Beach at Selsey Bill

Image: © Marathon Taken: 3 Sep 2015

Ian Nairn writing about Selsey in the Buildings of England says "Somehow very English, in the inconsequential way it has muddled through with its topography. Like Dunwich, it was originally an important town in Saxon England which has been affected by coastal erosion; like Dunwich, it still looks as though half of it is missing. It was the see of a Saxon bishop. The see moved to Chichester only in 1075. Since Domesday about half a mile has been eroded from Selsey Bill, and therefore the legend of a 'cathedral under the sea' is almost certainly true. The village developed about half a mile inland from the Bill, with its church at Church Norton. In the early 19th century it began to expand, moved the nave arcades into a new church in the village, and left the chancel by itself in the old churchyard. Then the 20th century came... today's Selsey is one main street .. which runs straight on to the sea and stops abruptly without pier or esplanade." This view is from a point immediately east of Selsey Bill where the coastline swings back towards the north-east. The thunderstorm seen ahead stayed further inland.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0