The county town of West Sussex and its only city, CHICHESTER is an attractive, if stuffy, market town, which began life as a Roman settlement - the Roman cruciform street plan is still evident in the four-quadrant symmetry of the town centre, spread around the Market Cross. The city has built itself up as one of southern England's cultural centres, hosting the Chichester Festival ( ) in early July, its focus a fairly safe programme of middle-brow plays, though the studio theatre is a bit more adventurous. The racecourse at Goodwood Park , north of the city, hosts one of England's most fashionable racing events at the same time. The Gothic cathedral is the chief permanent attraction in the city, but two miles west of the town are the restored Roman ruins of Fishbourne , one of the most visited ancient sites in the county.
The City The main streets lead off to the compass's cardinal points from the Gothic Market Cross , a bulky octagonal rotunda topped by ornate finials and a large crown, and built in 1501 to provide shelter for the market traders, although it appears far... read more >>
