What to Do in Chichester West Sussex

Chichester offers you exceptional variety of activities blending 2,000 years of history with contemporary culture, stunning coastline, and countryside access. This West Sussex cathedral city provides everything from Roman mosaics and medieval architecture to world-class racing at Goodwood, sandy beaches at West Wittering, and South Downs hiking. You'll find activities suiting all interests and ages.

Chichester Cathedral

Chichester Cathedral dominates the city centre with its distinctive spire visible for miles across the coastal plain. This magnificent building has welcomed worshippers and visitors for over 950 years, making it one of England's most historically significant religious sites. The Cathedral offers free entry, allowing you to explore remarkable architecture and art without admission charges.

Inside, you'll discover the stunning Marc Chagall stained-glass window, one of only three Chagall church windows worldwide. This vibrant artwork created in 1978 floods the space with colour, providing modern counterpoint to medieval stonework. The John Piper tapestry offers another artistic highlight, whilst Roman mosaics discovered beneath the building connect you directly to Chichester's ancient past.

The Cathedral hosts regular concerts, exhibitions, and special services throughout the year. These events transform the building from static museum piece into living cultural centre. Guided tours reveal hidden details and fascinating stories, whilst the tower tours (seasonal) provide spectacular views across Chichester and beyond. The Cathedral shop and refectory café complete the visitor experience.

Fishbourne Roman Palace and Gardens

Fishbourne Roman Palace ranks among Britain's most important archaeological sites, preserving the largest Roman residential building discovered in the country. Built around 75 AD, this palace demonstrates Roman Britain's sophistication and wealth. The site lies just outside Chichester, easily reached by car, bus, or even bicycle along the Chichester Canal path.

The palace's mosaic collection astounds visitors, with intricate geometric patterns and pictorial scenes surviving remarkably intact after nearly 2,000 years. These floors showcase Roman craftsmanship at its finest, with tiny stone pieces creating images that remain vibrant and detailed. The famous Cupid on a Dolphin mosaic particularly captures imagination, demonstrating both artistic skill and playful subject matter.

Recreated Roman gardens surround the palace, planted according to archaeological evidence and historical sources. These gardens demonstrate Roman horticultural sophistication, featuring plants they imported and cultivated in Britain. Walking these spaces transports you back to imperial times, imagining toga-clad residents strolling amongst herbs, flowers, and ornamental features. The museum displays artefacts discovered during excavations, bringing daily Roman life into focus through objects they left behind.

Pallant House Gallery

Pallant House Gallery occupies a beautiful Queen Anne townhouse in central Chichester, combining historic architecture with world-class modern art collection. The gallery's permanent collection includes works by major 20th-century British artists including Graham Sutherland, John Piper, and Eduardo Paolozzi. These pieces demonstrate British art's development through crucial periods of change and innovation.

Temporary exhibitions bring contemporary artists and major touring shows to Chichester, maintaining the gallery's relevance and vitality. The exhibition programme ensures regular visitors always find something new, whilst the collection provides reliable pleasures for those returning to favourite pieces. The gallery achieves remarkable balance between accessibility and artistic ambition.

The building itself merits attention, with elegant Georgian proportions and period details preserved beautifully. Modern extension by Colin St John Wilson adds contemporary gallery spaces whilst respecting the original structure. The café and garden provide peaceful spots for reflection, whilst the shop stocks quality art books, prints, and gifts. Entry fees remain reasonable, with free admission for under-18s encouraging young people to engage with art.

Chichester Festival Theatre

Chichester Festival Theatre holds national importance as one of Britain's flagship regional theatres. Since opening in 1962, the theatre has premiered productions that transferred to West End and Broadway, launching careers and creating theatrical history. The thrust stage design, rare in British theatres, creates intimacy between performers and audiences that enhances dramatic impact.

The annual summer festival presents programme of new productions, revivals, and contemporary works. These productions attract major stars and directors, bringing West End quality to West Sussex audiences. The festival atmosphere makes summer visits particularly special, with pre-show picnics in Oaklands Park becoming traditional part of the experience for many regular attendees.

Year-round programming includes touring productions, concerts, comedy, and community theatre. The Minerva Theatre, a smaller studio space adjacent to the main building, hosts more experimental and intimate productions. This dual-venue approach allows the organisation to present diverse programme serving different tastes and theatrical styles. The theatre's restaurant and bars provide quality food and drinks, encouraging audiences to arrive early and linger after performances.

Goodwood Estate Activities

The Goodwood Estate encompasses three world-famous venues within stunning Sussex countryside just outside Chichester. Goodwood Motor Circuit hosts historic motorsport events including the legendary Festival of Speed, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. This celebration of automotive culture combines classic cars, modern supercars, and future concepts in unique hillclimb event that remains must-see for motoring enthusiasts.

Goodwood Racecourse provides quintessentially English horse racing experience, with the Qatar Goodwood Festival (formerly Glorious Goodwood) ranking among flat racing's highlights. Five days of top-class racing each summer combine sporting excellence with social occasion, where fashion and champagne rival horses for attention. Regular race meetings throughout the season offer more relaxed experiences whilst maintaining beautiful setting and quality racing.

