Chichester ( ) is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only city in West Sussex and is its county town. In 2021 the parish had a population of 29,407. 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 (recorded as numbers of hides) 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.Gower, Graham, London Archaeologist Winter 2002, pp 59–63
Norman period Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, the cathedral that had been founded in 681 at Selsey was moved to Chichester after the Norman 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 (comprising 102 households across the five areas outside the city) 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 (also known as the Earl of Sussex until that title fell out of use) 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.Sir James Ware "The Antiquities and History of Ireland" Dublin 1705
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 B-24 Liberator bomber 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 F. R. 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. +WardCouncillorPartyTerm of OfficeChichester CentralAnne SciclunaLiberal Democrats1974–James Vivian*Liberal Democrats2023–Chichester EastAnn ButlerLiberal Democrats2023–Rhys Chant*Liberal Democrats2022– Joanne KondabekaLiberal Democrats2023–Kenneth SquireLiberal Democrats2023–Chichester NorthMaureen Corfield*Liberal Democrats2021–Craig GershaterLiberal Democrats2019– Shiva KnightLiberal Democrats2023–Rhodri MooreLiberal Democrats2023–Chichester SouthJudy GershaterLiberal Democrats2023–Nick RussellLiberal Democrats2025–Sean McHaleLiberal Democrats2023–Robert MiallLiberal Democrats2023–Chichester WestClare Apel*Liberal Democrats1989–Stuart LoxtonLiberal Democrats2023–Louise PramasLiberal Democrats2023–Sarah QuailLiberal Democrats2021–
Parliament Chichester is represented in the House of Commons by the Chichester constituency, held since the 2024 general election by Jess Brown-Fuller of the Liberal Democrats.
From 1660 to 1868 the constituency returned two members of Parliament, a number reduced to one by the Reform Act 1867. Between 1812 and 1894 it was represented exclusively by members of the Lennox family.
The Conservative Party held the seat continuously from 1924 until 2024, with the exception of a single Liberal victory in 1923. At the 2024 general election the Liberal Democrats gained the constituency with a substantially increased majority, receiving nearly twice as many votes as the incumbent Conservative candidate (25,540 to 13,368). Contemporary reporting linked the shift in support to local environmental concerns, including repeated sewage discharges affecting the River Lavant and nearby chalk streams.
Arms
The meaning and origin of the arms, granted on 14 August 1570, are not known (though the chief bears a typical royal English lion). There is no official motto per se, but the wider Chichester District has one in Latin (, "The things of yesterday are still with us").
Freedom of the City The following people and organisations have received the Freedom of the City of Chichester.
1951 – The Royal Sussex Regiment 1960 – RAF Tangmere 1981 – The Royal Military Police 2000 – The West Sussex Fire Brigade 2008 – 47th Regiment Royal Artillery 2008 – Charles Gordon-Lennox, 10th Duke of Richmond 2013 – Nicholas Frayling 2018 – Major Tim Peake 2021 – Philip Jackson 2023 – Rodney Duggua 2023 – Roger Gibson
Geography
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.
Climate Chichester has a maritime climate. With its position in southern England, Chichester has mild winters and cool summers. West Sussex has high sunshine levels compared with other parts of the UK with around 1,900 hours annually.
Demography