Chichester Ship Canal
ENTRY
from £7
WHERE
Chichester
What it’s like
A gentle stretch of towpath and water where you can walk, paddle, canoe or take a narrow boat trip.
The towpath here is the easy win: flat, wildlife on the water, and no ticket needed if you just fancy a walk with the dog and a look at the boats. Bring your own canoe or paddleboard and it's £7 for the day, or £25 if you know you'll be back all year, which is the sort of thing that only makes sense once you've done the maths on how often you'll actually turn up.
For a lazier day there are narrow boat trips and rowing on offer too, plus a bit of fishing if that's more your pace. Kids who like boats for boats' sake get the model boating and the Heritage Centre, tucked into a refurbished 19th-century stable, which is a nice indoor stop if the weather turns or you just need five minutes off your feet.
The Canal Cafe does proper coffee and local produce, Caroline's Dairy and Auntie Val's preserves get a name check, along with toasted tea cakes and ice creams for anyone who's just paddled a kilometre and feels they've earned one. Parking at the Canal Basin itself is limited, so if it's full you're looking at Canal Wharf Road on restricted parking or the public car parks at Westgate Centre and Basin Road, neither of which is a hardship given the bus and rail stations are a minute's walk away.
Dogs are welcome and get free biscuits and water, which is a small thing but the kind of detail that tells you they've thought about who actually visits. Wheelchair access and an accessible toilet are both there, along with baby change, so it's not just a fair-weather-walkers-only spot.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Limited free parking at the Canal Basin for visitors
- Food
- Canal Cafe with bean-to-cup coffees, herbal teas, hot chocolate, cold drinks, sandwiches, toasted tea cakes, cakes, ice creams
- Dogs
- Welcome with free biscuits and water provided
- Getting there by bus or train
- Bus and rail stations one minute away by foot
- Bringing your own canoe or paddleboard costs £7 a day or £25 a year
- Parking right at the Canal Basin is limited, so have Westgate Centre or Basin Road car parks as a backup
- The Heritage Centre is inside a refurbished 19th-century stable, handy if you need to get out of the rain
- Dogs get free biscuits and water on arrival
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
If you're bringing your own canoe or paddleboard it's £7 for a day ticket, or £25 for an annual licence. Walking the towpath or watching the boats doesn't need a ticket at all.
Is there parking?
There's limited free parking right at the Canal Basin, and if that's full there's restricted parking on Canal Wharf Road or the public car parks at Westgate Centre and Basin Road.
Can we bring the dog?
Yes, dogs are welcome and there are free biscuits and water put out for them.
What can the kids actually do there?
Narrow boat trips, rowing, canoeing and paddleboarding, fishing, and walks along the towpath for spotting wildlife. There's also model boating and a Heritage Centre in an old stable building for a change of pace.
Is there food?
The Canal Cafe does bean-to-cup coffee, herbal teas and hot chocolate, plus sandwiches, toasted tea cakes, cakes and ice creams, with some local produce from nearby suppliers.
Is it accessible with a pushchair or wheelchair?
The site is wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet and baby change available.
How do we get there without a car?
Bus and rail stations are about a minute's walk away, and you enter from Canal Wharf, between the Richmond pub and the Canal Basin.
Is there a gift shop?
There's a gift shop on site alongside the Heritage Centre.
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