Chichester has three tiers of local government. It is a transport hub, and a centre for culture in the county, with a
and art galleries. Chichester Harbour
and the South Downs
provide opportunities for outdoor pursuits.
The area around Chichester is believed to have played significant part during the
of A.D 43, as confirmed by evidence of military storage structures in the area of the nearby Fishbourne Roman Palace
The city centre stands on the foundations of the Romano-British city of Noviomagus Reginorum
, capital of the
of Stane Street
, connecting the city with London, started at the east gate, while the
Chichester to Silchester road
started from the north gate. The plan of the city is inherited from the Romans: the North, South, East and West shopping streets radiate from the central market cross
dating from medieval times.
city wall was over 6½ feet thick with a steep ditch (which was later used to divert the River Lavant
). It survived for over one and a half thousand years but was then replaced by a thinner
The city was also home to some Roman baths, found down Tower Street when preparation for a new car park was under way. A museum,
, preserving the baths was opened on 8 July 2012.
An amphitheatre was built outside the city walls, close to the East Gate, in around 80 AD. The area is now a park, but the site of the amphitheatre is discernible as a gentle bank approximately oval in shape; a notice board in the park gives more information.
In January 2017, archaeologists using underground radar reported the discovery of the relatively untouched ground floor of a Roman townhouse and outbuilding. The exceptional preservation is due to the fact the site, Priory Park, belonged to a monastery and has never been built upon since Roman times.
Chichester was one of the
(fortified towns) established by Alfred the Great
, probably in 878-9, making use of the remaining Roman walls. According to the
, a list written in the early 10th century, it was one of the biggest of Alfred's burhs, supported by 1500
, units of land required to supply one soldier each for the garrison in time of emergency. The system was supported by a communication network based on hilltop beacons to provide early warning. It has been suggested that one such link ran from Chichester to London.
was compiled, Chichester consisted of 300 dwellings which held a population of 1,500 people. There was a mill named Kings Mill that would have been rented to local slaves and villeins. After the Battle of Hastings
the township of Chichester was handed to Roger de Mongomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
, for courageous efforts in the battle, but it was forfeited in 1104 by the 3rd Earl. Shortly after 1066
was built by Roger de Mongomerie to consolidate Norman power.
In around 1143 the title Earl of Arundel
(also known as the Earl of Sussex until that title fell out of use) was created and became the dominant local landowner. Between 1250 and 1262, the Rape of Chichester
was created from the western half of Arundel rape, with the castle as its administrative centre.
An enduring military presence was established in the city in 1795 with the construction of a depot on land where the
had been hanged. It was named the Roussillon Barracks
The military presence had ceased by 2014 and the site was being developed for housing.
Chichester, although in terms of
local government in England
is a civil parish
, has the status of a city,
and is one of seven so designated, the others being Ely
. The City Council consists of twenty elected members serving four wards of the city – North, South, East, and West.
Chichester has an unusual franchise in its history. Chichester's residents had enjoyed political enfranchisement for 300 years before the 19th century
expanded the right to vote for members of Parliament
to include most ordinary citizens. However, when the mayor restricted the vote solely to Freemen
in the election of 1660 for the Convention Parliament
that organised the restoration of the monarchy
House of Commons
noted that "for One-and-twenty Parliaments, the Commonalty, as well as the Citizens, had had Voice in the electing of Members to serve in Parliament; and that thereupon the Committee were of Opinion, that the Commonalty of the said Borough, together with the free Citizens, have Right of Election"
and overturned the election, seating instead the candidate elected by the more-inclusive Commonality of Chichester, and jailing the mayor for two weeks for contempt because of his wilful denial of the ancient rights.
The City of Chichester is located on the
south of its gap through the South Downs
for part of its course now runs through the city in underground culverts.
The City's site made it an ideal place for settlement, with many ancient routeways converging here. The oldest section lies within the Medieval walls of the city, which are built on Roman foundations.
, designated for its architectural and historic interest,
encompasses the whole of the Roman town, and includes many Grade I and II listed buildings
. Further to the north lies the separate conservation area around the former
, and to the south, the Chichester Conservation Area has been extended recently to include the newly restored canal basin and part of
itself. The Conservation Area has been split into eight 'character' areas, based on historic development, building type, uses and activities.
Chichester has an Oceanic climate. With its position in southern England, Chichester has mild winters and cool summers. It has high sunshine levels compared to other parts of the UK with around 1900 hours annually.
The city has a tourist industry.
Several marinas are situated in the area together with related industries.
, founded in the 11th century, is dedicated to the
, and contains a shrine to Saint
Richard of Chichester
. Its spire, built of the weak local stone, collapsed and was rebuilt during the 19th century. In the south aisle of the cathedral a glass panel in the floor enables a view of the remains of a
. The cathedral is unusual in Britain in having a separate bell tower a few metres away from the main building, rather than integrated into it. Within the cathedral there is a medieval tomb of a knight and his wife, the inspiration of the poem "An Arundel Tomb
. A memorial statue exists of
, once member of parliament for the city, but best remembered as the first man to be run over by a railway engine.
were commissioned for the cathedral. The statue of St Richard (pictured left) is by the sculptor Philip Jackson
. There are further Philip Jackson sculptures outside the
Chichester Festival Theatre
and St Richard's Hospital in Chichester.
The site of a Roman amphitheatre is in a park south of the Hornet. The precise location can be discerned by a gentle bank roughly oval in shape. A notice board in the park gives information.
