Manor Profile
West Wittering, West Sussex· Manhood Hundred· 683 – 1953
Also known as: Cakeham, Cakeham Manor, Wittering
West Wittering lies at the mouth of Chichester Harbour, on the western shore of the Manhood peninsula. The parish was part of King Caedwalla's 683 grant endowing the See of Selsey. In Domesday Book, the Bishop of Chichester held the manor in demesne with a mill and 13 haws in Chichester. Ralph held one hide and Herbert three hides as sub-tenants (VCH Sussex, Vol. 4, pp. 217-218).
The episcopal manor house at Cakeham became a preferred residence for the Bishops of Chichester from the early twelfth century onward. In 1235, Bishop Ralph de Neville received a grant of 100 oaks from the New Forest to enclose his park at Cakeham. A 1327 terrier records approximately 466 acres at Cakeham. A survey of 1388 describes 479 arable acres valued at 3 pence per acre on account of the sandy soil. The manor was valued at 75 pounds 10 shillings and 9 pence in 1291 (VCH Sussex, Vol. 4, pp. 218-219).
By 1363, the manor house was described as ruined and roofless, with no value. Bishop Robert Sherburne (1508 to 1536) restored and enlarged the structure, building a distinctive five-sided Tudor brick tower that survives today. The estate was almost always leased after the Reformation. In 1712, William Stanley of Lee in Fittleworth held the lease. By 1815, George Blake held it as tenant. The estate passed to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners (VCH Sussex, Vol. 4, pp. 219-220).
The sub-manor of Thurlwood Coates had a separate descent. In 1593, John Osborne died holding this manor with West Wittering lands. In 1674, William Osborne, William Peche, and Anne Peche sold to Oliver Whitby, Archdeacon of Chichester. Whitby's son endowed a Chichester school with his West Wittering estates (VCH Sussex, Vol. 4, p. 220).
| # | Name | From | To | Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King Caedwalla of Wessex(King of the West Saxons) | 683 | Granted Wittering to endow the See of Selsey in 683. | ||
| 2 | Bishop of Selsey / Bishop of Chichester(Bishop of Chichester (from 1075)) | 683 | endowment of the see (683) | Held the manor continuously from the original endowment. In Domesday, held in demesne with a mill and 13 haws in Chichester. Ralph held 1 hide and Herbert 3 hides as sub-tenants. Valued at 75 pounds 10 shillings 9 pence in 1291. The manor house at Cakeham served as the bishops' favoured country residence. | |
| 3 | Ecclesiastical Commissioners | transfer from episcopal estates | The estate passed to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners after the Reformation. Almost always leased to tenants. |
Bishop of Chichester (Diocese of Selsey/Chichester)
diocese · held · 683
Grant of King Caedwalla 683
Ecclesiastical Commissioners
church · held
Prebend of West Wittering (Chichester Cathedral)
cathedral · spiritual_jurisdiction
Both manors were held by the Bishop of Chichester continuously from the original endowment of the See of Selsey. Selsey was the seat of the diocese from 681 to 1075. West Wittering (Cakeham) was the bishops' favoured country residence. Both lie within the Manhood Hundred.
Both manors lie within the Manhood Hundred on the Selsey peninsula.
Earnley and West Wittering are neighbouring parishes in the Manhood hundred. Earnley does not appear separately in Domesday, likely being included within Wittering.
Sussex folios. Bishop of Chichester held West Wittering in demesne with a mill and 13 haws in Chichester.
Principal source for the manorial descent of West Wittering and the sub-manor of Cakeham.
