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.
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-01.jpg) We caught the train from Victoria down to Chichester (with no bloody buffet on board). I grabbed this as we stopped at Shoreham.
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-02.jpg)
Chichester has some very appealing architecture, with many well-preserved Georgian buildings facing the major and minor city streets.
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-03.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-04.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-05.jpg)
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.
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-06.jpg)
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, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-07.jpg)
Chichester Priory Park Cricket Club in action. The score keeper seemed a very chilled out chap, with a beer on his table.
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-08.jpg)
A view of the 13th century choir building of the Greyfriars, now a museum.
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-09.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-10.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-11.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-12.jpg)
The George and Dragon Inn on North Street, Chichester.
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-22.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-23.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-21.jpg) 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.
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-20.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-25.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-26.jpg) Closed Dolls House shop.
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-27.jpg) The surprisingly stylish interior of Chichester railway station, rebuilt in the late 1950s.
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-28.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-29.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-30.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-31.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-32.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-33.jpg)
The impressive banking offices at 5 East St, now owned by the NatWest.
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-34.jpg)
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-35.jpg)
Walking along the old city wall, you can glance over the well tended back gardens of the Victorian terraced cottages of Franklin Place.
![Chichester, West Sussex, England photographs. Pictures of the town's architecture, cathedral, streets, museum and parks](/web/20170321083950im_/http://www.urban75.org/photos/england/images/chichester-42.jpg)
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