Chichester, West Sussex
A day trip to a small Cathedral city in the south of England
(Photos © Mike Slocombe, Sept 2006)

Chichester is an attractive and mainly unspoilt, small Cathedral city in the county of West Sussex, situated on the south coast of England.

Its population is around 25,000 souls, with the city centre standing on the foundations of the Romano-British city of Noviomagus Reginorum, capital of the Civitas Reginorum.

Once the chief city of the Kingdom of Sussex, most of the city is still surrounded by a city wall, with the streets retaining a Roman cross-shaped layout.


We caught the train from Victoria down to Chichester (with no bloody buffet on board). I grabbed this as we stopped at Shoreham.


Chichester has some very appealing architecture, with many well-preserved Georgian buildings facing the major and minor city streets.








Standing in the centre of the city is the Chichester Cross, situated at the intersection of the four principal streets, close to the cathedral

An inscription on the monument says that the Cross was built by Edward Story, the bishop of Chichester from 1477–1503.

Repaired during the reign of Charles II in 1746, the octangular cross was used as a market-place until the start of the nineteenth century.




Much of Chichester's Roman wall survives, although the gatehouse and many bastions have long disappeared.

Records show repairs were ordered to the wall in 1204, wth major restorations taking place in 1261 and the 1370's.

The rampart promenade was built in C18 with the four city gates dismantled between 1772 and 1783.


Chichester Priory Park Cricket Club in action. The score keeper seemed a very chilled out chap, with a beer on his table.


A view of the 13th century choir building of the Greyfriars, now a museum.










The George and Dragon Inn on North Street, Chichester.






The two signs on this tiny little door read, 'The Sussex Historic Churches Trust' and 'Chichester Festivities.'

The Sussex Historic Churches Trust was founded in 1956 and gives grants or interest-free loans for essential repairs and restoration of places of worship of architectural or historic interest throughout Sussex.








Closed Dolls House shop.


The surprisingly stylish interior of Chichester railway station, rebuilt in the late 1950s.














The impressive banking offices at 5 East St, now owned by the NatWest.




Walking along the old city wall, you can glance over the well tended back gardens of the Victorian terraced cottages of Franklin Place.