W D Peckham is quoted[4] as writing 'the deep loam with a clay or brick-earth subsoil is admirable apple growing land to this day'; a feature common to the parishes of the Manwood peninsula.

In Saxon times, and for a while after the Norman Conquest, the area now forming the Parish of Apuldram was part of the Manor of Bosham,[7] which in the 11th century, during the reign of Edward the Confessor, belonged to Godwin, the powerful Earl of Wessex, whose son Harold was defeated at Hastings.

On his death, it passed to his son Charles, who was Lord High Admiral from 1585 to 1618 and commanded the fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada.

The chancel has beautifully proportioned triple lancet windows with Purbeck marble shafts and stone mouldings.

[11] At the end of the 12th century Sir Michael de Appeltrieham owned several hundred acres of the parish, including the site of this property.

The Great Flood of Apuldram occurred in 1274, causing enormous damage in the harbour, following which additional sea walls and sluices were installed.

[citation needed] 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 owing 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.

A rent list, dated 1432, records a villein whose duties included "to cart from La Delle to Chichester".

The quay was at that time was one of the official landing place for the Port of Chichester (including also Sidelesham and the Witterings), which in the 14th century was rated the 7th in importance in all England.

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.

[citation needed] Instead, the picturesque Crown & Anchor[16] 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[17] and George Lambert).

Owners struggling to refloat their craft realised that co-operation would ease the task, which led to the formation of the Dell Quay Boat Club.

Also located on the quay are the Apuldram Fishing and Boat Club and a classroom for the Chichester Harbour Education Centre.

The water at Dell Quay is now normally only navigable for dinghies and small cabin cruisers for a few hours either side of high tide.