Excellence Luxury Villas · Selsey
Luxury Holiday Homes in Selsey
Sea-view houses and apartments at the southern tip of Sussex, between Bracklesham Bay and Pagham Harbour
As featured in
Seal Island, crab boats and a very big sky
Selsey sits at the tip of the Manhood Peninsula, around eight miles south of Chichester, with water on three sides. Its name comes from the Anglo-Saxon for Seal Island, and until a causeway was built in 1809 it was cut off by tidal inlets. It still feels a little apart from the mainland, and most people who come here think that is the point.
Our Selsey collection runs to 32 houses and apartments, most with sea views. Some are contemporary family houses with gardens and hot tubs, some are apartments looking straight out over the Channel, and a few larger houses have heated pools and room for three generations at once.
Here is where to stay, what to eat and when to come.
Selsey at a glance
- Homes
- 32 houses and apartments, with up to 6 bedrooms
- Guide prices
- Typically £3,000 to £6,500 a week, from around £2,500
- Best areas
- East Beach and the Bill in town; Bracklesham Bay to the west; Chichester inland
- Highlights
- Selsey crab from the fishermen's huts, RSPB Pagham Harbour and Medmerry, West Wittering nearby
- Getting there
- Chichester station is around 7 miles away, with trains from London; Southampton and Gatwick airports by road
Browse all 32 properties in Selsey
Villa numbers and guide prices are updated daily from our live collection.
Manor Bracklesham Selsey: Luxury 4-Bedroom Apartment with Seaview & Pool – Selsey4 bedrooms
House Lysias Bracklesham Selsey: Luxury 4-Bedroom Villa with Heated Pool & Sauna – Selsey4 bedrooms
House Gloaming Nutbourne Selsey: Spacious 4-Bedroom Apartment with Sea Views & Pool – Selsey4 bedrooms
House Gorse Nutbourne Selsey: 5-Bedroom Beachfront Luxury Villa with Seaviews – Selsey5 bedroomsExplore nearby
Selsey's East Beach and the Bill for the fishing fleet and the sea, Bracklesham Bay for long walks and fossil hunting, and Chichester for the cathedral, the theatre and Goodwood.
A working shore, not a promenade
Selsey has one of the last working fishing beaches on the south coast, and East Beach is where you see it. Boats are hauled up on the shingle among the lobster pots, and the catch is sold from wooden huts a few yards from where it came ashore.
Walk west along the sea wall and you reach the RNLI lifeboat station, which has been part of the town since 1861 and is open to visitors, and then Selsey Bill, the southernmost point of Sussex. Seals turn up offshore more often than you might expect. Beneath the water lie the remains of a Mulberry Harbour unit that sank in 1944, which is why divers come here too.
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Saltmarsh, saints and brent geese
The town is flanked by two RSPB reserves. Pagham Harbour, to the east, is a tidal inlet of mudflats and saltmarsh where little terns breed in summer and huge flocks of brent geese arrive for the winter. Medmerry, to the west, was created when the sea wall was deliberately breached and the land handed back to the tide. It is one of the largest schemes of its kind in Europe, and avocets now nest there in spring.
At Church Norton, on the edge of Pagham Harbour, a small chapel stands near the spot thought to be where St Wilfrid founded his monastery in the seventh century. Selsey was the seat of the Sussex bishops until 1075, when the see moved to Chichester.
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A cathedral city twenty minutes up the road
Chichester is close enough for an evening at the Festival Theatre or a morning in Pallant House Gallery, and its cathedral is where Selsey's bishops ended up. Goodwood lies just beyond, with the Festival of Speed in July, Glorious Goodwood racing in the summer and the Revival in September, all weeks when nearby houses get booked up early.
West of Selsey, Bracklesham Bay is good for long walks at low tide and known for fossils, shark teeth included. A little further on, West Wittering has the sandy beach and the dunes of East Head that the shingle at Selsey cannot offer. Inland, the South Downs rise behind Chichester for walking days.
Browse homes in Chichester
Crab sandwiches and winter skies
Selsey crab is the local point of pride, and the best way to eat it is the simplest: dressed, from a hut on East Beach, on the shingle. Lobster, prawns and Selsey cockles, one of the old Seven Good Things of Sussex, complete the list. For a proper lunch, the Crab and Lobster at Sidlesham sits right on the edge of Pagham Harbour.
