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THE MANHOOD 81 |
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Two miles north, by extremely rough lanes, is West Itchenor, where the country is slightly undulating and fairly wooded, the effect of which along the shores of the harbour, particularly by the ferry across the Chichester Channel to the Bosham peninsula, is rather attractive, at any rate when the tide is high. The little Early English church of Itchenor has a round arched south door, the dripstone corbels being heads turned upside down; there are three coffin-slabs with crosses. The Gentlemans Magazine for 1803 has an account of Itchenor, in the course of which we learn: " The land is in general a strong loam, which is much improved by chalking, and produces large crops of wheat. The village consists of two public-houses and a few cottages near the sea. The Duke of Richmond has a neat house and pleasure-grounds adjoining the street, with a hot-bath on the shore. A few years past the Belvidere and the ill-fated Halswell, Indiamen, were built here; and about three years ago a vessel on a new construction, carrying five masts, was built here; but nothing has been attempted since."
The next village to the east is Birdham, close to which the Chichester and Arundel Canal (p. 49) enters the harbour, locked on account of the tide. There is a little church with tower, nave, chancel, and porch, chiefly of the fourteenth century. No mediaeval church is without interest, but this one is not specially remarkable in any way. |
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