Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve
Birdwatching, walks and wildlife on Bognor's doorstep
Pagham Harbour is one of the most important wildlife sites on the south coast and sits immediately to the west of Aldwick, making it remarkably accessible from the Bognor Regis area. The harbour is a nature reserve managed by the RSPB, encompassing a tidal inlet, saltmarsh, mudflats, shingle banks and surrounding farmland that together support an exceptional variety of bird and plant life.
The harbour is a natural inlet that was historically used for small-scale shipping and fishing but has gradually returned to its natural state as human activity declined. The attempts to reclaim and drain the harbour in the nineteenth century ultimately failed, and the tidal mudflats and saltmarsh that re-established themselves are now among the most valuable habitats on the Sussex coast.
Birdwatching is the primary draw for visitors to Pagham Harbour. The site is important for breeding, wintering and migrating birds, and the species list runs to several hundred. Little terns breed on the shingle banks in summer, dark-bellied brent geese arrive in their thousands each autumn from Siberia, and waders including avocets, grey plovers, curlews and redshanks feed on the mudflats throughout the year. During spring and autumn migration, the harbour can produce rarities that draw birdwatchers from across the country.
The RSPB visitor centre at Sidlesham provides information, maps and expert advice for visitors. The centre has displays about the harbour's wildlife and history, and the staff and volunteers are knowledgeable about what is being seen on the reserve at any given time. Hides overlooking the harbour provide sheltered viewpoints for birdwatching, and the paths around the reserve are well maintained and marked.
The walk from the visitor centre around the southern shore of the harbour to Church Norton is the most popular route. Church Norton is a tiny settlement at the harbour mouth, where the medieval chapel of St Wilfrid sits on a raised bank overlooking the sea and the harbour entrance. The chapel, the ancient yew trees and the wild, exposed character of the site make Church Norton one of the most atmospheric places on the Sussex coast.
The harbour is also important for its plant life, with the saltmarsh supporting species that are adapted to the harsh conditions of tidal inundation and salt exposure. The shingle beaches have their own specialist flora, and the surrounding grassland supports wildflowers that attract butterflies and other insects.
For walkers who are not particularly interested in birdwatching, Pagham Harbour still provides excellent walking in a beautiful and peaceful setting. The light over the harbour changes constantly with the weather and tides, and the sense of wildness so close to a built-up area is surprising and refreshing. The harbour is at its most dramatic on a stormy winter day, when the wind whips across the water and the geese fly in ragged lines against a grey sky.
Access to Pagham Harbour is free, with car parking available at the visitor centre and at Church Norton. The reserve is open at all times, though the visitor centre has set opening hours. Dogs are welcome on leads on most of the paths, though some areas are restricted during the breeding season to protect ground-nesting birds.