Pagham Harbour was probably used by the Saxons who called it Uedringmutha. By the middle ages the harbour was known as Wythering or New Haven and was a thriving landing place. Much of the water borne traffic would have headed for the tidal mill and quay at Sidlesham. However by the 1870’s trade had declined due to improvements in the road networks, and increased competition.
At this point the whole harbour was reclaimed for agricultural use, and the tidal mill having become land locked went out of business.
However, a storm in 1910 saw the harbour wall and defences breached and much of the reclaimed land back under water. This is very similar to how we find the harbour today.
The reserve covers an area of 1450 acres, half of which is salt marsh. In addition to the salt marsh you can also find a huge variety of other habitats, including reed beds, lagoons, farmland, inter-tidal areas and shingle banks.
Much of the reserve is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and as such has a high status for conservation. Pagham Harbour was designated as a nature reserve in 1964, under the management of West Sussex County Council, to ensure that the wildlife and scenic beauty of the area survives.