In Roman times the harbour was navigable all the way to Fishbourne and Roman galleys may have sailed right up to the Fishbourne Palace[7]. Sea levels in the harbour were higher in the Middle Ages than they are now and there are records of losses of land to the sea. The Great Flood of Apuldram occurred in 1274 and additional sea walls and sluices were installed after that. The former existence of a tide mill on the River Lavant near Apuldram Common is an indication of the level of the sea at that time at the northern boundary of the parish.
The landing place was moved down channel due to silting of the upper reaches and for a time there was access to the harbour a little to the south of the mouth of the Lavant. Here there was a sunken channel, now dry, which led to the centre of the medieval Apuldram village. There is also evidence of a landing place at La Delle. A rent list, dated 1432, records a villein whose duties included "to cart from La Delle to Chichester". Exports in the 14th and 15th centuries were mainly wool and cloth.
The wharf at Dell Quay was built in the 16th century on the orders of Lord Fitzwilliam of Cowdray, Lord High Admiral from 1536 to 1540 [8] and in 1580 it was written that the wharf had been "longe sythens buylded by the Lord Fitzwilliam". The Quay was at that time the only official landing place for the Port of Chichester, which in the 14th century was rated the 7th in importance in all England[9].
At that time there were no warehouses at Dell Quay and no inn. The citizens of Chichester gave this as a reason for asking permission to dig a canal from the Quay to the town.
Permission was granted but with a condition that the canal must not cut through lands belonging to 'the Baron' (Howard of Effingham), and this made the scheme impractical. Instead, the picturesque Crown & Anchor Inn was built at the end of the 16th century and seems to have been called initially 'Dell Key House' (not to be confused with the present Dell Quay House, which incorporates William Tipper's post mill built in the eighteenth century, the subject of paintings by Richard Nibbs and George Lambert).
During the 17th century the channel needed constant attention. Ships offloading ballast as they approached the quay added to the problem. However, after an intensive programme of dredging, ships of 40 tons could in 1685 once again dock at the quay. In the 18th century coal from Newcastle became the major import and the outlook was graced by three large coal pounds - on the quay, by the inn and on the site of what is now Quay Cottage. There was a crane, which in 1789 was said to be 'much out of repair, useless and obstructive'. By 1908 there was a steam driven crane, running on rails, which was later replaced by a diesel powered crane.
A gale in August 1925 wreaked havoc with moored boats. Owners struggling to refloat their craft realised that co-operation would ease the task and this led to the formation of the Dell Quay Boat Club. The name was changed to the Dell Quay Sailing Club in 1934. Today it is a thriving club, renowned for its friendly atmosphere. Also located on the quay are the Apuldram Fishing and Boat Club and a classroom for the Chichester Harbour Education Centre.
