Beautiful Birdham Property

10.12.2021

Throughout West Sussex, you’ll find peaceful market towns and charming countryside villages tucked away within the rolling South Downs hills and offering exceptional living standards.

As part of our series highlighting some of the best places to buy property in West Sussex, now we turn our attention to the picturesque village of Birdham. This small, welcoming village is found in one of the most desirable locations, just three miles from the culture and cuisine of Chichester, and yet with harbourside living, that is hard to beat.

Take a stroll with us through the village lanes and discover more about the local Birdham property market and what you might expect from living here with your family.

Birdham as a West Sussex Hotspot

As a sailing village, Birdham is hidden away to the east of the four channels that stretch inwards to Chichester Harbour, with water running down the Birdham Channel/Itchenor Reach.

Just under 15 minutes from the cathedral city, properties on the waterfront and overlooking the Birdham Pool Marina are generously sized and home to many of the yachts you’ll see sailing through the marina. Broad, leafy residential areas, a spacious village, and great walking combine to create the perfect living environment, with walks across the Manhood Peninsula right across to Selsey Bill.

The restored canal is another great spot to spend a summer’s day, and you’ll find sandy beaches and clean water nearby at Bracklesham Bay and West Wittering.Life in the village offers a vast range of outdoor pursuits, with a range of amenities at Birdham Pool and Chichester Marina, including bars, shops and full marina facilities.

Other activities to enjoy the fresh coastal air and get the kids out and about include:

• Stirlands Cricket Club, a successful club based at Church Lane in Birdham.
• The Birdham and Wittering Scout, Cub and Beaver Troup, offering opportunities for children to learn and explore.
• Jungle Paradise Adventure Golf, Chichester Harbour Water Tours, and the incredible South Downs National Park are all within a short distance.
• The St. James Church dates back to the 14th Century and was restored in the 19th Century if you’d like to uncover more local history.
• On a rainy day, Chichester Gate Leisure Park is less than a quarter of an hour away, with a cinema, bowling, trampoline park and various eateries.

Birdham is also an excellent place for foodies, with options such as the Cider House Kitchen on Birdham Road or the Lamb Inn pub a couple of miles away.

By Car Chichester Marina is accessed via a turning three miles away (or a couple minutes on foot via Birdham Pool and Chichester Yacht Club), and locals have easy travel links via the A286. Chichester Railway Station is around a nine-minute drive (or 23-minute cycle) with trains to London taking around an hour and a half.

Schools and Education in Birdham

There are local pre-schools and primaries in the village, with access to public, independent and private schools in the nearby West Sussex area.

Early Years and Primary Schools

• Birdham Pre-School: open to children from one to five years, offering breakfast clubs and twilight sessions linked with the primary school.
• Birdham CE Primary: the local school caters to ages four to eleven, with a total capacity of fewer than 150 children.
• East Wittering Community Primary: six minutes drive from Birdham, rated Ofsted Good and teaching children from five to eleven.

Many local independent schools also provide nursery facilities and prep-school tuition, ideal for families aspiring for their children to progress into the upper school or sixth form.

Secondary Education

• Bishop Luffa School – rated Excellent in 2020 by the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS), Bishop Luffa is an 11-minute drive from the village via the A286.
• Chichester Free School – nine minutes away, Chichester Free School provides education from primary to sixth form and is Ofsted rated Good.
• The Prebendal School – around 3.5 miles away, in nearby Chichester, rated Excellent by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) and offering boarding and day school up to year eight.
• Oakwood School – within a 4.2-mile drive, Oakwood is another respected independent school teaching from age two to eleven, and also ISI rated Excellent.
• Seaford College -provides tuition up to the sixth form, from age seven, and has around 850 students.
• Christ’s Hospital – in Horsham, this prestigious day and boarding school was founded in 1552 and is a little under an hour from Birdham.

Chichester University is 14 minutes by car for further education opportunities.

The Birdham Property Market

Birdham is a highly sought-after location, surrounded by protected nature reserves and open countryside.

Properties with direct harbour views command the highest prices, and you’ll find a combination of Edwardian properties, newer 1930s residences, charming bungalows and seaside chalets. Many homeowners in Birdham are keen sailors, and homes that become available with adjoining slipways or jetties sell extremely quickly.

Average property prices in Birdham reached a little over £900,000 in the last year, with indicative sale values of:

• £1.079 million for sizeable detached family homes, with generous living space, broad gardens and private access and parking.
• Around £395,000 for semi-detached residences in the village, close to local shops, pubs, schools and entertainment.
• An average of £327,000 for terraced houses in the centre of Birdham nestled in the heart of this vibrant village community.

The village continues to be one of the most coveted destinations in West Sussex, with the property sold prices rising 34% on the year before and a substantial 64% on the peak prices in 2017, illustrating the village’s appeal.

For exclusive access to property listings in Birdham as they reach the market or to review homes currently available to rent or buy, please get in touch with the Tod Anstee team. Our local experts can provide tailored advice to ensure you find your dream village property and enjoy all that life has to offer in this unique sailing hub, three miles away from the centre of Chichester.