Summer is the season for beaches and sailing. Spring and autumn are quieter and very good for walking and cycling the reserves, and winter brings the geese and some of the darkest skies on the south coast. Sir Patrick Moore lived and watched the stars here for decades. Our concierge can arrange restaurant tables, Goodwood tickets, boat and diving trips, and transfers.
Ask our conciergeFeatured properties in Selsey
House Medmerry Selsey: Luxury 6-Bedroom House with Seaview & BBQ – West Sussex6 bedrooms · sleeps 15From £5,880 a week
House Windmill Selsey: Luxury 5-Bedroom Villa with Seaviews & BBQ – Selsey5 bedrooms · sleeps 10From £5,845 a week
House Helm Hawth Hill Selsey: Luxury 4-Bedroom Villa with Sea Views – Selsey West Sussex4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £5,670 a week
House Zephyr Hooe Selsey: Luxury 4-Bedroom Villa with Sea Views – Selsey West Sussex4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £5,264 a week
Apartment Owers Selsey: Spacious 4-Bedroom Apartment with Sea Views & Family Amenities – Selsey4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £4,690 a week
House Gorse Binnel Selsey: Spacious 4-Bedroom Apartment with Seaviews & BBQ – Selsey West Sussex4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £4,627 a week
House Pagham Selsey: 4-Bedroom Seaview Apartment with BBQ – Selsey West Sussex4 bedrooms · sleeps 9From £4,620 a week
House Helm Hawthorns Selsey: Luxury 4-Bedroom House with Beachfront & Sea Views – Selsey West Sussex4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £4,375 a weekWhy book your home in Selsey with Excellence Luxury Villas
The right house, not the nearest one
Selsey's homes run from apartments on the sea wall to family houses on the Bracklesham side, and we know which have direct beach access and which are a short walk from the crab huts. With 32 properties in Selsey, we can usually find the house that suits you rather than the one that happens to be free. Search by size, pool, location and price, or tell us what you have in mind and we will put together a shortlist.
Book direct
You book with us directly, with no booking fees. Questions about access, parking, pool heating or how far it really is to the nearest beach go to people who can find out the answer.
A concierge who knows the territory
Restaurant reservations, Goodwood tickets, diving and boat trips, guided wildlife walks at Pagham Harbour, bike hire and transfers from Chichester station. Our concierge team arranges all of it, leaving you free to decide which terrace to sit on.
A house for every kind of party
Couples, families with small children, three generations together or a crowd of friends celebrating a birthday: we match the house to the group, down to the number of bathrooms and whether the pool is fenced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to stay in Selsey?
Homes near East Beach and the Bill put you closest to the fishing huts, the lifeboat station and the town. The Bracklesham side suits those who want long beach walks and easy access to Medmerry and West Wittering.
When is the best time to visit Selsey?
June to September is best for the beach and the water. Spring and autumn are quieter and good for walking and birdwatching, and winter brings flocks of brent geese to Pagham Harbour.
Where can I buy Selsey crab?
Straight from the fishermen's huts on East Beach, where the catch is landed. Several pubs and restaurants in and around Selsey serve it too, including the Crab and Lobster at Sidlesham on the edge of Pagham Harbour.
Can you arrange a private chef at a home in Selsey?
Yes. Our concierge can arrange a private chef for a single dinner or your whole stay, along with cookery lessons, guided visits, transfers and restaurant reservations.
How much does a luxury propertie in Selsey cost?
Across our 32 properties in Selsey, weekly rates typically range from £3,000 to £6,500, with the most affordable from around £2,500 a week and the largest estates well above. Prices depend on the size of the property, its location and the season, with July and August the most expensive. These are guide prices based on current listings; each property page shows its own rates for your dates.
How do I get to Selsey?
Trains run from London to Chichester, around 7 miles away, and a regular bus connects Chichester with Selsey. By road, Southampton and Gatwick are the nearest airports. Our concierge can arrange transfers.
Are there homes in Selsey for large groups?
Yes. Our Selsey collection includes properties with up to 6 bedrooms. Tell us the size of your party and the occasion, and we will send a shortlist that suits it.
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Find your home in Selsey
32 houses and apartments on the Selsey coast, with our concierge a phone call away