The Pallants

Elegant quarter of Georgian and Queen Anne townhouses around Pallant House Gallery, with narrow streets, walled gardens, and a quiet atmosphere distinct from the commercial centre.

The Pallants form a distinct quarter of narrow streets in the south-eastern part of the city centre, bounded roughly by South Street, East Street, and the city walls. The name derives from the medieval 'palant' or 'palatinate', a jurisdictional term indicating that this area once held separate legal privileges from the rest of the city. The quarter comprises four streets arranged in a cross pattern: North Pallant, South Pallant, East Pallant and West Pallant. These meet at a small junction that echoes the larger cross-plan of the city itself. The Pallants contain some of Chichester's finest domestic architecture. Pallant House, a Queen Anne townhouse built in 1712 by Henry Peckham, a prosperous wine merchant, is the centrepiece. Since 1982 it has served as Pallant House Gallery, which holds a nationally significant collection of modern British art and hosts a programme of temporary exhibitions. The gallery was extended in 2006 with a contemporary wing designed by Long and Kentish in association with Colin St John Wilson. The surrounding streets are lined with Georgian and earlier houses, many of which retain their original proportions, doorways and brickwork. Dodo House on South Pallant, named for its carved stone dodo finials, is one of the more distinctive properties. The area has a residential quiet that contrasts with the commercial activity of the main streets nearby. Several houses have been converted into offices for solicitors, accountants and other professionals, which preserves the external character while sustaining daytime activity. The walled gardens behind the Pallant houses, largely invisible from the streets, are a hidden feature of the area. The combination of architectural quality, gallery, and residential calm makes the Pallants one of the most distinguished small urban quarters in southern England.