Things To Do And Places To Visit In Chichester

The four main streets of the city (North, East, South and West) are lined with bustling shops, businesses, restaurants and pubs. At Christmas the Rotary club in Chichester place a large Christmas tree near the cross at the centre of the city. Colourful lights are also draped high above the streets and emit a magical glow which lights the streets after sun down. A Christmas market is setup in the streets and roast chestnuts and other warm snacks are served.
Chichester is home to some great home-grown shops and businesses, some recommended ones to visit are The Cornish Pasty Factory (North street), The Orchard Tearoom (North street), Bah! Humbug sweet shop (Butter market, North street), The Edinburgh Woollen Mill (West street), Montezuma's organic chocolate factory and shop (East street), The Surf Grill Shack (South street), Toywizz (South street) and The Slug and Lettuce pub (South street).
The Chichester Gate leisure complex is located just outside the southern gate of the city, a five minute walk from the city centre (opposite to the police station and canal, near Stockbridge road). It features something for all of the family – bowling (Lakeside Superbowl), a cinema (Cineworld), a health club (Cannons), a hotel (Premier Travel Inn) and several restaurants and bars (The Chicago Rock Café, Domino's Pizza, Frankie and Benny's, KFC, McDonald's, Tandoori Nite and The Gatehouse).
Not too far from Chichester Gate is the Westgate Leisure Centre. The Westgate Leisure Centre is a sports centre providing a number of activities including swimming, trampolining, football and squash. Located behind the centre is a skate park for skaters, rollerbladers and BMXers which features a half pipe, fun box, tabletops and spines.
Looking for the perfect picnic location? Priory Park will cater to all of your needs – great for kids and adults, the park is a large green with a playground, a hill where a motte and bailey castle once stood, a priory (now a museum), a cricket pitch, a bird cage and a bowls green. The playground is split into two sections for infants and for older children, both of which are very well equipped and in excellent condition. There are picnic benches in the playground area which are a great place to eat, but many people enjoy to picnic on the green or at the top of the motte and bailey hill. On sunny days one can watch cricket matches whilst picnicking in the shade of the priory or on the green.
The cattle market is open every Wednesday and Saturday, and is host to a number of stalls. From fruit and vegetables, to meats, foreign foods and iPods, you will find it at the market. The cattle market still has traces from Chichester's roots, and on the Eastern wall you will find metal rings attached where cattle were once tethered hundreds of years ago.
But, of course, a visit to Chichester is not complete without a visit to its historic cathedral. The cathedral grounds are open to the public everyday of the week, and there are plenty of places to eat. There is a café in the cathedral and a garden to eat in, but the green at the front of the cathedral provides an adequate spot. The cathedral is in West street by the cross, and is almost impossible to miss. The cathedral's fascinating architecture and history are found interesting by everyone from children to great grandparents. Trips to the spire are even held occasionally!
If you are planning on visiting Chichester, you may need to book some accomodation in Chichester. Chichester is such a great place to visit for a holiday or long weekend - there is an abundance of accomodation to choose. For the perfect hotel in Chichester, why not visit Crouchers Country Hotel and experience both this fascinating historic town and this beautiful hotel in Chichester at the same time!

Keith McGregor is a partner of Strawberrysoup, a web design agency with offices in Chichester and Bournemouth. Strawberrysoup specialise in creative web design, content managed websites, search engine optimisation, search engine marketing and graphic design.

