As crunchy leaf and chunky knitwear season continues to clamber its way onto the horizon, I thought I’d take it upon myself to point you in the direction of yet another English village that looks like it could have sprung straight the scene of an autumnal rom-com. And today’s picture-perfect spot comes in the form of Bosham, a historic coastal village near Chichester that makes for a pretty dreamy day-trip from the capital city.
The history of Bosham
The quaint and quintessential village of Bosham (supposedly pronounced ‘Bozzum’ to the locals) has been inhabited since at least the Roman times. The village’s 10th-century church is believed to have been built on top of the remains of a Roman basilica and the likes of a possible temple, a small theatre, and the fragments of pottery and mosaic tiles dating back to the Roman times have been discovered in the area.
The village played a pretty important role in British history – and perhaps one of its most impressive claims to fame is its links to the Bayeux Tapestry. The talk of the town as of late due to it returning to the UK for the first time in almost 1000 years, the Bayeux Tapestry is an elaborately-embroidered cloth, telling the tale of the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings.
The medieval masterpiece has just arrived at the British Museum and features 58 intricately-illustrated scenes; two of which include Bosham. Harold Godwinson appears on the tapestry, riding to the village’s Holy Trinity church, and then tucking into a feast before setting sail for Normandy. Bosham then gets a second feature as the site of Harold’s return to England.
Nowadays, the village’s scenic shoreline offers some gorgeous walking and cycling routes. The harbour has long been a popular spot for artists and photographers alike – and it’s not too tricky to see why. So, whether you’re a history-buff, an art-lover, an avid sailor, cyclist, or or sight-seer, there’s bound to be something that piques your interest in this small but oh-so mighty village.
Getting to Bosham from London
The village of Bosham is roughly a 90 minute drive from London, and there are a fair few public car parks available upon arrival. Non-drivers can hop on a train from London Waterloo to Havant, where they can then change to another train that’ll take them directly to Bosham.
