Chichester: Culture, History and City Walks

Chichester offers historic buildings, Roman connections, an annual arts festival and routes for a range of interests. When planning your stay, it is worth distinguishing between these highlights: Chichester Cathedral and The Guildhall represent architectural and city history, The Novium Museum focuses on Roman remains, while the festival and routes offer their own seasonal and thematic highlights. Consider which visits you want to shape your days around; this can help you tailor your search for hotels in Chichester to your preferred travel dates.

The Cathedral, Guildhall and City History

Chichester Cathedral is a Grade I listed building; its architecture spans more than nine centuries. The cathedral offers guided tours led by knowledgeable members of its tour team. Visitors can also climb the tower on a tour with knowledgeable volunteer guides and experience more than 950 years of history. You can choose between a tour of the cathedral and a guided tower climb. If you want one of these tours to be a highlight of your visit, check the tour arrangements and availability in advance, as these may change.

The Guildhall is also a Grade I listed building, with a history stretching back 800 years. Chichester City Walls were probably built before the end of the 2nd century AD. These places offer different historical points of reference: the probable date of the walls, the history of the Guildhall and the cathedral’s long architectural history. Those interested in city history can explore different topics rather than treating the sites as similar stops.

Roman History and Cultural Programme

The Novium Museum was built over the excavated archaeological remains of Chichester’s Roman bathhouse. The museum’s Roman Chichester Gallery displays the Chilgrove Mosaic. The top floor houses touring and temporary exhibitions. Roman connections therefore range from the bathhouse and mosaic to changing displays. Exhibitions and displays may change; if a particular topic is central to your visit, check in advance what is currently on view.

The Festival of Chichester is a month-long arts festival held in Chichester every June and July. It includes around 100 events, including concerts, theatre performances, talks, poetry events and guided walks. The festival therefore brings together a range of artistic and event formats over a limited period. The scope and categories may vary from year to year. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates and programme for the relevant year.

Routes and Time Outdoors

The Chichester Tree Trail is a 1.5-mile route to notable trees within the city walls. Bishop’s Palace Gardens is a public park maintained by the city. At Chichester Canal, walkers, runners and cyclists can use the four-mile towpath. The Chichester Society has also published eight heritage trails in downloadable format.

The routes differ in both length and focus: the Tree Trail leads to trees within the city walls, while the four-mile towpath at the Canal is the longer of the two routes mentioned and can be used for walking, running and cycling. You can take these differences into account when choosing a route; the downloadable heritage trails offer another way to explore Chichester’s history on foot. Together with the public park, they complement visits to the cathedral, museum and Guildhall with different ways to spend time outdoors.

Discover More Destinations

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For the main travel overview: West Sussex.