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==Cultural references== |
==Cultural references== |
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Selsey is referenced in the punk song "Saturday's Kids" by [[The Jam]] (from the 1979 album [[Setting Sons]]), along with [[Bracklesham Bay]], as a place where these lower-middle-class children take holiday with their families: "Save up their money for a holiday/To Selsey Bill, or Bracklesham Bay |
Selsey is referenced in the punk song "Saturday's Kids" by [[The Jam]] (from the 1979 album [[Setting Sons]]), along with [[Bracklesham Bay]], as a place where these lower-middle-class children take holiday with their families: "Save up their money for a holiday/To Selsey Bill, or Bracklesham Bay." |
||
Selsey is also referenced in the opening scene of the Lerner and Loewe musical [[My Fair Lady]], where one of the lower-class characters is told by Professor Higgins that he comes from Selsey, based on his accent |
Selsey is also referenced in the opening scene of the Lerner and Loewe musical [[My Fair Lady]], where one of the lower-class characters is told by Professor Higgins that he comes from Selsey, based on his accent. |
||
Selsey is further referenced in the [[Madness (band)|Madness]] song Driving in my car "I drive up to Muswell Hill, I've even been to Selsey Bill" |
Selsey is further referenced in the [[Madness (band)|Madness]] song Driving in my car "I drive up to Muswell Hill, I've even been to Selsey Bill" |
Revision as of 16:45, 14 January 2010
Selsey | |
---|---|
Aerial view | |
Area | 12.28 km2 (4.74 sq mi) [1] |
Population | 9,875 [1] 2001 Census |
• Density | Template:Pop density km2 to mi2 |
OS grid reference | SZ854935 |
• London | 60 miles (97 km) NNE |
Civil parish |
|
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | CHICHESTER |
Postcode district | PO20 |
Dialling code | 01243 |
Police | Sussex |
Fire | West Sussex |
Ambulance | South East Coast |
UK Parliament | |
Website | http://www.selseytowncouncil.gov.uk/ |
Selsey is a seaside town and civil parish, about seven miles (11 km) south of Chichester, in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. Selsey lies at the southernmost point of the Manhood Peninsula, almost cut off from mainland Sussex by the sea. It is bounded to the west by Bracklesham Bay, to the north by Broad Rife (rife being the local word for stream or creek), to the east by Pagham Harbour and terminates in the south at Selsey Bill. There are significant rock formations beneath the sea off both of its coasts, named the Owers rocks and Mixon rocks. Coastal erosion has been an ever present problem for Selsey .[2]
There is only one road (the B2145) in and out of the town which briefly becomes a bridge at a point known as "the ferry", crossing the water inlet at Pagham Harbour. At one time Selsey was inaccessible at flood tide, and a boat was stationed at the ferry to take horses and passengers to and from Sidlesham.[3]
Placename
According to Bede the name Selsey is derived from the Saxon Seals-ey and can be interpreted as the Isle of Sea Calves (sea calves are better known as seals).[4]
Edward Heron-Allen identified at least twenty different spellings of the place that we now know today as Selsey.[5]
A selection of versions as identified by Heron-Allen are:
- Seoles - Old English
- Seleisi - Domesday Book 1086
- Celesye - Assize Roll 1279
History
The earliest evidence of human habitation, in the Selsey area, goes back to the stone age.[6] Various stone implements have been found which date to the Palaeolithic period.[7] People have been living in the area ever since.[8][9]
It is believed that, in the Iron Age, the Atrebates (one of the Belgae tribes) built a city at Selsey, similar in status to the pre-Roman urban centre ( oppidum) at Hengistbury Head near Christchurch.[9][10][11] So far there is no archaelogical evidence to confirm this, although some have speculated that the old city that Camden refers to is, indeed the old Belgae settlement and was located at the Mixon rocks, now south of Selsey Bill.[12][13][14].
