EMSWORTH HAVEN

It was a bright September day, a Friday and the traffic was light when I headed south on the A3 to Emsworth. This small town lies on the north end of the Chichester Harbour. I was delivering some paintings to my dear friend Annie G. 

 

The place a haven for boats of all shapes and sizes, some vessels make a permanent home here, some are just passing through. I had, five years back, set out from an estuary mooring on Rag Doll, one of the prettiest boats on the Solent.  Passim blog post ‘Sailing the Solent’ August 28 2015

 

A WONDERFUL VIEW ACROSS EMSWORTH CHANNEL 

Annie lives out on a point of land, a slight way out of the town, by the main boat yard. Her house overlooks the estuary. At low water the landscape glows and sparkles!  This is a wonderful spot, boats beginning to ride up on their moorings as the tide returns.

 

Emsworth was a port from the 1300s. In the 18th and 19th century shipbuilding and rope making were the main trades. There was also a space for two flourmills run by the tides. At the end of World War II the area was a staging post a staging post for Canadian troops shipping out as part of the D-Day landings; a rich and varied history whose former residents include Albert Finney and PG Woodhouse. 

 

What a treat of a trip, catching  up with Annie and Tom the skipper of Rag Doll turned up to join us for lunch.