ABOUT EMSWORTH.

Welcome to EMSWORTH, midway along the south coast of the U.K., right on the Hampshire and West Sussex border. Nestled at the top end of the western inlet of Chichester Harbour it is still a fishing village. The number of fishing boats though has declined as popularity with yachting has increased, along with the number of marinas in the harbours.

Chichester Harbour is a natural resource of International recognition as a 'Ramsar Site' of outstanding wetland, designated as a SSSI, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and declared to be an AONB or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The town is situated on the old A27, now the A259, (CLICK HERE for map), midway between Portsmouth and Chichester, just below the soft rolling hills of the South Downs with their forests and fields. It sits on the fertile alluvial coastal plain that extends from Portsmouth to Chichester and beyond between the Downs and the sea.

There is much to see around Emsworth and its surrounding area that is of beauty and interest to the visitor.

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The town's centre still maintains much of the charm of its original character and architecture, with its busy square and shops. The recent motorway now carries most of the heavy coastal traffic to the north, bypassing the once choked centre.

With its millponds and promenade it is a popular place for visitors, who can walk around the Harbour. For the more energetic it is also the starting place, at the bottom of South street, for the Wayfarers and Solent Walks.

The town has maintained its identity and seperateness from Havant to the west. The old church path across the fields to Warblington's ancient church still feels like you could slip back any moment in time to when the faithful trod their way to Sunday services, before Emsworth had its own church.

Down the Harbour are views left to Thorney with its flat runway lands, once RAF, now under the auspices of the Army. To the right the north shore of Hayling Island with its trees and fields and the church spire, with just a blue tinted glimpse of the hills of the Isle of Wight beyond. To the west is the Island's bridge linking it to the mainland, a sodium neckless strung across reflecting water when the tide is up at night.

At low tide channels gouge the mudflats, feed the open harbour mouth far distant, beyond reed beds and low flat Fowley Island. There when tide is out white sails can still be seen on sunny days, between where foam breaks up on East Heads streaching sands and Eastoke's steep banked gravel shore.

The brent geese come to stop in autumn for a while, and white egret liking what it finds now finds its way from France. Waders of all kinds dance the waters edge and feed or call out in alarm from time to time. Birdwatchers come with binoculars to see what can be seen.

A black swan upon the millpond among the white, a familiar sight. Black swan on a white swan sea.

Upon the millpond and by the Quay all gather to be fed. Even coots white faced when times are hard will congregate and rush from side to side if food is in the offing. Bullying gulls aren't short of raucous greed when feeding is at hand, swooping in to grab whatever food is thrown into the air; a favourite sport of children young enough to wonder, or those with time and old enough to care.

Dramatic harbour light reflects on distant water changing mood with weather tides and seasons, racing clouds cast shadows, shafts of light. January's setting sun when clear turns sky to pinks and reds topped deepest blue over turquoise rippled water, sinking into low banked bright edged cloud or Hayling's shadowed treeline.

Here we get the best the English weather has to offer. Milder winters, more sunshine, avoiding much that afflicts elsewhere in snow or rain. The harbours surface rarely stirs to more than ripples catching sunlight where the wind prevails, a mirror surface sometimes smooth as glass reflecting sky.

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