Dell Quay Walk

1.4 miles (2.3 km)

This is a pleasant little walk to Dell Quay in the Chichester Harbour. You can start the walk from the public car park at Apuldram and then follow a footpath west to reach the Fishbourne Channel.... The waterside path will then take you south along the channel to Dell Quay where there's nice views over the Bosham.
The starting village of Apuldram dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period, with its name translating to the apple tree pool. The public car park sits near the historic thirteenth-century St Mary’s Church, which features traditional Sussex flint architecture. The opening footpath takes you through a landscape of flat agricultural fields, historic saltmarshes, and tidal reedbeds before arriving at the edge of the Fishbourne Channel.
The waterside path runs along a raised sea wall, providing clear, elevated views across the tidal mudflats. This intertidal zone is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), acting as an essential feeding habitat for a rich variety of coastal wildlife. Walkers can regularly observe wading birds such as little egrets, curlews, lapwings, and redshanks feeding in the shallows. During the winter months, large flocks of dark-bellied brent geese use the channel as a regular sanctuary.
Dell Quay itself serves as the focal point of the walk and has a prominent maritime history. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, it acted as the main commercial port for the city of Chichester, ranking as one of the busiest trading hubs in the south of England for exporting wool and importing coal. Today, the quay is much quieter, operating primarily as a recreational sailing hub with a busy boatyard and an active sailing club.
The walk is highly popular due to its flat, straightforward terrain, though the shoreline path can become muddy and exposed to the wind. Visitors can find excellent food and drink options right on the waterfront at the Crown and Anchor pub, which dates back to the sixteenth century and is famous for its panoramic sunset views across the harbor.
You can continue your walking on the nearby Fishbourne and Bosham Circular Walk or the Bosham Hoe Walk.