Barnham, West Sussex

Barnham, West Sussex
St Mary the Virgin Church,Barnham
Barnham, West Sussex  Barnham, West Sussex shown within West Sussex
Area	3.73 km2 (1.44 sq mi) [1]
Population	1,372 [1] 2001 Census
- Density	368 /km2 (950 /sq mi)
OS grid reference	SU959044
- London	51 miles (82 km) NNE
District	Arun
Shire county	West Sussex
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BOGNOR REGIS
Postcode district	PO22
Dialling code	01243
Police	Sussex
Fire	West Sussex
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Arundel and South Downs
List of places UK England West Sussex

Barnham is a large village and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, England, about five miles (8 km) north of Bognor Regis. The civil parish had a population of 1,270 persons according to the 1991 census, although the adjacent area of 'West Barnham' (actually in the parish of Eastergate - see below) adds a further 3,107 (2001 census) to the total. The village covers an area of 373.3ha. As with many other such villages in the south-east of England, there are plans for many more houses to be built, mostly retirement apartments for the elderly.

Barnham is mentioned in the Domesday Book and the cattle market (founded in 1890 but now long gone) was, in its heyday, considered to be one of the most important in Sussex for both cattle and cereals.

In the 20th century this area, on alluvial soils, was important for market gardening; There are many large, industrial-sized greenhouses in the area, although very few actually within the parish boundary.

The parish church, dedicated to St Mary, was given to the Abbey of Lessay in Normandy in 1105 and later passed to Boxgrove Priory.^[2] There is an elaborate carved rectangular font of Sussex marble.^[3] The white wooden tower was once regarded as an important aid to shipping in the English Channel.

The Murrell Arms

There were two public houses in the village until 2010, The Barnham Bridge Inn and the Murrell Arms - originally a farmhouse, built in 1750, and licensed since 1866. In 2010 The Barnham Bridge Inn closed when the brewery was taken into administration. The building remains, and the letting rooms are still occupied. The pub part of The Barnham Bridge Inn has remained closed in 2011.

Barnham Windmill lies on the South-Eastern boundary of the village on the road to Yapton. The present windmill was built in 1829 and has undergone start-and-stop restoration for over a decade although there seems to have been little work done since 2007. The windmill used to be accessible through the adjacent tea rooms (albeit in a rather 'at your own risk', unofficial manner!), but when the tea rooms closed in 2005 so did access to the mill. In August 2009, work began to turn the tea rooms and adjacent property into a total of 5 dwellings, with the provisional development plans stating that the windmill would be turned into a '4/5 bedroom house'.^{[4] [5]}

Part of the Portsmouth-Arundel Canal (opened in 1823 but now disused and filled in) are visible to the SE of the village, including remains of the locks and pivots used for the locking mechanisms.

History

St Mary's Church represents the heart of 'Old Barnham', but when the railway station and junction for Bognor Regis were built approximately one mile north of the church, the focus of the village shifted as businesses built premises adjacent to the station and this was followed by housing developments centred on this location.

See also

• Barnham railway station

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barnham, West Sussex.

• Barnham Parish Council
• Barnham Windmill
• Barnham through the Ages (Arun District Council)
• Barnham in the Domesday Book