Felpham: Village History, Blake and Coastal Path

Felpham combines a rural village centre with cultural and coastal themes. If you’re looking for a hotel in Felpham, these different points of interest can help you choose how to explore the area based on your travel interests: old buildings and high flint walls shape the village’s appearance, while connections to Blake and the Church of St Mary offer specific cultural points of interest. There are also Felpham Beach, the King Charles III England Coast Path and the training courses offered by Felpham Sailing Club. This gives you a basis for weighing up whether village history, walking, the beach or water sports should shape your travel plans.

Village Character and Historic Buildings

At the heart of the village, Felpham retains its rural character. Old buildings, high flint walls and a picturesque street layout shape its appearance. These features offer a view of the village as a whole: its character comes not only from individual buildings but also from its streetscape. This distinguishes the village ensemble from the specific cultural connections to the Church of St Mary, Blake and Ernest Joyce.

Church, Blake and Cultural Heritage

The Church of St Mary is a Grade II* listed building. Its 13th-century clerestory is a particularly notable feature and is rare in Sussex. Blake’s Cottage is also a Grade II* listed building. Felpham therefore has two buildings in the same listing category but with different points of interest; the Church of St Mary also has a rare architectural feature. Felpham is also the birthplace of Blake’s “Jerusalem”. The buildings, architectural feature and connection to the work thus offer different points of interest for anyone interested in Felpham’s cultural history.

A blue stone plaque in Fisherman’s Gardens commemorates Ernest Joyce’s courage and pioneering spirit. The gardens are part of the historic Old Coastguards area in the village of Felpham. The plaque adds the memory of Ernest Joyce to Felpham’s connections to Blake; its location in Old Coastguards also places it within a historic area of the village.

Coastal Path and Landscape

The King Charles III England Coast Path offers a different focus: walking. A description published on 18 October 2023 called the section that was then the newest a continuous, easy-to-follow walking route. These two features answer different planning questions: continuous describes the route, while easy to follow describes navigation. Local diversions can change, so check the current route before setting out.

Felpham SSSI is a small foreshore area east of the mouth of the Aldingbourne Rife. As a protected geological site, it offers a different connection to the landscape from the village’s buildings and monuments. Its defining details are its small size and location east of the mouth. The comparison makes the distinction clear: the SSSI is a specific foreshore area, while the Coast Path is about the continuity and navigation of a walking route.

Sailing and the Beach

Felpham Sailing Club focuses on more than sailing in general: it is a Royal Yachting Association (RYA)-recognised training centre and mainly offers dinghy sailing and powerboating courses. These are two specific course areas. RYA recognition also describes the status of the training centre, while the course content shows which water sports are its main focus.

Bright blue and yellow beach huts define the appearance of Felpham Beach. There is a small car park on Culver Road, as well as free on-street parking. Parking regulations can change, so check the latest information before travelling. This lets you keep the beach huts in mind as a characteristic of the area and treat the parking information separately as practical guidance that may change.

For the main travel overview: Bognor Regis.