Thorney Island

Thorney Island is an island (effectively a peninsula) that juts into Chichester Harbour in West Sussex. It is separated from the mainland by a narrow channel called the Great Deep. GeographyThe village of West Thorney lies on the east coast of the island and has been incorporated into a British Army military base which occupies the southern part of the island, south of Great Deep. A coastal public footpath, part of the Sussex Border Path encircles the island, but public access to the south of the island is limited to the footpath and the church of St Nicholas at West Thorney. Walkers using the footpath may be asked by intercom to provide their contact details (name, address and mobile phone number) at the security gates to access the southern part of the island. Walkers must keep to the footpath marked with the yellow posts. During the winter months, fortnightly shoots are held on Thorney for partridge, pheasant and snipe. To the south of the island is Pilsey Island, now joined to Thorney Island by a sandbank, which is an RSPB nature reserve. The 2001 census showed the island to have a resident population of 1, 079. ClimateThe climate of Thorney Island is generally milder than elsewhere in the UK, but slightly cooler than other areas locally due to being quite rural. The record high temperature is 35. 2°C on 6 August 2003 and the record low is -9. 3°C on 13 January 1987. The Met Office has an official weather station situated at the Royal Artillery base on Thorney Island. RAF Thorney Island and Baker BarracksIn 1938 the RAF airfield on Thorney Island was built. Subsequently the Royal Navy expressed an interest in using the base. In 1980 West Thorney became host to many hundreds of Vietnamese families, accepted by the United Kingdom for settlement in the United Kingdom. In 1985, a series of experiments referred to as the "Thorney Island Heavy Gas Dispersion Trials" investigating atmospheric dispersion of gases was carried out on the island.

Thorney Island is an island (effectively a peninsula) that juts into Chichester Harbour in West Sussex. It is separated from the mainland by a narrow channel called the Great Deep. GeographyThe village of West Thorney lies on the east coast of the island and has been incorporated into a British Army military base which occupies the southern part of the island, south of Great Deep. A coastal public footpath, part of the Sussex Border Path encircles the island, but public access to the south of the island is limited to the footpath and the church of St Nicholas at West Thorney. Walkers using the footpath may be asked by intercom to provide their contact details (name, address and mobile phone number) at the security gates to access the southern part of the island. Walkers must keep to the footpath marked with the yellow posts. During the winter months, fortnightly shoots are held on Thorney for partridge, pheasant and snipe. To the south of the island is Pilsey Island, now joined to Thorney Island by a sandbank, which is an RSPB nature reserve. The 2001 census showed the island to have a resident population of 1, 079. ClimateThe climate of Thorney Island is generally milder than elsewhere in the UK, but slightly cooler than other areas locally due to being quite rural. The record high temperature is 35. 2°C on 6 August 2003 and the record low is -9. 3°C on 13 January 1987. The Met Office has an official weather station situated at the Royal Artillery base on Thorney Island. RAF Thorney Island and Baker BarracksIn 1938 the RAF airfield on Thorney Island was built. Subsequently the Royal Navy expressed an interest in using the base. In 1980 West Thorney became host to many hundreds of Vietnamese families, accepted by the United Kingdom for settlement in the United Kingdom. In 1985, a series of experiments referred to as the "Thorney Island Heavy Gas Dispersion Trials" investigating atmospheric dispersion of gases was carried out on the island.