The History of Chichester and its Harbour

The Romans did not stay in Chichester long, and after they had left, the now king of Sussex (Cogidnubus), decided to turn the fort into a town. The town was called Noviomagus by the Romans, which, roughly translated, means 'new market place'. The layout of the town has changed very little since then, and the main streets (North, East, South and West) reside nearly exactly the same way as when they were first built.
The famous city walls were constructed at the beginning of the 3rd century to protect the city from attack and invasion, and were later reinforced in the 4th century with bastions where guards could stand. An amphitheatre where gladiators often fought to the death was a popular source of entertainment, and the public baths located in Chapel Street were also extremely popular among the Roman population; not just for washing, but as a form of socialisation.
Many of the residents of the town made their living in craft. Some very popular careers were carpentry, blacksmithing, pottery and leather working – all of which drove great sums of money to the town, though ironically most of the workers were relatively poor. The richer residents of the town lived in large houses in the town centre, which featured magnificent mosaicked floors and even a primitive central heating system (called a hypocaust).
By 408AD, however, the Romans had left Britain. It is unknown whether the town was completely abandoned or whether a small percentage of the population remained – either way, the Saxons arrived soon after. Although little is known of this time, it is known that the town was used as one of a series of defensive points throughout Britain.
It is the Saxons who gave Chichester the name it is called by today. Originating from the Saxon name 'Cissa' and word 'Ceaster' (what the Saxons called a set of Roman buildings), they gave the town the name 'Cissa's Ceaster'. This evolved into 'Cisscester', and eventually 'Chichester'.
In the middle ages, during the Norman conquest of Britain, Chichester even had its own castle. Constructed in what is now Priory Park, the wooden castle was built on a motte (a man made hill) and was made of wood. The motte still stands today, but the castle, which may have been rebuilt with stone sometime, was destroyed long ago after being left redundant by a French prince who had been invited to Britain to become king during the civil war.
Perhaps Chichester's most famous landmark, its cathedral, was built in 1091 after the the local Bishopric was moved from Selsey to Chichester. When it was built, the cathedral had no spire, but a bell tower. After burning down twice, the bell was moved to a separate tower and a spire was built in its place. Much later, in 1861, the cathedral (along with its spire) collapsed in a terrible thunder storm – though it was soon rebuilt and, surprisingly, no one was injured.
In the middle ages, the Chichester born Saint Richard, who had been the bishop of Chichester from 1245 to 1253, was made patron saint of Sussex. Today Chichester's hospital is named after him, and a statue in his image stands outside the Western wall of the cathedral.
To this day Chichester still has traces back to its roots, from its cattle market to ancient architecture, the legacy of the Romans, Saxons and Normans lives on.
Chichester is such a great place to visit for a holiday or long weekend. For the perfect hotel in Chichester, why not visit Crouchers Country Hotel and experience both this fascinating historic town and this beautiful hotel in Chichester at the same time!

Keith McGregor is a partner of Strawberrysoup, a web design agency with offices in Chichester and Bournemouth. Strawberrysoup specialise in creative web design, content managed websites, search engine optimisation, search engine marketing and graphic design.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_McGregor

Chichester Cathedral

A Brief History of Chichester

Chichester is situated in the south of the modern English county of West Sussex. The City is built on the site of the ancient Roman town of Noviamagus Reginorum. The city is believed to have been on of the first points of attack during the Roman invasion of 43AD. The town was captured in the late 5th century by the Anglo Saxons and was then renamed "Cissa". It was at this time that the city became the chief city in the Kingdom of Sussex (what would later be known as Sussex County).
Much of the original Roman and Anglo-Saxon architecture and town planning still exists throughout the city. All of the streets radiate out from a single cross centralized by the medieval market cross. The cross now forms the North, South, East and West Streets.
The Chichester Cross was built by the bishop of Chichester, Edward Story, in the late 15th Century. The cross was built to enable poor people to trade and sell their wares. Apart from a few maintenance modifications, the cross still stands at the centre of the city. The cross was used as the main market place until the early 19th Century, when a larger market was erected on the north street to cater for the increased population. The cross was destined for demolition until local spirit, along with the aid of a few corporation members, deemed it a landmark and the heart of the city.
Most of the original city walls are still standing and have been opened to the public for tours and site-seeing.
In the late 19th century, Chichester was connected to Brighton, Portsmouth and Selsey by a new Railway. This enabled the city to grow and helped bring more wealth within its walls.
Chichester was subjected to three bombing raids during the Second World War which destroyed much of the original architecture. An amphitheatre site, (which was built in 80 AD) was almost destroyed by the crash landing of an American plane which had been attacked over France.
According to a recent census the current population of Chichester is around 26,000 and it is steadily growing. Most of the Chichester Market is still open to this day and is keeping Chichester as a flourishing and very popular Market City.

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Chichester, West Sussex - A Town of Rich History and Current Trends

The city center of Chichester, England, stands on what was once known as Noviomagus Reginorum. The city traces its routes back to the 12th Century. It is a cathedral city, once thought to be a bridge head for the Romans invasion on Britain. It is a beautiful town, off the south coast of the country.
Based largely on the fact that the city itself has endured such a rich and vibrant history, Chichester has seated itself as predominantly a tourist visitor's center. It also enjoys income from local marinas. The Northshore shipyard in Chichester is the home of Southerly and Fisher yachts and contributes a large amount of income to the city, as well.
Chichester is the art center for the region and enjoys two art galleries and several other cultural outlets. Each summer, Chichester Festivities last for three weeks in July. This annual event draws crowds from near and far. If you're planning on visiting Chichester during the summer months, be sure to visit the Chichester Festival Theater.
Every summer, the Theater is home to movie stars and stars of the stage and the West End Theater. Chichesester Cinema at New Park is the area's only art house cinema. You can expect the likes of Kenneth Branagh and Maggie Smith to appear from time to time around the cinema as they are part of the governing body.
The city of Chichester is very musical. During the 1990s, there was a very vibrant alternative music scene that burst from the veins of the city. Though things have quieted down a bit, you can still find clothing that is a bit left off center from the norm on North Street. Stop by and pick up some truly unique outfits for everyone back home.
Don't miss the Chichester Real Ale and Jazz Festival, you'll see world wide recording artists performing, annually.

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