Chichester

Originally an old Roman town, Chichester is now a cathedral city. The thick Roman walls have been replaced by thinner medieval walls built on their foundations.

Formerly kown as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, Chichester Cathedral was established in 1075. It has a beautiful interior and a guide pointed out the Arundel Tomb to us; this is unusual as there are two figures lying side by side - the Earl of Arundel and his second wife, Eleanor - and is commemorated in a famous Philip Larkin poem. There are also Roman mosaic remains on view in the cathedral. We explore the Bishop's Garden before walking to the city centre.

Here, the Roman nature of the city is further confirmed by the NS and WE roads from the city gates meeting; the Chichester Cross now stands at this central point - this is where the market used to be held.

Rejoining the city walls we reach Priory Park which houses the remains of Chichester Castle; originally built in 1154 only the motte remains today. Close to it is the Guildhall, a fine example of 13th century architecture (apparently).Read more