends that a large scale chart is required and to proceed with caution.
Headlands and bays
Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
into the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
on the south coast of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the county of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
.
The southern most town in Sussex is Selsey
Selsey
Selsey is a seaside town and civil parish, about seven miles south of Chichester, in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. Selsey lies at the southernmost point of the Manhood Peninsula, almost cut off from mainland Sussex by the sea...
which is at the end of the Selsey (or Manhood) Peninsula
Manhood Peninsula
The Manhood Peninsula is the southernmost part of Sussex in England. It has the English channel to its south and Chichester to the north.The peninsula is bordered to its west by Chichester Harbour and to its east by Pagham Harbour, its southern headland being Selsey Bill.-Name:The name Manhood has...
and Selsey Bill is situated on the towns southern
coastline. It is the easternmost point of Bracklesham Bay
Bracklesham Bay
Bracklesham Bay is a coastal bay on the west side of the Manhood Peninsula in West Sussex, England. The bay looks out onto the English Channel and the Isle of Wight is visible from the beach, as is the Nab Tower lighthouse and the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.The bay is sandy and backed with...
and the westernmost point of the Sussex Coast.
Place name
Although the place name Selsey has existed since Saxon timesKingdom of Sussex
The Kingdom of Sussex or Kingdom of the South Saxons was a Saxon colony and later independent kingdom of the Saxons, on the south coast of England. Its boundaries coincided in general with those of the earlier kingdom of the Regnenses and the later county of Sussex. A large part of its territory...
, and is derived from the Old English meaning Seal's Island, there is no evidence to suggest that the place name Selsey Bill is particularly old. A report for the Royal Navy in 1698 by Dummer
Edmund Dummer (naval engineer)
Edmund Dummer was an English naval engineer and shipbuilder who, as Surveyor of the Navy, founded the Royal Navy dockyard at , Plymouth and extended that at Portsmouth. His survey of the Royal Navy Dockyards is a valuable and well-known historic document...
and Wiltshaw mentioned Selsey Island but not Selsey Bill.'
The place name does not appear to have been used before the early 18th century when it started appearing on maps; it is possible that the idea was taken from Portland Bill
Portland Bill
Portland Bill is a narrow promontory of Portland stone, which forms the most southerly part of Isle of Portland, and therefore also the county of Dorset, England....
, another headland, on the western side of the Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
.
Thomas Pennant described the location of Selsey-bill in his book A journey between London and The Isle of Wight published in 1801 (note bill in minuscule, reflecting the resemblance of the headland to the shape of a birds beak).
The place name Selsey-Bill has become synonymous with the town of Selsey, for example Edward Heron-Allen
Edward Heron-Allen
Edward Heron-Allen was an English polymath, writer, scientist and Persian scholar who translated the works of Omar Khayyam.-Life:...
wrote about
The Parish Church of St Peter on Selsey Bill Sussex even though the church
St Peter's Church, Selsey
St Peter's Church is the Parish Church of Selsey, West Sussex and dates from the 13th century. The Church building was originally situated at the location of St Wilfrid's first monastery and cathedral at Church Norton some 2 miles north of the present centre of population.-Building:The church was...
is situated in Selsey High Street.
Popular references to Selsey Bill include the song "Saturday's Kids" by The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
(from the 1979 album Setting Sons
Setting Sons
Setting Sons is the fourth studio album by British band The Jam. The group's critical and commercial favour, begun with their third album, All Mod Cons, continued through this album...
), along with "Bracklesham Bay
Bracklesham Bay
Bracklesham Bay is a coastal bay on the west side of the Manhood Peninsula in West Sussex, England. The bay looks out onto the English Channel and the Isle of Wight is visible from the beach, as is the Nab Tower lighthouse and the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.The bay is sandy and backed with...
": "Save up their money for a holiday/To Selsey Bill, or Bracklesham Bay and the Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
song "Driving in My Car
Driving in My Car
"Driving in My Car" is a single by Madness. It was released on 24 July 1982, and spent eight weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number four...
": "I drive up to Muswell Hill, I've even been to Selsey Bill." The references are to Selsey Bill although most of the holiday facilities are the other side of Selsey.
There were Pontin's holiday camps
Pontin's
Pontins is a British holiday business which was originally founded in 1946 by Fred Pontin. It specialises in offering half-board and self-catering holidays with regular entertainment on offer. Accommodation is usually in the form of chalets. The company once grew to be a major operator of...
at Selsey and Bracklesham Bay, although they are now both closed. The Pontin's at Broadreeds, Selsey, has now been redeveloped, and was the only site that was near to the Bill.