The Butter Market in North Street was designed by
, and was opened in 1808 as a food and produce market. In 1900, a second storey was added to the building, originally housing an arts institute. The building has recently been renovated.
The Corn Exchange in East Street was built in 1833, one of the first in the country.
It is an imposing building, designed to show off its importance to trade.
In 1883 it was also used for drama and entertainment.
From then it became a cinema (1923–1984), a restaurant, and then a fast food restaurant. It is currently occupied by Next
, which is a type of
familiar to old market towns, was built in 1501 as a covered market-place,
stands at the intersection of the four main roads in the centre of the city.
Chichester is the hub of several main roads. The most important of these is the
coastal trunk road (connecting Eastbourne
) which passes to the south of the city. The A27 connects Chichester to the
motorways. The secondary coastal road, the A259
, which began its journey at
in Kent, joins the A27 here and ends in Havant to the west. Both those roads make east-west connections. Three roads give Chichester access to the north: the A29
to London joins the A27 several miles to the east of the city; the A285
runs northeast to Petworth
and beyond; and the A286
runs northwards towards Haslemere
There are several
long distance routes
for walkers, cyclists and riders in the area, some of which, like the Centurion Way
to West Dean
, start here. Centurion Way was opened in the mid-1990s and runs along the former railway line. The name was chosen by Ben Adams, a local schoolboy who won a competition to name the path.
The higher and further educational institutions include the
Chichester High Schools Sixth Form
, which is the largest Sixth Form in West Sussex. It offers a range of A-Level and vocational courses with full use of a wide range of facilities at both boys and girls high schools.
Chichester College of Arts, Science and Technology
; offers both foundation-level and degree-equivalent courses, mainly focused towards vocational qualifications for industry. The college has recently made significant investment in upgrading facilities, and is now offering a wider range of subject areas in its prospectus.
St Richard's Hospital
is a medium-sized District General Hospital (DGH). Built in 1938 and expanded during World War II
the hospital is to the north of Spitalfield Lane in the northeast of the city.
The city holds an annual four-week arts and music festival ("Festival of Chichester")
held in June and July.
Chichester Festival Theatre
is one of the United Kingdom's flagship producing and touring theatres, whose annual summer season attracts actors, writers and directors from the West End theatre and the USA.
that dates back to the 12th Century, is held annually on 20 October in the city's Northgate car park.
Chichester Cinema at New Park
is the city's first and only arthouse cinema. It shows a selection of mainstream, small-budget and older films 7 days a week. It hosts an annual 18-day International Film Festival in August/September. Vice-presidents are Dame Maggie Smith
and Kenneth Branagh
. There is a larger, multiplex cinema located at Chichester Gate.
The Chichester Open Mic has supported regular programmes of readings by contemporary poets in the city since 2010. It also hosts a high-profile annual event under the banner Poetry and All That Jazz which included performances by
in 2010, Sam Willetts in 2011 and David Harsent
, Chichester's museum, was opened by author
Designed by the architect Keith Williams
, is approximately 2.4 times the size of the previous museum in Little London. Key highlights are Roman Bath House, Jupiter Stone and Chilgrove Mosaic.
The following section considers the city's music scene: in recent years it has experienced growth in various genres.
Founded in 1881, the
Chichester Symphony Orchestra
plays an important part in maintaining the classical music tradition of the area. The orchestra has both amateur and professional players and rehearses weekly. Three concerts are given each year with the summer concert being part of the Chichester Festivities while the autumn concert is included in the Chichester Cathedral Lunchtime Series.
For some years a part of the Chichester music scene was the
(From "Real Ale and Jazz Festival"), a four-day festival of music and real ale held each July in tents beside the 13th century Guildhall in Priory Park.
Founded in 1980 by members of Chichester Hockey Club as a fund-raising event, the festival grew in size and ambition. In the early years the focus was on traditional jazz
and featured performers such as Kenny Ball
and Kenny Baker
. In the 1990s blues and R&B were introduced and more recently the festival increased its capacity to 2500 persons and offered popular music including
and Simple Minds
. In 2009, the RAJF changed from 4 consecutive nights to 2 consecutive weekends. 2010 was the RAJF's 30th Birthday and celebrations were held. The last RAJF was in 2011.
Chichester Priory Park Cricket Club and Chichester Priory Park Hockey Club share a clubhouse at Priory Park.
The city is home to the Chichester Sharks Flag American Football Club who are members of the BAFA National League.
In October 2007, the Sharks won the National Championship, beating Andover Voodoo 31-29 in the final. The Chichester Sharks also won the title in 2003.
Chichester Falcons Softball Club, based at Oaklands Park, play in the Solent Softball League. They have enjoyed success in league and tournament matches.
Chichester Bowls Club in Priory Park is the oldest established bowls club in Sussex, being founded in 1881. The club has men's and ladies' sections and plays a mixture of competitive and friendly matches.
The city has a leisure centre with swimming pool, flume, sports hall and fitness room; it plays host to Chichester Cormorants swimming club. Chichester Runners and A.C is a club with runners and athletes from all ages. Other sports include cycling.
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They are the Jessie Younghusband Primary School;
Kingsham Primary School; Parklands Community School; Chichester Free School, Portfield Community Primary and Singleton C of E Primary School
The establishment was initially called
Bishop Otter College, although throughout its history it has had many names:
West Sussex Institute of Higher Education, then
Chichester Institute of Higher Education, then
University College Chichester
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Antony and the Johnsons
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