Fishbourne is situated on the edge of Chichester Harbour and is sheltered by the Downs. It has a history stretching far beyond the Roman period, with archaeological evidence of human presence here dating to the Mesolithic era, around 5000 BC.
The settlement developed as two separate communities. Old Fishbourne formed part of Bosham parish, while New Fishbourne fell within Chichester. The two communities remained distinct until 1987, when they were unified under a single parish council.
The Manor of Old Fishbourne first appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, when a man named Engeler held two hides of land from the great manor of Bosham, under Earl Roger de Montgomery. In the twelfth century, Engeler's son Turstin granted these lands to Southwick Priory, which held them until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In 1540, the manor was granted to Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of Henry VIII, as part of her annulment settlement.
The nearby Fishbourne Roman Palace, discovered in 1960 when a water main trench uncovered Roman rubble, is the largest known Roman residential building north of the Alps. Its mosaics, including the famous Cupid on a Dolphin, are among the finest examples of Roman decorative art in Britain. The museum, opened in 1968, attracted over 250,000 visitors in its first season.
The Manorial Lord of Old Fishbourne is Lord Sheldon, who succeeded to the title in 2023, and enjoys quiet enjoyment of the lordship along with his wife Lady Sheldon.