However both the modern Admiralty Chart and also the Ordnance Survey map of the area confirm that Selsey Bill is a headland and mostly covered by sea at high tide and Selsey is part of the mainland.
History
Although the name Selsey Bill is not particularly old, the area has been well known to sailors from the earliest times.There have been many wrecks off Selsey Bill over the years, probably one of the first recorded was Saint Wilfrid
Wilfrid
Wilfrid was an English bishop and saint. Born a Northumbrian noble, he entered religious life as a teenager and studied at Lindisfarne, at Canterbury, in Gaul, and at Rome; he returned to Northumbria in about 660, and became the abbot of a newly founded monastery at Ripon...
who when appointed Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
went to Compiègne
Compiègne
Compiègne is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.The city is located along the Oise River...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, to be consecrated. On his journey back home, in c.666, he was shipwrecked off Selsey Bill and was nearly killed by the heathen inhabitants.
Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
granted that lands of Chichester Cathedral should be exempt from the Court of the Admiralty
Admiralty court
Admiralty courts, also known as maritime courts, are courts exercising jurisdiction over all maritime contracts, torts, injuries and offences.- Admiralty Courts in England and Wales :...
in the manner of wrecks, this meant in effect that any wrecks off Selsey Bill would be the bishops property.
In the 18th century members of a notorious smuggling gang
Hawkhurst Gang
The Hawkhurst Gang was a notorious criminal organisation involved in smuggling throughout southeast England from 1735 until 1749. One of the more infamous gangs of the early 18th century, they extended their influence from Dorset, where they successfully raided the customs house at Poole, to the...
were captured and tried for the brutal murder of a supposed informant and a customs official , Chater and Galley. Seven were condemned to death at the assizes held at Chichester in 1749, after they had been executed at the Broyle, Chichester, two of them were subsequently hung in chains
Gibbet
A gibbet is a gallows-type structure from which the dead bodies of executed criminals were hung on public display to deter other existing or potential criminals. In earlier times, up to the late 17th century, live gibbeting also took place, in which the criminal was placed alive in a metal cage...
at Selsey Bill, a Yeakel and Gardner map has a Gibbet Field marked on it where it is believed the smugglers hung.
Since 1861 there has been a lifeboat station to the east of Selsey Bill, and there are a system of beacons that warn sailors of the treacherous
Owers and Mixon rocks that are south of Selsey Bill.
Selsey Bill and the sea
The Metereological office issues Shipping ForecastShipping Forecast
The Shipping Forecast is a four-times-daily BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles. It is produced by the Met Office and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The forecasts sent over the Navtex...
s and they are read out on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, four times a day.
It gives a summary of gale warnings in force, a general synopsis and area forecasts for specified
sea areas
Shipping Forecast
The Shipping Forecast is a four-times-daily BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles. It is produced by the Met Office and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The forecasts sent over the Navtex...
around the UK.
In addition, some bulletins include a forecast for all UK inshore waters, as distinct from the coastal waters. Selsey Bill is a boundary for two areas of the Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
's Inshore Water forecast
Inshore coastal areas of the United Kingdom
The inshore coastal areas of the United Kingdom are fifteen fixed stretches of coastline that are used in weather forecasting especially for wind-powered or small coastal craft. Each area is delimited by geographical features such as headlands, seaports or estuaries...
.
The area to the west extends to Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
and to the East to North Foreland
North Foreland
North Foreland is a chalk headland on the Kent coast of southeast England.North Foreland forms the eastern end of the Isle of Thanet. It presents a bold cliff to the sea, and commands views over the southern North Sea.-Lighthouse:...
. Selsey Bill is in sea area Wight.
In the 19th and early 20th century the local fishermen jointly owned a longboat, operated by 22 oarsmen. If any vessel was stranded off the Bill then after any rescue work had been completed the pilot of the longboat would negotiate with the skipper, of the damaged vessel, a price to assist them to safe harbour. In modern times the "Channel Pilot for the South Coast of England and the North Coast of France", cautions sailors that Selsey Bill is difficult to locate in poor visibility. However, in clear weather when the wind is moderate, a short cut can be afforded by using the Looe Channel that passes through the rocks and ledges south of the Bill, which is marked by buoys. The pilot recommends that a large scale chart is required and to proceed with caution.