Colner Creek and Bosham

This is a short walk that takes in the rather interesting area around Colner Creek on the North East corner of Bosham Channel, Bosham village and it's foreshore. It's only two and a half miles long but good to take the dog for a walk in the morning to see what's happening in that part of the channel.

Parking is by the Hamblin Centre which is on a side road off the A259. It's not particularly attractive walking along the main road and crossing, but it doesn't take long to arrive at the foot path heading south across the fields to the harbour.

At the sea wall take the left hand path which goes over Colner Creek and follows the edge of the harbour round towards the South. The creek is very tidal, here it's low water
but at high tide most of this is submerged. It's a haven for wildfowl and waders so also very popular with wildfowlers.

Heading south there are good views of the harbour, especially Chidham Creek on the opposite bank. Usually there's plenty of geese, redshanks and widgeon in the winter as well as less obvious birds like Godwits.

Further on the path leads though some houses, along a road and down to the village where there's a coffee shop and the Anchor Bleu which is an excellent pub.
You can also see the main part of the harbour and the road that regularly floods at high water much to the dismay of visitors who have parked there.

Unfortunately the church yard is out of bounds to dogs so we didn't go there. If you follow your nose, you end up on the green in front of the Sailing Club which is a delightful place to be in summer; there's always something going on on the water there.

Turning right there's a foot path clearly marked that goes through several houses and out onto the foreshore opposite the spit on the other side known locally as the Wreck for
obvious reasons. This part of the path is tidal but it's only on high spring tides that it's impassable.

Between the houses is the site of the old boatyard with it's slip still in place although the rails are rather rusty; it all looks rather sad, it such a shame that it couldn't remain a working yard.

The path then rejoins the one taken earlier which you follow back along Colner Creek with a different perspective this time. If you're lucky there are huge packs of wigeon at the head of the harbour here in winter, hundreds all clustered together at the same time.