Chichester Ship Canal and Basin

Chichester Ship Canal

The Chichester Ship Canal and Basin is a 19th-century inland waterway opened in 1822 as part of an ambitious plan to link Portsmouth to London via Chichester Harbour. Two and a half miles of the waterway have been restored and a footpath leads along the canal from the southern edge of Chichester to Birdham.

History

In the early decades of the 19th century a scheme was launched to create a navigable inland waterway connection between Portsmouth and London. The inland waterway was considered preferable to a coastal route because the English Channel was not safe for shipping during the Napoleonic Wars.

The scheme would have allowed ships to navigate the River Arun Navigation, Wey and Arun Junction Canal, River Wey, and the River Thames to reach London. The plan was given parliamentary approval in 1817.

Restored warehouses, Chichester Canal Basin

The system of linked canals and navigable rivers included the Portsmouth & Arundel Canal, composed of a 12-mile canal from the village of Ford, near Arundel, to Salterns, near Birdham, on an arm of Chichester Harbour. From Birdham, vessels navigated a 13-mile bargeway and a short section of canal at Langstone to reach Portsmouth harbour.

A branch canal struck north from Hunston to the edge of Chichester, allowing seagoing ships to sail all the way Chichester itself.

The engineer in charge of designing the canal was John Rennie, best-known for his work on the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Unfortunately, the navigation scheme was a commercial failure. The end of the Napoleonic Wars meant that the coastal route was quicker and cheaper, and the advent of larger seagoing cargo vessels made the inland navigation uneconomical.

The route did carry gold bullion on barges from Portsmouth to the Bank of England vaults in London, under the watchful eyes of armed guards.

Poyntz Bridge, 1822 swing bridge

The Chichester Ship Canal runs 1.5 miles from Hunston to the Chichester Canal Basin at Canal Wharf, near the railway station. At Hunston, the ship canal joins the main canal as it runs west to Saltern Lock and Birdham, a distance of around two miles. These sections of the canal are wider and featured a series of swing bridges that made it possible for ships as heavy as 100 tons to navigate as far inland as the Chichester Basin.

The Chichester Ship Canal was the only part of the Portsmouth & Arundel Canal to enjoy a limited commercial success. Manure was carried by ship to Birdham and ships carried coal and building materials from Birdham to Chichester.

The rest of the Portsmouth & Arundel Canal fell into disuse by the 1840s but the Chichester Ship Canal continued in operation until 1906, though ownership passed to the Chichester City Council in 1892. In 1957 the West Sussex County Council bought the canal, which was the leased to the Chichester Canal Angler's Association. In 1984 the Canal Society took over the lease.

Chichester Canal Basin

The canal basin opened in 1822 and is perhaps the most impressive historical feature on the Chichester Ship Canal. The basin measures 35m wide and 122m long and is 3.7m deep. Interestingly, the bottom of the basin is curved so that it is deeper in the middle. The bottom is also lined with brick.

The canal was dug in sections and each section had to be excavated to the exact depth of the last, to avoid water draining out under the force of gravity. Records show that over 11,500 cubic metres of earth was dug to create the basin.

Plans called for steam-powered pumping stations at Birdham and Ford to fill the canal with water, but during construction two springs were discovered on the basin site as well as a third spring at Padwick Bridge, so the canal and basin filled naturally. Only the pumping station at Ford was built and that proved unnecessary.

At the western end of the canal basin is a pub called The Richmond Arms. This was erected at the same time as the canal and was named after the Duke of Richmond, one of the canal's major backers. Here at the Richmond Arms, barge owners could eat, drink, and sleep.

The Canal Heritage Centre

Canal Heritage Centre

Beside the pub was a stable building which has now been converted into a heritage centre where you can learn about the canal's history. The heritage centre is free to enjoy.

A stone's throw from the heritage centre, on the south side of the canal basin, is a memorial bench commemorating the role of John Rennie in the design and construction of the ship canal.

The canal basin was linked to the city by a specially-built road, named Basin Road. Two houses were erected, one on either side of the road. One served as a customs house and the other provided accommodation for a canal manager. Only one of these houses remains. It is built of flint and stands at the corner of Basin Road and Canal Wharf Road.

Lime used as mortar in construction of the canal was made in a lime kiln owned by the Canal Company. The lime kiln continued in use after the canal was completed, producing lime for agriculture and construction work.

The Richmond Arms pub

On the northern side of the canal basin stands the Chichester Gasworks, built at the same time as the canal. Coal was transported up the canal to the basin, then heated in the gasworks to make gas. The gas was stored in a huge gasholder and the coke produced in the processing was sold as fuel.

There was a ready market for the gas manufactured here, as Chichester was one of the first British cities to be lit by gas. Production continued until 1958 and the gasholders stayed in use until 1970.

The area around the canal basin was busy with activity, including an active boat-building industry.

Poyntz Swing Bridge

Near South Bank, a short stroll south from the canal basin, stands Poyntz Bridge, an iron swing bridge across the canal. The bridge was originally located at Hunston, but was restored and moved here in 1997 on the original site of the Padwick Bridge.

Swing bridges were installed at canal crossings between Chichester and Saltern Lock at Birdham because they allowed heavily-laden ships of up to 100 tons to use the canal.

All of the swing bridges used on the Chichester Ship Canal were made to the same design by the C&H Tickell firm of Southampton in 1820. The bridges are made with a wooden deck supported by a cast-iron frame measuring 12.3m long and rested on a 'ball race' holding ten 10cm ball bearings to help swivel the bridge out of the way when needed.

There are 12 information panels along the course of the Chichester Ship Canal towpath. The path is part of the long-distance Lipchis Way.

John Rennie memorial, Chichester Canal Basin

Wildlife

The canal is a haven for birds and wildlife. Foxes can be spotted near the Selsey tramway, and birds such as kingfishers, herons, and swans abound along the waterway.

Refreshments are available at both ends of the towpath. There is free parking at the canal basin and at Chichester Marina and a regular bus service links the marina to the Chichester bus station.

The canal has been named a Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI).

Visiting

The canal has been restored from Chichester Canal Basin to a point near Donnington, but the final section west to Birdham remains to be done. The westernmost section at Birdham is used as Chichester Marina and is primarily used to moor houseboats. Regular boat tours depart the canal basin for Donnington. Visitors can also hire paddleboards, canoes, and row boats at the canal basin, as well as arrange short-term fishing permits.

The towpath that runs beside the canal has been fully restored all the way from Chichester Canal Basin to Birdham. The towpath is approximately 4 miles long and passes through beautiful countryside, with benches provided so you can sit and enjoy the views.

Chichester Canal, c.1829 by JMW Turner

One of the highlights of walking the towpath is the view back towards Chichester from Hunston. This view was painted by JMW Turner in 1829 and you will often find photographers trying to recreate Turner's painting, which now hangs in the Tate Britain in London.

On a personal note, I first became aware of the Chichester Ship Canal because my son and daughter-in-law briefly rented a flat on South Bank, a cul-de-sac off the A286 that terminated at the canal. From their flat we could stroll along the canal and reach the basin in a matter of minutes. Seeing the sun setting over the peaceful canal basin, highlighting the colourful narrowboats, was a joy to behold.