Fabulous Ferring - The Best Kept Seaside Secret in Sussex

Date Published 02 August 2024

We are one of the few estate agents who are truly local when it comes to Ferring. That's why so many people trust us to sell their homes in this wonderfully unique little corner of Sussex.

When you discover Ferring it's like stepping into a different world, somehow magical in its uniqueness.

There's such a story to be told that it's far too big for one blog. People have lived close by since the Stone Age and the earliest remains found in Ferring are from the Bronze Age around 1000 BC.

The parish has many Roman sites too, although it is from Saxon times that the village really seems to have taken on an identity of its own.

Ferring?

The name definitely has Saxon roots and shows it was the settlement of a leader called Ferra.

Most of Ferring's documented history is provided by ecclesiastical records, manor courts and Parish registers. This means there is a wealth of material dating back centuries that gives an accurate picture of the village.

Villagers' crops are revealed in the tithes they paid to the relevant authorities and it wasn't until 1836 that these were abolished and regular rents put in place.

Between 1841 and 1911 census return data provides rich detail, making it possible to trace individual families through successive generations to the modern day.

Modern Ferring

The population was around 250 for nearly all that period but things changed in the mid-1920s when transport links saw a boom in holiday homes along the Sussex coast.

By 1931 the West Drive/Ferringham Lane/Ocean Drive/South Drive area had many bungalows and the population grew to 795. The population tripled again before the outbreak of the Second World War and afterwards in the 1950s there was another spurt of building development. The population at the 2011 census was 4,480 and is still around that today.

You can find many more fascinating details about Ferring by clicking here

Seaside living

The shore at Ferring maintains a feel of the past as there is no road or paved walkway. In fact, the 1941 pillbox machine-gun post stands out because it is the only evidence of man-made construction along the still-wildly natural stretch of coastline. It is one of only two surviving pillboxes on the West Sussex Coast and one of the best preserved in the whole country.

Set just back from the beach you can find the fantastic Blue Bird Cafe
which is massively popular with the locals, while a walk west along the path or shingle also reveals some stunning beachfront houses.

With its unique atmosphere and close-knit community Ferring really does feel like a hidden secret that you can discover. It's no wonder so many people want to live here.

If you're thinking of buying or selling in Ferring talk to us - we're local experts!

Call Richard on 01903 501105, email us
or pop into our nearby office at 325 Goring Road, Goring by Sea BN12 4NX.


Photo Credit: Nitin Tulswani (@nitintulswani)