Bosham is a village on the south coast, a few miles west of Chichester. Locally we call it Old Bosham. The New Bosham (officially Broadbridge) is on the north side of the A259 roundabout.
The Quay dates around Roman times, when it was, along with Fishbourne, an important local port.
According to legend, the 11th-century king of England, King Canute (also king of Denmark and Norway), was taken down to the water’s edge and tried to order the sea to go back. Tragedy struck him when his daughter drowned in a local millstream. She is reputedly in a grave in the local Saxon Church, Holy Trinity. A child’s coffin, discovered mid-19th century in the church, is attributed to Canute’s daughter.
Another historical connection is in the Bayeaux Tapestry, which illustrates King Harold riding to Bosham in the build-up of events leading to the Norman invasion of England.
There are several other local legends, including a dubious one about invading Vikings stealing the church bell.
Bosham in Chasing Shadows
Chapter 2 of Chasing Shadows describes Peter Grant, sitting in his car overlooking the harbour, weighing up his options after a meeting with his boss. Here is the scene:
He’s staring towards the horizon, hoping for inspiration from the silver-bottomed clouds. The tide is out, boats are sleeping on their muddy bellies, and wading birds are scouring the shallow pools for food. The tourists are idling away their time between the artisan craft shops and the church, searching for the stone marking the grave of King Canute’s drowned daughter.
The village has a good supply of tourists throughout the year and a keen boating community. Bosham Walk is similar to the craft centre described in my book, with several different craft shops under one roof. A friend of mine, Chris Letts, a terrific local sculptor, had a unit based there. However, Chris sadly died from complications associated with early-onset Alzheimer’s a few years ago. There is a plaque on the wall commemorating his time there. He was a genuinely talented and kind man, and we remember him with love.