There have been various finds of silver and gold coins in the Selsey area.[16] Gold coins from the Atrebates rulers named Commius, Tincommius, Verica, Eppillus, and Cunobelin were found on the beach in 1877, it is thought that these coins would have been minted locally.[17][18]. The ancient British coins would have been superseded by Roman coins and there have been finds of them too.[17][19] In addition, some Anglo-Saxon gold fragments were found on the beach between Selsey and Bognor, these were dated as late 6th/ 8th century and what made them particularly interesting is that they had a runic inscription on them, the fragments were handed over to the British Museum.[15][20]
Selsey was the capital of the South Saxons kingdom, possibly founded by Ælle. Wilfrid arrived circa 680 and converted the kingdom to Christianity, as recorded by the Venerable Bede[21]. Selsey Abbey stood at Selsey (probably where Church Norton is today)[22], and was the cathedra for the Sussex Diocese until this was moved to Chichester in 1075 by order of William the Conqueror.[23] In the Doomsday book Selesie is mentioned under the hundred of Summerly:
"The Bishop(of Chichester) holds Selesie in domain. In the time of King Edward it was rated at ten hides, and so it continues. The arable is seven plough lands. There are two ploughs in the demesne, and fourteen villains with eleven bondsmen have five ploughs."[24][25]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Smuggle1.jpg/150px-Smuggle1.jpg)
The manor of Selsey remained in the Bishop of Chichesters hands until 1561, when it was taken over by the crown[24]
In July 1588 the Spanish Armada arrived off the Isle of Wight with the intention of attacking Portsmouth.[26] The wind changed direction to the south-west. Men from the Manhood Peninsula serving under Drake conceived a plan to lure the Spanish fleet onto the Owers rocks (off Selsey).[14][26]. However the Spanish Admiral, recognising the danger decided to head for Calais[26].
Over the centuries Selsey has derived an income from the sea, one of the darker enterprises was smuggling.[27] In the eighteenth century Selsey Bill was very much more isolated than it is today, and the sand spit extended farther out to sea. There was only the causeway connected to the mainland and that was covered at high tide.[3] The approach of the local riding officer would have been conspicuous in the extreme.[28] The Rectors of Selsey reputedly claimed a tithe on all kegs landed there, and stories also tell of a passageway leading from the Old Rectory (at Church Norton) to the remains of a Mound, thought to have been built by the Normans.[29][30] The course of the tunnel was marked by a depression on the surface of the ground as late as 1911.[31][32]
In the 1720s one Selsey man ran a regular ferry service to France, travelling back and forth every five weeks, and other prominent Selsey figures made considerable fortunes just from part-time work in the free-trade.[28] Landings weren't confined to Selsey itself: in a single run in 1743 2,000 lbs of tea were brought inland at West Wittering some six miles away.[28]
In 1749 fourteen smugglers were accused of the murder of Mr. William Galley, a Custom-house Officer, and Mr. Daniel Chater, a Shoemaker.[33] Seven were tried and hanged in Chichester for their crimes. Subsequently, two of the smugglers, John Cobby and John Hammond had their bodies hung in gibbets at Selsey Bill so that they could be seen at great distance from east and west.[34][35]
At the beginning of the 19th century, Selsey opened its first school. In 1818 premises were granted to the Rector and churchwardens of Selsey which were on trust to permit the premises to be used for a schoolhouse or free school, for the gratuitous education of such poor children belonging to the Parish of Selsey as the said trustees or successors may think proper.[36] The school was eventually taken over by the local authority in 1937.[37]
Selsey was connected to Chichester from 1897 to 1935 by a rail link initially called the Hundred of Manhood and Selsey Tramway and later the West Sussex Railway. The light railway rolling stock was all second hand and not very reliable and the journey times lengthy. Various nick names such as the Selsey Snail were attributed to the tram and comic postcards were issued reflecting its poor service.[38]
Climate
Climate data for Selsey | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Source: [39] |
Landmarks
The parish has a couple of Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Bracklesham Bay runs along the coastline of the parish.[40] Pagham Harbour falls partly within the parish.[41] The harbour and surrounding land is of national importance for both flora and fauna. The shingle spit is also of geological interest.
