Whyke

Southern residential district between the canal and Bognor Road, with inter-war and post-war housing, a community church, and easy access to the A27.

Whyke is a residential area to the south of Chichester city centre, situated between the line of the Chichester Canal and the Stockbridge area to the south-west. The name appears in historical records as a small settlement on the approach to the city from the south. Today Whyke is largely a twentieth-century residential district, with housing ranging from inter-war semis along Whyke Road to post-war council housing and more recent private development. The area is bisected by Whyke Road, which runs south from the city centre towards Bognor Road and the A27 bypass. This road carries a steady volume of traffic and gives the area a busier feel than the streets further inside the walls. The housing to the east of Whyke Road, towards the Kingsham area, includes some larger inter-war properties, while the western side has a more mixed character. Chichester Canal, restored as a leisure waterway, runs along the western boundary of the area. The towpath provides a pleasant walking and cycling route from the canal basin near Southgate towards Hunston and Chichester Harbour beyond. Whyke has a local identity that is distinct from the city centre, though the two are closely connected. The area has a community feel, with St George's Church on Whyke Lane serving as a local parish church. Whyke Lane itself is one of the older routes in the area, winding through the residential streets in a way that predates the later grid layouts. The proximity to the A27 junction and the retail areas along Bognor Road gives residents easy access to supermarkets and out-of-town shopping. Chichester Free School and Jessie Younghusband Primary School serve the area's younger residents. Whyke is a practical, lived-in neighbourhood that does its job without drawing much attention to itself.