West Wittering and East Head from Hayling Island: the beach across the harbour from Sandy Point

West Wittering and East Head are the stretch of sand you can see from Sandy Point, on the far side of the entrance to Chichester Harbour. From Wittering Sands, our exclusive-use house at 14 Wittering Road, Sandy Point, Hayling Island PO11 9SP, the beach car park is under two miles away across the water, but there is no road across the harbour mouth. By car it is roughly 23 miles, or about 45 minutes to an hour in normal traffic, round the top of the harbour. Allow much longer on hot summer weekends, when the car park can sell out.

This guide covers the beach at West Wittering and the National Trust sand spit at East Head, with the autumn and winter rules that matter for groups and dogs. For a wider look at the beaches on Hayling itself, see our beaches guide.

What are West Wittering and East Head?

West Wittering Beach is a long sandy beach facing the Solent, run by the West Wittering Estate, with a large car park behind it, beach huts, toilets and a café. The views look back across the water to Hayling and out towards the Isle of Wight, and the National Trust describes the beach at East Head as one of the best in Sussex.

East Head is the sand and shingle spit at the eastern side of the harbour entrance, at the western end of the beach. It is owned and managed by the National Trust, which describes it as one of the last surviving pieces of natural coastline in West Sussex. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with shingle, sandy beach and dunes that grade into salt marsh on the harbour side.

How do you get there from Hayling Island?

• By car: drive north up the island and over Hayling Bridge, then east on the A27 towards Chichester. Take the A286 south, turn right at the Birdham roundabout and follow the signs for West Wittering beach. The National Trust gives PO20 8AJ for the car park entrance.
• By ferry, in season: in 2026 a new weekend ferry run by Chichester Harbour Charters crossed from Sparkes Marina, 38 Wittering Road, a short walk along our own road, to the beach at East Head. Local reports put the crossing at around 15 to 20 minutes. The operator ran it on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, on a first come, first served basis with no pre-booking, and dogs on short leads and bikes were welcome. Its website now says it is closed for the season and to check back in the spring, so treat this as a summer option and check the Chichester Harbour Charters site for next year's dates and fares.
• By bus: Stagecoach 52/53 runs a circular route from Chichester. The National Trust suggests getting off at the Old House at Home stop in West Wittering and walking about 1.5 miles down Pound Road, following the signs to the beach and then East Head. Chichester station is about 7 miles away. Check current Stagecoach times before you rely on it.
• By bike: the Salterns Way cycle route runs about 7 miles from Chichester to East Head, with the last mile on the road.

Do you need to book parking?

The car park at West Wittering is run by the estate, not the National Trust, so charges apply to everyone, including Trust members. The estate offers all-day and evening sessions rather than an hourly rate, and charges vary by season. It recommends pre-booking because spaces are limited, and on days it declares sold out you can only park with a pre-booked space. Do not drive round on a sunny weekend without checking first.

Opening times change with the clocks. The estate lists 6.30am to 8.30pm in summer (BST) and 7am to 6pm in winter (GMT), and every vehicle has to be off site by closing time. The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October 2026, so from then the shorter winter hours apply. The large mown grass overflow area is closed in winter. Check the West Wittering Estate site for current prices and any notices before you set off.

Can you take a dog to West Wittering in autumn?

Yes, and autumn and winter are the easiest seasons for it. The estate keeps dogs off the main Blue Flag bathing zone, between groynes 14a and 18 in front of the beach huts, from 1 May to mid-September. For 2026 that restriction ran until 14 September. Outside that window, the estate says dogs are welcome everywhere on the beach, and they are welcome on the rest of the beach all year. Clean up after your dog, keep it under control, and never leave it in a car on a warm day.

At East Head, the National Trust welcomes dogs but asks you to keep them on a lead, follow the signs and keep them out of the roped-off areas. Ringed plovers nest on the shingle at the northern end between April and June, and the same area is a high-tide roost for birds in winter, so please give it a wide berth with a dog at any time of year. There are dog bins at the site entrance and on the salt marsh path.

What is the East Head walk?

