43AD

The Romans invaded Britain within a year or so they had built a fort at convenient site with access to fresh water (the River Lavant) and close to a harbour, the army moved in built up and moved on through England.

A local Celtic tribal leader had collaborated with rather than resist the Romans. He was left as chief of Sussex a kind of King. King Condignubus. Once the Roman army had moved on he took over the Fort and started to make a town. Noviomagus (Newmarket place) As all typically roman forts they were laid out in a cross North, East, South and West and organised, the new town stayed with this layout, as it still does, at the centre where the two north south street bisect the east west street a forum was created, and the market place, consisting of shops and public building.

2nd – 4th Century

The locals got all ambitious and built the walls and dug the ditches around the walls. Initially these would have been wooden palisades but as they years went on they were made from stone. They were then re-enforced with Bastions to take war machines such as Ballistae.
In Noviomagus there were Baths, an Amphitheatre and a temple to Neptune and Minerva
The main the trades in the township were Carpenters, Blacksmiths, Bronze Smiths, Leather workers and potters.

In the 4th Century Chichester went into decline as all the Romans buggered off back home. The last of the Romans left Britain in 407AD for the next 100 or so years it is unknown what happened to Chichester,

5th Century

The Saxon King Ælla took the city and named it after his son Cissa, as all roman townships were called Caester by the Saxons it became Cissa’s Caester. Through the time it changed to Cissceter and finally Chichester.
Ælfred of Wessex (later dubbed Alfred the Great) had ordered a chain of fortification across the south; Chichester was one of these fortified towns.

9th and 10th Century

In 894AD men from Chichester gave the Danes a bloody good seeing to and broke the Danish Shield wall killing hundreds and capturing several Long Ships.

Chichester was not just a fort though it had a mint which would imply that the town was flourishing and making plenty of money. A weekly market would have helped on this front.

The Middle bit The Middle Ages What else would it be

The Later bit Up to the 20th Century

The Nowish Current Situation