Camping in Selsey

Selsey's flat, exposed position at the tip of the Manhood Peninsula makes it a popular spot for coastal camping, though as everywhere in England, wild camping is illegal without the landowner's permission — this is a town built around established holiday parks and touring sites rather than informal pitches. The area's biggest draw for campers is Seal Bay Resort, set along a mile-long beach on the edge of town, which combines touring and camping pitches with static caravans, indoor pools and a full entertainment programme, making it a solid choice for families wanting facilities on hand. Quieter, smaller sites such as Westmount Caravan Park offer a more traditional touring and camping experience for those who prefer fewer frills, while a scattering of further parks across the Manhood Peninsula villages give a choice of settings, from open farmland to sites tucked closer to Pagham Harbour and the South Downs National Park beyond.

The terrain around Selsey is low, flat and shingle-backed rather than dramatic, which suits campers looking for easy access to the beach and cycling routes rather than hilly, sheltered pitches. Wind off the Channel can be brisk even in summer, so a well-pegged tent or an awning built for coastal conditions is worth having, and pitches with some shelter from hedging or dunes are worth seeking out at the more exposed sites. Late spring through to early autumn is the best camping season, when the weather is at its calmest and the days are long enough to fit in a walk around Pagham Harbour or Medmerry as well as time on the beach; a low-tide morning after a summer storm is also prime time for turning up fossils on the shingle.

For campers who want the coastal setting without pitching a tent themselves, glamping options have grown across the wider Chichester district in recent years, ranging from bell tents and pods to fully equipped safari-style lodges, generally set on farms and small sites a short drive from Selsey itself. These suit visitors who want easy access to the RNLI station, the harbour nature reserves and the beach huts on East Beach, but prefer a made-up bed and a fixed roof over a tent pole at the end of the day.