Selsey Cricket Club
Selsey Cricket Club was founded in 1834 and is one of England's oldest cricket clubs.[42] Cricket had been played in Selsey before the clubs foundation and a famous incident occurred in 1647, when a fielder called Henry Brand died, after being struck on the head by a batsman trying to hit the ball a second time to avoid being out.[42]
The clubs most famous member is the B.B.C. astronomer Sir Patrick Moore, C.B.E. Sir Patrick was a former Club Secretary, and an active playing member, and is now an Honorary Life Vice President.[43] A former President of Selsey Cricket Club was Hubert Doggart, O.B.E., MA. He was the son of the sportsman Graham Doggart who rose to chair the Football Association.
Doggart fils represented England in two Test matches in 1950. He was President of the MCC (1981–1982), the Cricket Council (1981–1982) and the Cricket Society (1983–1998), and he chaired the Friends of Arundel Castle Cricket Club (1993–2003). In the 1970s he played occasionally for Selsey CC.
Education
Selsey has a secondary school called Manhood Community College and two primary schools, Seal Primary School and Medmerry Primary School.[44] Before and after the Second World War there were several private preparatory schools in Selsey including Broombank School housed in the former residence of the music hall entertainer Bramsby Williams next to the Selsey Hotel.[44][45] The owner/headmaster from the early 1950s until the school's closure in 1969 was William Percy Higgs (died Bristol 1986), a former Cambridge University organ scholar and music master at Eton.[44] Higgs made Broombank a music and arts school attracting the children of well known actors, artists and musicians as well as temporary students from France, whose numbers occasionally matched those of the British children. [44]
Notable residents
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Ericcoates.jpg/250px-Ericcoates.jpg)
Notable residents of Selsey include Sir Patrick Moore (Born 1923) – an astronomer, writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter has lived in Selsey since 1968.[47]
Air Commodore Edward 'Teddy' Mortlock Donaldson CB, CBE, DSO, AFC and Bar, LoM (USA)(1912 – 1992) who set a new world air speed record of 616 mph in September 1946, also breaking the 1,000 kilometres per hour (620 mph) barrier for the first time in the Star Meteor IV. Donaldson lived at Iron Latch Cottage, a blue plaque being placed on the beach at the bottom of Park Lane to mark the event. Donaldson has a second plaque at No. 86, Grafton Road.[48]
Eric Coates(1886 -1957) the English Composer lived and worked in Selsey. He wrote the hit song Sleepy Lagoon which was a reference to Pagham Harbour. His musical composition can still be heard as the theme tune to Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4.[46]
Edward Heron-Allen (1861-1943): Selsey's most distinguished resident in the early 20th century, Mr Heron-Allen made an enormous contribution to village life and today is still well known as the author of the classic work on local history for the area.[48] [49]
Colin Pullinger (1814-94): A Victorian business man who was an undertaker, wooden pump maker, repairer of umbrellas, letter writer and clerk to the Selsey Sparrow Club. He was famed for making more than two million humane and perpetual mousetraps, which were exhibited at international exhibitions in London and Philadelphia. A blue plaque has been placed at the site of his Inventive Factory, which is today occupied by the offices of Selsey Town Council in the High Street.[48]
Cultural references
Selsey is referenced in the punk song "Saturday's Kids" by The Jam (from the 1979 album Setting Sons), along with Bracklesham Bay, as a place where these lower-middle-class children take holiday with their families: "Save up their money for a holiday/To Selsey Bill, or Bracklesham Bay."
Selsey is also referenced in the opening scene of the Lerner and Loewe musical My Fair Lady, where one of the lower-class characters is told by Professor Higgins that he comes from Selsey, based on his accent.
Selsey is further referenced in the Madness song Driving in my car "I drive up to Muswell Hill, I've even been to Selsey Bill"
See also
Notes
- ^ a b "2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish" (PDF). West Sussex County Council. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
- ^ SCOPAC. Sedimentary Study from East Head to Pagham. p.3. - The Standing Conference on Problems Associated with the Coastline (SCOPAC) was established in 1986 and consists of local authorities, the Environment agency and others. Archaeological evidence demonstrates that the coastline was some 2 to 3km seawards of where it is now at about 5,000 years
- ^ a b Horsfield. History and Antiquities Vol II p.35.A man and horse paid twopence; a foot passenger one halfpenny. The farmers and renters paid annually a certain portion of corn..