Goodwood House, the Duke of Richmond's family seat, opens for tours revealing remarkable art collection, historical artefacts, and stories spanning centuries. The house's Regency architecture and Egyptian dining room prove particularly striking. The estate also includes golf courses, hotel, farm shop, and aerodrome, creating complete leisure destination. You could easily spend several days exploring everything Goodwood offers without exhausting its possibilities.

West Wittering Beach

West Wittering Beach provides Chichester with rare asset—genuinely sandy beach rather than Sussex's typical shingle. This Blue Flag awarded beach stretches across vast expanses of sand backed by dunes, offering families ideal conditions for traditional seaside activities. The shallow, gently shelving water proves perfect for children, whilst the sand allows proper castle building impossible on pebble beaches.

The beach attracts water sports enthusiasts, with consistent winds making it excellent for windsurfing, kitesurfing, and sailing. Equipment hire and tuition operate from the beach, making it accessible for beginners wanting to try activities in safe, supervised environment. The café provides refreshments, whilst adequate facilities including toilets, showers, and parking meet visitor needs effectively.

Summer popularity means the beach gets busy, with parking filling early on sunny days. Arriving before 10am or after 3pm helps avoid peak crowds and parking stress. The East Head nature reserve at the beach's far end offers quieter experience and excellent walking, with unique sand dune ecosystem supporting specialised plants and wildlife. Winter visits provide dramatic seascapes and bracing walks without summer's crowds.

Chichester Harbour

Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty provides 74 square kilometres of sheltered waterways, salt marshes, and mudflats. This rare habitat supports international populations of overwintering waders and wildfowl, making it paradise for birdwatchers. The harbour's beauty and ecological importance earned its conservation designation, protecting it from development whilst allowing responsible recreation.

Sailing dominates harbour activities, with numerous clubs and facilities supporting both racing and cruising. Even non-sailors appreciate the spectacle of colourful sails dotting the water on summer weekends. Boat trips provide different perspective on the harbour, with wildlife cruises and ferry services to waterside pubs offering various ways to experience the area from the water.

Coastal paths encircle much of the harbour, providing walking and cycling routes with constantly changing views across water and marshland. These paths connect charming villages including Bosham, Dell Quay, and Itchenor, each with distinctive character and historical connections. The harbour's network of trails suits various fitness levels, from gentle strolls to longer hikes exploring more remote sections.

South Downs National Park

The South Downs rise immediately behind Chichester, offering instant access to magnificent walking country. These chalk hills provide panoramic views across Sussex to the sea, with well-maintained paths including the South Downs Way national trail. You can walk for hours through rolling landscape, encountering more sheep than people whilst enjoying landscapes that inspired countless writers and artists.

Local walks accessible from Chichester include routes up the Trundle, a hill fort offering 360-degree views encompassing city, coast, and countryside. This relatively short but steep walk rewards effort with spectacular vistas and sense of space impossible in the city below. The Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve protects ancient yew forest, creating atmospheric woodland walk through trees hundreds of years old.

The Downs support diverse chalk grassland ecology with rare wildflowers attracting butterflies including several endangered species. Summer walks reveal carpets of orchids and other specialised plants thriving on thin, alkaline soils. This ecological richness adds interest beyond just scenery, particularly for those interested in natural history and conservation.

Weald and Downland Living Museum

The Weald and Downland Living Museum at Singleton preserves over 50 historic buildings rescued from destruction and rebuilt on a 40-acre site. These structures span medieval to Victorian periods, demonstrating how ordinary Sussex people lived and worked across centuries. The open-air museum format allows you to explore buildings, many containing period furniture and equipment, creating tangible connections to past lives.

Demonstrations of traditional crafts including blacksmithing, hurdle making, and timber framing bring history alive beyond static displays. These skilled practitioners explain their work, often allowing visitors to try basic techniques. Seasonal events including historic cooking, rare breed animals, and traditional celebrations provide special reasons to visit throughout the year.

The museum's educational programmes serve schools extensively, making it important learning resource beyond just tourist attraction. However, the site appeals equally to families, history enthusiasts, and anyone curious about traditional building and rural life. The café serves food using traditional recipes and local produce, whilst the shop stocks quality crafts and heritage books. Allow at least half a day to explore properly.

Historic City Centre Shopping

Chichester's compact city centre maintains Georgian and Tudor character whilst providing modern shopping facilities. The Market Cross, built in 1501, marks the city centre where four main streets meet in Roman layout that survives remarkably intact. This historic urban fabric creates pleasant shopping environment where independent retailers mix with national chains beneath characterful architecture.

The Butter Market hosts Wednesday and Saturday markets selling local produce, crafts, and general goods. These traditional markets add vibrancy to the city centre whilst supporting local producers and traders. Independent shops along North Street, South Street, East Street, and West Street offer alternatives to chain stores, selling everything from rare books to locally made jewellery.

