Shore Road risk
Parts of Shore Road sit low enough that a large high tide comes over the quay edge and across the tarmac. High tide itself is not a guarantee of flooding. Only tides that reach about 4.0m Chart Datum typically cover the road. On a quiet neap the road may stay dry all day; on a spring it can be underwater for hours.
BoshamTide compares each predicted high water with that working threshold and shows a flood window when the road is likely to be wet. Wind and low pressure can push a borderline tide either way. Always judge what you see on arrival. The live answer is on the Shore Road flooding page.
When to move a car
Do not treat the exact high-tide clock time as the only moment to move. If a tide is high enough to flood, water usually starts covering the road before high water and can still sit on the tarmac after the tide has turned.
Where BoshamTide shows a flood window, leave a margin either side: arrive earlier than the start, and do not assume the road is clear the minute the window ends. If you are unsure, move the car inland and walk down.
Parking further inland
When Shore Road is at risk, park on higher ground and walk to the waterfront. The usual place is Bosham Lane Car Park, the village car park a short walk from the quay. Do not wait on Shore Road to “see how it looks” through a flood window. That is how cars get caught.
There is no substitute for checking the live prediction before you leave home, then looking at the road when you arrive. Conditions can differ from the table because of weather, harbour shape and surge.
Check before you go
Use today's high water times and heights and the seven-day outlook. If a high water is at or above about 4.0m, read the Shore Road line on that tide. Monthly tables will sit under Bosham tide tables once the long-range feed is ready.
Predictions are guidance, not a surveyed water-on-road observation. See Data & Methodology for how the flood window is modelled.