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The Chichester Pallant Quarter
The streets south of East Street form the Pallant quarter, the oldest residential area in Chichester. Georgian townhouses now house Pallant House Gallery, independent restaurants, wine bars, and some of the city's best food. North Pallant, South Pallant, East Pallant and West Pallant radiate from a central cross, echoing the larger city street plan. It is the best area for an evening meal or a leisurely weekend brunch.
Chichester Harbour and the Coast
Chichester Harbour is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty stretching south from the city to the Solent. The harbour villages of Bosham, Itchenor and Dell Quay offer waterfront pubs, sailing, and seal-spotting boat trips. West Wittering beach, 7 miles south of the city centre, is one of the best sandy beaches on the south coast. The Salterns Way cycle path links Chichester to the harbour via a flat, traffic-free route through Donnington.
Highlights and Attractions in Chichester
Chichester Cathedral
The Royal Chantry, Cathedral Cloisters, Chichester, PO19 1PX
A Norman cathedral founded in 1075, home to works by Marc Chagall, John Piper and Graham Sutherland. Free to enter. Evensong is sung by the cathedral choir most weekday evenings during term time.
Chichester Festival Theatre
Oaklands Park, Chichester, PO19 6AP
One of the UK's flagship producing theatres, staging world premieres and West End transfers since 1962. The main house seats 1,200; the intimate Minerva Theatre seats 280. The annual summer season runs May to October.
Pallant House Gallery
9 North Pallant, Chichester, PO19 1TJ
An award-winning gallery housing one of the best collections of Modern British art outside London, including works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Eduardo Paolozzi. Free for under-18s.
The Novium Museum
Tower Street, Chichester, PO19 1QH
Chichester's museum, built over the remains of a Roman bathhouse visible through the glass floor. Covers the city's Roman, medieval and modern history. Free entry for under-18s.
Priory Park
Priory Lane, Chichester, PO19 1NS
A Green Flag park within the city walls, with a cricket ground, bowling green, adventure playground, and the remains of the medieval Greyfriars chapel. Free entry, open dawn to dusk.
Chichester Canal
Canal Wharf, Canal Basin, Chichester, PO19 8DT
A restored section of the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal running 3.5 miles from the canal basin to Chichester Harbour at Birdham. Flat towpath suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. Boat trips operate from the basin.
Frequently Asked Questions
QWhat is there to do in Chichester?▼
Chichester is a compact, walkable cathedral city with a 900-year-old cathedral (free entry), the Festival Theatre, Pallant House Gallery, the Novium Museum built over Roman baths, and Priory Park. The city centre has independent shops, twice-monthly farmers markets, and a growing restaurant scene around the Pallant quarter. Chichester Harbour and the South Downs are both within 15 minutes.
QWhat family activities are there in Chichester?▼
Families can visit the Novium Museum (free for under-18s, Roman bathhouse visible through the glass floor), explore Priory Park playground, take a boat trip on Chichester Canal, or see a family show at the Festival Theatre. Chichester Gate Leisure Park has bowling, trampolining at Flip Out (PO19 7BJ), and cinema. The cathedral runs free family trails during school holidays.
QWhat free things can I do in Chichester?▼
Chichester Cathedral is free to enter and hosts free lunchtime concerts. Walking the city walls takes about 45 minutes and gives elevated views of the cathedral and Priory Park. The park itself, Pallant House Gallery ground-floor exhibitions, and the twice-monthly farmers market are all free. The canal towpath is a flat 3.5-mile walk to Chichester Harbour.
QWhere can I park in Chichester?▼
The main car parks are the Avenue de Chartres multi-storey (PO19 1BJ, largest, closest to city centre), Northgate (PO19 1BA), Cattle Market (PO19 1JW), and the Basin Road park-and-walk near the canal basin. On-street parking in the city centre is limited to 1-2 hours. Park-and-ride operates from the A27 Westhampnett site on busy Saturdays and event days.
QHow do I get to Chichester by train?▼
Chichester station is on the West Coastway line. Southern trains run directly from London Victoria (approximately 1 hour 40 minutes), Brighton (50 minutes), Worthing (30 minutes), and Portsmouth (20 minutes). The station is a 10-minute walk from the Market Cross in the city centre.
QWhat markets are in Chichester?▼
The Chichester Farmers Market runs on the first and third Friday of every month in East Street and North Street, selling local produce including Sussex cheeses, fresh fish, bread and seasonal vegetables. A general market runs on Wednesdays in the city centre. The Christmas Market fills the streets around the Market Cross from late November.
QWhat is near Chichester for a day out?▼
Chichester Harbour (sailing, walking, seal trips from Itchenor), Goodwood (horse racing, motorsport, the Sculpture Park), the Witterings beaches (West Wittering is 7 miles south), Fishbourne Roman Palace (the largest Roman domestic building in Britain, 1.5 miles west), and the South Downs National Park (the Trundle viewpoint is 3 miles north). Arundel Castle is 10 miles east.
QAre dogs allowed in Chichester city centre?▼
Dogs are welcome throughout the city centre streets, in Priory Park (on lead), along the canal towpath, and in many cafes and pubs. The cathedral welcomes well-behaved dogs. Chichester Harbour foreshore walks and the South Downs are also dog-friendly, though seasonal livestock restrictions apply on downland paths.