The Novium Museum occupies striking modern building incorporating Roman bath house remains discovered during construction. This museum tells Chichester's story from prehistory through Roman period to present day, using interactive displays and archaeological finds. The visible Roman remains beneath glass floors dramatically connect visitors to the city's ancient past, whilst upper galleries explore medieval, Georgian, and modern periods.

Nearby Villages and Attractions

Bosham, just outside Chichester, ranks among Sussex's most photographed villages with its waterside cottages and church featured in the Bayeux Tapestry. The village's tidal harbour creates constantly changing scenes, with boats sitting on mud at low tide and floating in deep water at high tide. Several waterside pubs and restaurants make it popular lunch destination, particularly on sunny weekends.

West Dean Gardens showcase horticultural excellence across 90 acres, including restored Victorian glasshouses, extensive herbaceous borders, and innovative contemporary plantings. These gardens demonstrate gardening at its finest, inspiring amateur gardeners whilst providing peaceful environment for strolling. The adjacent West Dean College focuses on conservation and creative arts, sometimes opening studios and galleries to visitors.

Tangmere Military Aviation Museum preserves the history of RAF Tangmere, an important Battle of Britain station. The collection includes aircraft, engines, and memorabilia honouring pilots and ground crew who served here. Aviation enthusiasts particularly appreciate the museum, though anyone interested in World War II history finds compelling stories and artefacts bringing this crucial period to life.

Chichester Canal Walks

The Chichester Canal provides level walking and cycling route from the city centre to the harbour at Birdham. This restored waterway, originally built for commercial traffic in the early 19th century, now serves purely recreational purposes. The towpath makes excellent family cycling route, flat enough for young children whilst offering pleasant countryside and waterside scenery.

Narrowboats navigate the canal during summer, with boat trips and private hire available. Watching boats work through locks provides gentle entertainment, whilst waterside pubs at Hunston and Birdham offer refreshment stops. The canal walk connects to harbour paths, allowing extended walks combining waterway and coastal scenery.

Wildlife thrives along the canal, with kingfishers, herons, and water voles present if you walk quietly and observe carefully. The still water reflects trees and sky, creating photographic opportunities particularly attractive in early morning or evening light. The canal proves accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs, making it inclusive walking route suitable for various abilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Planning Your Visit

Chichester rewards extended visits rather than rushed day trips. Consider staying several days to properly explore the city, surrounding villages, coastal areas, and countryside. Accommodation ranges from budget chains to luxury hotels, with good selection of B&Bs and self-catering options. Booking ahead proves essential during major events including Goodwood Festival of Speed and Qatar Goodwood Festival.

The city's compact size makes it walkable, with most attractions accessible on foot from the centre. However, reaching beaches, Goodwood, and countryside attractions requires transport. Bus services connect major sites, though having a car provides greater flexibility for exploring the wider area. Chichester railway station offers regular services to London, Brighton, and Portsmouth, making car-free visits feasible if you focus on city attractions.

Each season offers different experiences. Summer brings warmest weather for beach visits and outdoor activities, plus major events at Goodwood and the Festival Theatre. Spring displays magnificent gardens and countryside wildflowers without summer crowds. Autumn colours enhance South Downs walks, whilst winter offers atmospheric city exploration, Christmas markets, and cosy pubs without tourist pressure.

Living in Chichester

Beyond visiting, Chichester attracts people considering moving to Sussex permanently. The cathedral city combines historical character with modern amenities, excellent schools, cultural facilities, and coast and countryside access. Property prices reflect desirability, particularly in the city centre and most sought-after villages, but remain below Brighton levels whilst offering arguably superior quality of life.

Employment opportunities focus on retail, education, healthcare, and professional services, with Portsmouth and Brighton providing additional options within commuting distance. London accessibility via railway supports some commuters, though journey times exceed 90 minutes. The economy's stability and the area's enduring appeal create sound environment for long-term settlement.

The community combines established residents with newcomers, creating welcoming atmosphere for people integrating into local life. Active societies, sports clubs, and volunteer organisations provide routes into community beyond just work and family. This social infrastructure helps newcomers establish connections and feel at home relatively quickly.

Final Thoughts

Chichester delivers exceptional variety of attractions and activities within remarkably compact area. The combination of Roman heritage, medieval cathedral, Georgian architecture, world-class cultural venues, stunning beaches, and South Downs access creates destination offering something for everyone. This diversity means you can return repeatedly without exhausting possibilities.

The city successfully balances tourism with maintaining authentic community character. Locals genuinely use the same facilities that attract visitors, creating living city rather than museum piece. This authenticity makes Chichester more appealing than places existing primarily for tourism, where commerce overwhelms community.

Whether you visit for a day, stay for a week, or consider moving permanently, Chichester rewards exploration and engagement. The city and surrounding area demonstrate West Sussex at its finest—historically significant, culturally vibrant, naturally beautiful, and genuinely liveable. You'll understand why people keep returning and why many eventually make it home.