- ^ Bede. p.227
- ^ Heron-Allen.Selsey Historic. pp.6 - 7
- ^ Heron-Allen p.72.
- ^ Heron-Allen. Plate XI
- ^ Heron-Allen p.73
- ^ a b Mee. pp.5 - 6. The early beginnings of Selsey.
- ^ Roman Sussex-Chichester and the Chilgrove Valley. Alec Down.p.52.The main oppidum of this shrunken kingdom was probably at Selsey
- ^ History files. The Tribe of the Atrebates.
- ^ Cambden. Britannia. p.228. At low water there are obscure Remains of that ancient little City where those Bishops resided
- ^ Richardson. The Owers, p.76. If, as seems almost certain, The Mixon is the site of the 'the old city' perhaps Cymenes ora itself...
- ^ a b Admiralty Chart 2045 - This chart provides details of the coastal waters around Selsey Bill
- ^ a b British Museum catalogue and description.
- ^ Mee. A History of Selsey, Chapter 2 - The author lists various finds and provides illustrations of the coins found
- ^ a b Heron-Allen. Selsey Historic and Prehistoric . Chapter XXI - Description and pictures of coins found.
- ^ British Museum Catalogue of pre-Roman coins at Selsey
- ^ Romans in Sussex. Description and pictures of Roman coins found at Selsey.
- ^ Hines. p.448 Two bits of gold found on the beach between Selsey and Bognor..
- ^ Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People. ch.13
- ^ 'Selsey', A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 4: The Rape of Chichester (1953), pp. 205-210. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41746&strquery=church+norton Date accessed: 19 October 2009.
- ^ Horsfield. History and Antiquities Vol II. p.20. ... all cathedral churches should be removed from villages to cities.
- ^ a b Horsfied. History and Antiquities Vol II P.35
- ^ Horspool. Alfred. p.102. A hide is a bit like a form of tax, it is the amount of men required to maintain and defend an area for the King. The Burghal Hideage defines the measurement as one hide would be equivalent to one man. The hidage explains for the maintenance and defence of an acres breadth of wall sixteen hides are required
- ^ a b c Mee. pp. 11 - 12. Description of what preparations Selsey made to support the action against the Armada
- ^ Mee. Ch.7 the author explains the various ways the sea has been important to Selsey. Including wrecks, wrecking and smuggling
- ^ a b c Smugglers Britain. Description of Selsey Bill and smuggling activities Cite error: The named reference "smugglersbritain" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ SAC. Volume 119. p.221 - talking about the Mound.. the earthworks were probably constructed in the Norman period and probably soon after 1066..
- ^ Mee.p38. There is even a tradition in Selsey that some of the Rectors used to take a 'tythe of kegs'..
- ^ Heron-Allen p.195. The author speculates that the gullys were built as part of the Armada defences.
- ^ SAC Vol 119. pp.218 -219. Plan of the mound
- ^ Smugglers and Smuggling. The book provides a narrative on the offence, capture, trial and excution of the smugglers involved.
- ^ Smugglers and Smuggling. p.124.
- ^ Heron-Allen. Historic and Prehistoric. p.309. and copy of tithe map. The Author says that it is not clear where the gibbets would have stood, but in an old tithe map, there was a Gibbet Field and he feels that this would have been the most likely place. The field was immediately adjacent to Selsey Bill.
- ^ Mee. p.75
- ^ Mee. p.80
- ^ Mee. pp.84-96. Information on the railway.
- ^ "Averages for Selsey".
