Chichester - Chichester Cross

Chichester was a Roman and Anglo-Saxon settlement and a major market town from those times through Norman and medieval times.

In the 9th century Alfred the Great set about building a system of fortified towns or forts in response to the Viking threat. This included old Roman settlements where the walls could be rebuilt and strengthened. Chichester was one of these and was rebuilt probably between 878–879.

Following the Norman conquest, the cathedral that had been founded in 681 at Selsey was moved to Chichester. When the Domesday Book was compiled, Cicestre comprised 300 dwellings which held a population of 1,500 people. After the Battle of Hastings the township of Chichester was handed to Roger de Mongomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, for courageous efforts in the battle. Shortly after 1066 Chichester Castle was built by Roger de Mongomerie to consolidate Norman power. In around 1143 the title Earl of Arundel was created and became the dominant local landowner. In 1216, Chichester Castle was captured by the French, but regained the following year.

Chichester Cross, which is a type of buttercross familiar in old market towns, was built in 1501 as a covered marketplace and stands at the intersection of the four main roads in the centre of the city. According to the inscription upon it, this cross was built by Edward Story, Bishop of Chichester from 1477 to 1503.