Middle Ages

Chichester being a settlement with over a thousand people would have made it a reasonable sized town in the scheme of things.

A large area of the town in the southwest belonged to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Palantine as will all things became bastardised to Pallant.

1075 AD The Bishop of Selsey, Bishop Ralph de Luffa, moved his bishopric to Chichester. In 1091 AD construction of the Cathedral began which would shape Chichester’s skyline forever. In 1108 AD it was consecrated. The Bishop gave the citizens the right to hold a fair annually in the Northgate fields, this was known (and still is) as Sloe Fair, allegedly due to a Sloe tree growing in the field.

Fire screwed the cathedral it in 1114 AD and required major rebuilding, (which took till 1184 AD to complete and re-consecrated in 1199 AD.)

In Chichester the merchant’s guild owned the underground vaults and catacombs where perishable goods were kept cool, these vaults still exist and it is theoretically possible to walk from the “Old Cross” public house at the top of North Street to the Cathedral through these underground chambers.

13th Century

Chichester being Staple Port (Dell Quay), had good trade going with Wool. At the time wool was England’s most important export and only Staple ports were allowed to export wool. This was so that King Stephen could keep control of the exports. Although to see it these days you wouldn’t believe it but Dell Quay was one of the most important ports in the country with ocean going ships using the harbour continuously until the 1800’s since this has stopped the harbour has silted up to what it is today, a Mecca to ornithologists.
By the 13th century Chichester would have been an interesting to be on a market day with 2,500 inhabitants.

Due to the wool trade there was also Fulling trade (wool cleaning and thickening) with fulling mills along the Lavant, with weavers and dyers within the town. Along with wool were other specialised trades Chichester had needle makers and a tannery, then there were the normal crafts that any town required.

Typically anywhere that people congregate together brings religion and the Friars moved in. Chichester had the Black Friars (Dominican) and the Grey Friars (Franciscan) . The Franciscan Friars moved from their base in St Martins Square to the location where the old Motte and Bailey castle had stood that the Normans built. They built their priory and so came the name of the park “Priory Park” as it is today. The building that they had used at St Martins Square was taken over as St Mary’s Hospital.

The Early bit 4 AD to 10th Century

The Later bit Up to the 20th Century

The Nowish Current Situation