Chichester on Market Day

Day Tour: Chichester on Market Day

One of the great well-preserved Georgian cities in the UK, Chichester has played a key role of the affairs of Sussex since at least Roman times. Today, Chichester is the prosperous administrative capital of West Sussex and a great place for shopping, but it's hard to avoid Chichester's links to its illustrious past.

Chichester city centre's broad streets are packed with listed buildings, with the list headed by the towering presence of Chichester Cathedral, now home to a family of peregrine falcons who can be heard as they swoop over the city at dusk.

The pedestrianised city centre is neatly enclosed within the ancient city walls and this helps to make Chichester compact and pleasant to explore on foot.

You will find lots of good shops in Chichester and the city serves as the main shopping centre.

The city centre is packed with notable buildings, from Chichester Cathedral to John Edes House, the medieval Market Cross, Pallant House (which is home of the prize winning art gallery), the Guildhall in Priory Park, the Georgian Houses of the Pallants and hundreds of listed historic buildings such as the St Mary's Hospital Almshouse.

The partially restored Chichester Canal is now an attractive enhancement to the city and Chichester Canal Basin is becoming an attractive place to pass the time of day.

Chichester is also home to a  magnificent Cathedral which has stood at the centre of Chichester for over 900 years. With unique architecture from each century of its life, this Cathedral is both ancient and modern, where original medieval features sit alongside world famous contemporary artworks.