A walk around East Head is about 1 mile (1.6 km) and the National Trust suggests allowing around 45 minutes. You stroll along the shore, through the dunes on the boardwalk and back along the salt marsh path to the entrance. Look for marram grass binding the dunes, sea holly and sea bindweed in summer, and skylarks and sand lizards, which live here all year. Sand lizards are rare in Britain, and you are more likely to see their tracks on the western side of the spit than the lizards themselves. At the northern end, where yachts anchor, the Trust says you may spot the occasional seal.

From March to September the Trust signs a longer East Head and Ellanore circular walk of about 4 miles (6.4 km), taking in the harbour shore and West Wittering village. Outside those months it asks walkers to follow a signed Winter Walk around East Head instead, part funded by Bird Aware Solent, so that feeding and roosting birds are left in peace. If you visit in October half-term, that is the route to follow.

The dunes have suffered significant erosion when high spring tides, storm surges and strong winds have arrived together. The Trust asks visitors not to walk across the dunes, to keep out of roped sections and to avoid visiting at high tide.

What should you know about the tides and swimming?

The sand bars at West Wittering are a big part of its appeal at low tide, but the estate warns that the tide comes in very quickly and you can be stranded if you cross onto an exposed bar. Around "The Hinge", where East Head joins the beach, there are dangerous currents and shifting sand bars, and swimming is not allowed there.

Lifeguards are on duty from mid-May to mid-September only. Out of season there is no lifeguard cover, so if anyone in the group swims, wear wetsuits, stay within your depth, tell someone your plans and keep a close eye on children. If someone is in difficulty, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Check tide times on the Chichester Harbour Conservancy site before you go, and remember that predictions can be beaten by wind and low pressure.

Anything else to know before you go?

• Horses on the sand: from 1 October to 30 April the estate allows horse riding on the beach, except for the three hours around high tide, so you may meet riders on an autumn morning.
• Watersports: windsports on the beach are supervised by 2XS, and kitesurfing is for 2XS members only all year. Stand-up paddleboarding is allowed outside the bathing zone. Motorised craft and dinghies cannot launch or land from the beach.
• Barbecues and camping: disposable barbecues are banned across the estate, and there is no camping or overnight stopping on the beach, the car park or East Head.
• Facilities: there are three toilet blocks with accessible toilets, cold outdoor showers and drinking water taps by the road. Away from the boardwalks at East Head the ground is shingle and soft sand.
• Quiet beach: the estate asks visitors not to play music or amplified sound, and drones are not allowed.

Is it worth the drive from Sandy Point?

For a group staying at Sandy Point, we would say yes, on the right day. Our own beach by the lifeboat station and the lagoon walk are on the doorstep, so we save West Wittering for a weekday, a low tide and a dry, calm forecast, ideally outside the school holidays. In autumn and winter it is quieter, dogs can roam the whole beach, and East Head on a clear morning is one of the finest short walks in the area. In high summer the walk along our road to Sparkes Marina for the ferry, when it is running, is far less stressful than the A27.

If plans split, the rest of the group can stay on Hayling. Our Around Hayling guide covers the local beaches, pubs and walks, and for nearby harbour days see our Bosham, Chichester and Emsworth guides. For dogs, see our dog-friendly weekend guide, and for the school holiday itself, our October half-term guide.

What are the stay details?

Check-in is from 4pm and checkout is by 10am. Wittering Sands sleeps up to nine across four bedrooms and five beds, with 3.5 bathrooms. Dogs are welcome at the house, kept off beds and sofas, and parking is available for four cars. The minimum stay is usually three nights.

Rates vary by season and length of stay. The live calendar shows the current figure for your dates; this guide does not indicate availability.

How do you book?

Check the live booking calendar for current dates and pricing. If you want to talk through the group, dogs or travel arrangements, get in touch.

Drive times, parking charges and opening hours, dog rules, ferry seasons, bus timetables, walking routes and tides are seasonal and can change. Check the West Wittering Estate, the National Trust, Chichester Harbour Charters, Chichester Harbour Conservancy and Stagecoach before you travel.