Chichester


Chichester is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It is the only city in West Sussex and is its county town. It was a Roman and Anglo-Saxon settlement and a major market town from those times through Norman and medieval times to the present day. It is the seat of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester and is home to a 12th-century cathedral.
The city has two main watercourses: the Chichester Canal and the River Lavant. The Lavant, a winterbourne, runs to the south of the city walls; it is hidden mostly in culverts when close to the city centre.

History

Roman period

There is no recorded evidence that Chichester was a settlement of any size before the coming of the Romans. The area around Chichester is believed to have played a significant part during the Roman invasion of AD 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 Civitas Reginorum.
The Roman road 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.
Chichester's city walls, originating from Roman times, were the subject of a comprehensive study by the City Council in 2019, in which were discussed possibilities for enhancing the walls' preservation, accessibility and interest as a tourist attraction.
The city was also home to Roman baths. A museum preserving the baths, the Novium, 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.

Anglo-Saxon period

The legendary foundation of Anglo-Saxon Chichester is described in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, where it says that the area was annexed towards the close of the fifth century by Ælle of Sussex and his three sons. The city was supposedly renamed after his son, Cissa. It also says that it was the principal city of the Kingdom of Sussex. However, the foundation story is regarded as a myth by historians as no archaeological evidence has been found to suggest that Chichester was reoccupied until the 9th century.
In the 9th century Alfred the Great set about building a system of fortified towns or forts, known as burhs, in response to the Viking threat. This included old Roman settlements where the walls could be rebuilt and strengthened. Chichester was one of these and was rebuilt probably between 878 and 879. The Burghal Hidage is an Anglo-Saxon document that provides a list of over thirty burhs, mainly in the ancient Kingdom of Wessex, and the taxes assigned for their maintenance. For each five hides the town was expected to provide one fully armed soldier in the king's service, and one man from every hide was to be liable to do garrison duty for the burhs and to help in their initial construction and upkeep. Chichester was one of the larger burhs and was rated at 1500 hides.
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.

Norman period

Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, the cathedral that had been founded in 681 at Selsey was moved to Chichester after the Council of London of 1075 decreed that Sees should be centred in cities.
When the Domesday Book of 1086 was compiled, Cicestre in the Hundred of Stockbridge comprised 300 dwellings which held a population of 1,500 people, and had an annual value of 25 pounds. 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 Chichester Castle was built by Roger de Mongomerie to consolidate Norman power. In around 1143 the title Earl of Arundel was created and became the dominant local landowner. In 1216, Chichester Castle, along with Reigate Castle, was captured by the French, but regained the following year, when the castle was ordered to be destroyed by the king. Between 1250 and 1262, the Rape of Chichester was created from the western half of Arundel rape, with the castle as its administrative centre.

Medieval to Victorian period

In about 1400 Bishop Robert Reed erected a cross in the Market Place.
At Christmas 1642 during the First English Civil War, the city was besieged and St Pancras church was destroyed by gunfire.
A military presence was established in the city in 1795 with the construction of a depot on land where the Hawkhurst Gang had been hanged. It was named the Roussillon Barracks in 1958.
The military presence had mostly ceased by 2014 and the site was being developed for housing. with the former Guardroom known as The Keep playing host to a detachment of the Army Cadet Force.
At the beginning of the 19th-century, Chichester's livestock market was recorded as the second largest in the country.

World War II to present

Chichester was bombed by the Luftwaffe during World War II, but fared relatively well compared to larger English cities. On 11 May 1944, a United States Army Air Forces Consolidated B-24 Liberator crashed in the city, killing three, injuring 38, and damaging hundreds of local buildings.
A new West Sussex county library was built in Tower Street in 1967, designed by county architect FR Steele. This was listed at Grade II in 2015.
In December 1993 and January 1994, Chichester was affected by the 1993–94 West Sussex floods.
On 21 November 2017, the Chichester District Council adopted a 'Southern Gateway' plan to redevelop an area from the law courts to the canal basin, including the two railway level crossings.

Governance

Chichester City Council

Historically, Chichester was a city and liberty, thereby largely self-governing. Although it has retained its city status, in 1888 it became a municipal borough, transferring some powers to West Sussex administrative county. In 1974 the municipal borough became part of the much larger Chichester District. The City Council was retained but it only has the powers of a parish council; control of services is largely in the hands of Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council.
The City Council meets in the Council House on North Street, which dates from 1731. Prior to this the City Council, and its predecessor the City Corporation, had met in Chichester Guildhall. In addition to its own council offices, those of the Chichester District and the West Sussex County Council are located in the city.
The City Council consists of eighteen elected members serving five wards of the city – North, South, East, West, and Central. Elections to the City Council last took place on Thursday 5 May 2023. The current makeup of the City Council is shown below – those marked * are also Chichester District Councillors.

Parliament

Chichester is represented in the House of Commons by the Chichester constituency, held since July 2024 by Jess Brown-Fuller for the Liberal Democrats. From 1660 to 1868, Chichester returned two members of Parliament, this was reduced to one member by the Reform Act 1867. The Conservative Party is dominant, with the constituency returning a Conservative member at every election since 1868, with the exception of the Liberal Charles Rudkin in 1923. Between 1812 and 1894 the constituency was represented exclusively by members of the Lennox family.

Arms

The meaning and origin of the arms, granted on 14 August 1570, are not known. There is no official motto per se, but the wider Chichester District has one in Latin.

Freedom of the City

The following people and organisations have received the Freedom of the City of Chichester.
The City of Chichester is located on the River Lavant south of its gap through the South Downs. This winterbourne 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.
The Chichester conservation area, 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 Graylingwell Hospital, and to the south, the Chichester Conservation Area has been extended recently to include the newly restored canal basin and part of Chichester Canal itself. The Conservation Area has been split into eight 'character' areas, based on historic development, building type, uses and activities. Traffic density and urban acoustics have been subjects of local analysis; a 2025 study on noise pollution ranked the city as the third noisiest in Britain, highlighting impact levels on residential areas.