Barnham, West Sussex

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Barnham is a small town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, England, about five miles north of Bognor Regis. The civil parish had a population of 1,372 persons (2001 census) and 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; the parish church, dedicated to St Mary, with its white wooden tower once regarded as an important aid to shipping in the English Channel.

Barnham railway station lies on the West Coastway Line and was opened in 1864, although most of the station complex actually lies within Eastergate parish. It was named until 1929 Barnham Junction, since the branch line to Bognor Regis leaves the main line here. Services operated by South West Trains and First Great Western also call here, for Portsmouth, Cardiff and other western destinations.

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.

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. There is a continuing debate about the amount of light pollution caused by them. Barnham Nurseries and F. Toynbee Ltd were two important horticultural nurseries based in the village, both now closed.

There are two public houses in the village, The Barnham Bridge Inn and the Murrell Arms.

Aesthetically, the village has little to offer. For accessibility and commuting to London however, as well as being convenient for the coast, the Downs, and places like Chichester and Arundel, its location makes it very popular, and homes in the village are in great demand.

Platforms 1 and 2 of Barnham train station.

Barnham has a railway bridge which occasionally gets hit by vehicles. Today, 18 March 2007, was such a day. A double decker bus hit it. The bridge is ok, but the bus is now a single decker!!!