Sidlesham circular via Pagham Harbour, Selsey Bill and Medmerry

The Walk: A circular walk from the RSPB Visitor Centre at Sidlesham, along the shore of Pagham Harbour, with optional excursion along Pagham Spit to the mouth of Pagham Harbour, along the beach and sea wall to Selsey Bill, along the coast path and beach to the Medmerry breach and back along the track around the Medmerry tidal lagoon.

Map

NB The map shows my GPS track, with various diversions and excursions which you may not wish to follow precisely. The main circuit is in BLUE, optional excursion to Pagham Harbour Spit in RED.

Why do it: Twin RSPB Reserves of Pagham Harbour and Medmerry, with waders, wildfowl and raptors (take binoculars). Don't miss the Ferry Pool, viewable across the main road from a hide near the Visitor Centre. Views from Selsey Bill over the Solent to the Isle of Wight. Impressive Medmerry coastal re-engineering project (It was decided to give up trying to keep the sea back with massive shingle banks, and instead to construct a circle of embankments inland, and breach the defences to allow the sea to flood in to create a tidal habitat, which has become a magnet for waders and wildfowl.)

Distance: 10 miles (plus optional 2.5 mile circuit of Pagham Harbour Spit)

Logistics: Park at the RSPB Visitor Centre at Sidlesham (charge). (NB Although described as Pagham Harbour Visitor Centre, it is not at the village of Pagham, which is on the other side of the Harbour.) Alternatively, start at the Church Norton car park (charge - pay by phone only), no facilities, but convenient if you just want to do the circuit of the Spit.

Challenges: At high tide, flooding of the shore path near Church Norton may require you to take the inland alternative. Also, walking on the beach around Selsey Bill may be heavy going, and impossible around Selsey Bill itself since the beach may be completely covered, and you must take to back roads. On the other hand, doing the walk at high tide on a stormy day adds the excitement of dodging waves crashing over the wall, and you will also get better views of wading birds in Pagham Harbour and Medmerry lagoon as they are driven closer to the shore.

If you go to the tip of Pagham Harbour Spit, it is tempting to wander the sandbanks exposed at low tide, but keep an eye on the tide, it would be easy to get stranded.

Between Selsey Bill and the Seal Bay Resort, the coast path has been eroded by the sea and moved back, but this is probably a continuous battle, so follow latest signs. After that section, you can either walk along the beach or through the Seal Bay Resort (there seems no objection to walkers going through the Resort, though you may find the beach more restful).

All paths might be muddy in winter.

To minimise disruption to the birdlife, access to the embankment of the Medmerry inundation is limited to the viewpoint at the breach, and a section near the Chainbridge Sluice (see map) (access is better on the other side).

Medmerry

Refreshments: Simple coffee machine at the RSPB centre. Cafes etc along the sea wall leading to Selsey Bill. Bar/cafe in the Seal Bay leisure complex.

Nearby Walks

To the West: West Wittering to Medmerry Breach

To The East: Pagham to Elmer

Photos