Donnington

Growing village on the flat coastal plain south of Chichester, on the road to Selsey, with a medieval manor, Holy Trinity Church, and modern residential estates.

Donnington is a village to the south of Chichester, on the road towards Selsey and the Manhood Peninsula. The village sits on the flat coastal plain between the city and the harbour, an area of rich agricultural land that has been farmed for centuries. Donnington has grown from a small rural settlement into a sizeable village, with modern housing estates extending the built-up area well beyond the original core. The older part of the village, around the church of the Holy Trinity and Donnington Manor, retains some historic character, but much of what the visitor sees today is post-war residential development. The B2201 runs through the village, carrying traffic between Chichester and the Selsey peninsula, and this road gives Donnington a busier feel than its rural surroundings might suggest. Donnington Manor, a medieval house with later alterations, is one of the older buildings in the village. The surrounding farmland is flat and open, with views across to the South Downs to the north and towards Pagham Harbour to the south-east. Chichester Canal runs to the north of the village, providing walking routes along the towpath. The Selsey Tramway, a light railway that ran from Chichester to Selsey from 1897 to 1935, passed through Donnington, and the route of the former line can still be traced in places. The village has a primary school, a pub, and a community hall, but limited shopping. Residents travel into Chichester for most services and employment. Donnington is within the Chichester District Council area and uses PO20 postcodes shared with the Manhood villages to the south. The village's position on the main road south from Chichester gives it good connections, but the flat, open landscape and the steady traffic mean it lacks the seclusion of the downland villages to the north.