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(help) - ^ "SSSI Citation — Bracklesham Bay" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
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(help) - ^ "SSSI Citation — Pagham Harbour" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
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(help) - ^ a b Timothy J McCann (2004) Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century, Sussex Record Society
- ^ Selsey Cricket Club
- ^ a b c d Mee. Chapter Nine. Education in Selsey
- ^ Kellys Directory (1938)p.515 -516. Entry for Broombank School:Broombank Boarding; School(Misses Morgan, principals), Manor road.. Entry for the Selsey Hotel:Selsey Hotel (Selsey Hotel Ltd.), Manor rd.
- ^ a b Eric Coates Remembered. Blue Plaque Citation by local council.
- ^ Moore. The Autobiography p.62 -We arrived in Selsey on 29 June 1968 ..
- ^ a b c Blue Plaque press release.Citation by county council of blue plaques awarded to Selsey and reasons.
- ^ Selsey Bill: Historic and Prehistoric, published in 1911
References
- Heron-Allen, Edward (1911). Selsey Historic and Prehistoric. Duckworth.
- Hines, John (1990). BAMMESBERGER WOLLMANN (ed.). The Runic Inscriptions of Early Anglo-Saxon England. C.Winter. ISBN 3533042715.
- Mee, Frances (1988). A History of Selsey. Chichester, Sussex: Philimore. ISBN 0850336724.
- Cambden, William (Updated English version 1701). Britannia Vol 1. London: Joseph Wild.
{{cite book}}
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(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - Salzman, Louis Francis (facsimile edition 1973). A Victorian History of the County of Sussex: Volumes 4. London: Victoria County History. ISBN 071290588X.
{{cite book}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - Moore, Patrick (2003). The Autobiography. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton. ISBN 0-7509-4014-x.
{{cite book}}
: Check|isbn=
value: invalid character (help) - "2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish" (PDF). West Sussex County Council. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
- "SSSI Citation — Bracklesham Bay" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - "SSSI Citation — Pagham Harbour" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - Richardson, W.A.R. (2000–2001). The Owers. The English Placename Society Journal 33.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date format (link) - Chart 2045. Outer Approaches to The Solent (Map). United Kingdom Hydrographic Office. 2005.
- Horsfield, Thomas (1835 Facsimile Ed 2009). The History, Antiquities and Topography of the County of Sussex Vol II. Country Books. ISBN 978-1-906789-16-9.
{{cite book}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - Bede Venerablis (1988). A History of the English Church and People. Penguin Classics. ISBN 0-14-044042-9.
{{cite book}}
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ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - Horspool, David (2007). Why Alfred Burnt the Cakes. London: Profile Books. ISBN 978-1-86197-779-3.
- 2002 "BLUE PLAQUES TRACE SELSEY HERITAGE Press Release Number:290". West Sussex County Council. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
{{cite web}}
: Check|url=
value (help) - 1998 "COMPOSER ERIC COATES REMEMBERED Press Release Number:347". West Sussex County Council. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
{{cite web}}
: Check|url=
value (help) - "Sediment Transport Study East Head to Pagham Harbour" (PDF). SCOPAC. 2003. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - "Details of gold fragments found at Selsey". British Museum. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
- "British Museum catalogue of pre-Roman coins found at Selsey". OUP. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
- "Tribe of the Atrebates". History Files. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
- "Iron Age Coins". Romans in Sussex. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
- "Selsey Bill". Smugglers Britain. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
- F.G.Aldsworth & E.D.Garnett (1981). "Excavations at the Mound, Church Norton, Selsey. SAC Volume 119". Lewes: Sussex Archaelogical Society.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - A. Gentleman (1749). Smuggling and Smugglers in Sussex. Brighton: W.J.Smith. - The author was simply described as A Gentleman of Chichester. Not clear why his identity was hidden!
- "Selsey Cricket Club". Selsey Cricket Club. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
- Post Office Directory - Sussex. London: Kelly's Directories. 1938.
- Alec Down (1978). Peter Drewett (ed.). Archaeology in Sussex to A.D.1500 (Research reports / Council for British Archaeology):Roman Sussex-Chichester and the Chilgrove Valley. London: Council for British Archaeology. ISBN 090031267X.