Chichester Timeline
Key events from c. 70 AD to present
Discover the key moments that shaped Chichester. Explore the events that define our community.
c. 70 AD
Roman Noviomagus Founded
The Roman town of Noviomagus Reginorum was established around 70 AD on the coastal plain of what is now West Sussex. The site was chosen for its flat,...
c. 75 AD
Fishbourne Roman Palace Built
Fishbourne Roman Palace was constructed around 75 AD, making it the largest known Roman residential building in Britain. The palace was built on a gra...
c. 200 AD
Roman City Walls Constructed
The defensive walls around Noviomagus were built in the late second or early third century AD, enclosing the town in a roughly rectangular circuit of ...
c. 477 AD onwards
Saxon Settlement and the Kingdom of Sussex
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that Aelle and his sons landed near Selsey in 477 AD and established the Kingdom of the South Saxons. Chichester tak...
1075
Chichester Cathedral Founded
In 1075, the Council of London ordered that bishops' seats should be moved from rural locations to towns. The Bishop of Selsey, Stigand, accordingly t...
1187
Cathedral Rebuilt After Fire
A devastating fire in 1187 destroyed much of the Norman cathedral and caused severe damage to the surrounding area. The fire necessitated a major rebu...
1269
Grey Friars Priory Founded
A Franciscan friary was established in Chichester in 1269, in the north-eastern quarter of the walled city. The Grey Friars, as the Franciscans were c...
1501
Market Cross Built
The Chichester Market Cross was built in 1501, commissioned by Edward Story, Bishop of Chichester from 1478 to 1503. The cross is an ornate octagonal ...
1642
Civil War Siege of Chichester
Chichester was besieged and captured by Parliamentary forces in December 1642, early in the English Civil War. The city had declared for the King, and...
1802
Goodwood Racecourse Established
Horse racing at Goodwood began in 1802, when the 3rd Duke of Richmond established a racecourse on the downs above his estate north of Chichester. The ...
1822
Chichester Canal Opened
The Chichester Canal, officially the Chichester Ship Canal, was opened in 1822 to provide a navigable waterway from the city to Chichester Harbour at ...
1839
Chichester Theological College Founded
The Chichester Theological College was founded in 1839 to train men for ordination in the Church of England. The college was established under the pat...
1840
Bishop Otter Teacher Training College Established
Bishop Otter College was founded in 1840 as a teacher training institution, named after William Otter, Bishop of Chichester from 1836 to 1840, who was...
1846
Railway Arrives in Chichester
The railway reached Chichester in 1846 when the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway opened the line from Brighton through Worthing and Arundel to...
1861
Cathedral Spire Collapses
On 21 February 1861, the spire of Chichester Cathedral collapsed without warning, bringing down the tower and much of the surrounding structure. The c...
1881
Royal Sussex Regiment and Chichester Barracks
Chichester served as the depot town for the Royal Sussex Regiment from 1881, when the army's Childers Reforms reorganised the infantry into county-bas...
1962
Chichester Festival Theatre Opens
Chichester Festival Theatre opened on 5 July 1962 with a production of The Chances by John Fletcher, directed by Laurence Olivier. The theatre was the...
1982
Pallant House Gallery Opens
Pallant House Gallery opened in 1982 in a restored Queen Anne townhouse at 9 North Pallant, in the heart of the Pallants quarter. The gallery was esta...
2010
South Downs National Park Designated
The South Downs National Park was formally designated on 31 March 2010 and became fully operational on 1 April 2011, becoming England's newest nationa...
2012
The Novium Museum Opens
The Novium Museum opened in July 2012 on Tower Street in the centre of Chichester, replacing the former Chichester District Museum which had outgrown ...