There have been gardens on this site since 1622, when the original manor house was built by James Lewkenor. In 1804, when the current house was built, the gardens were enlarged and park was laid out, and the kitchen garden was moved to its present position and enclosed by walls.

Many of the existing mature beeches, limes, horse chestnuts, planes and cedars date from this period and the present layout owes much to their planting. In 1818, the garden was extended to the west and flint walls were added.

Frederick Bower, who acquired the Estate in 1871, continued to develop the gardens and opened them annually to the public. Twenty years later William James purchased the Estate and made many improvements to the garden, including rebuilding and extending the range of glasshouses in the walled kitchen garden, the construction of the magnificent pergola in the North Lawn, plus a considerable amount of planting and refurbishment, both in the grounds and the arboretum.

On his father’s death in 1912, Edward James inherited the estate. Best known for his patronage of artists including Dalí, Magritte, Tchelitchew, Fini and Carrington, in 1964 he established the Edward James Foundation, a charitable educational trust. Edward died in 1984 and is buried in St. Roche’s Arboretum.

The transformation of the gardens began after the storm of 1987. Since then, Gardens Manager Jim Buckland and Gardens Supervisor Sarah Wain have carried out a bold re-development programme designed to bring the nineteenth century gardens into the twenty-first century.

A C1 AD formal Roman courtyard garden, enclosed within the partly excavated wings of a Roman palace and reconstructed according to field evidence revealed through excavation and planted in accordance with known contemporary planting styles.

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

The site at Fishbourne was first occupied by the Romans as a military base in the early stages of the invasion of Britain, from AD 43(75. Its abandonment for military purposes was quickly followed by two stages of building for residential use, the second of these occurring between AD 65 and 75 until, in AD 75, the site was cleared and levelled for the construction of the present palace, possibly for the British client king Togidubnus. From AD 100 to 200 it underwent considerable change and development until in the 280s it was destroyed by fire. Subsequent stone robbing, weathering, worm and agricultural activity reduced the contours to an even slope. Although the sporadic discovery of Roman artefacts was recorded from 1805, proper investigation of the site and the identification of a major, late C1 building only took place following the cutting of a trench for a water-main in 1960. A series of major excavations, which brought to light the history and the scale and structure of the Palace, its gardens and surroundings, took place between 1961 and 1968. The Sussex Archaeological Society acquired much of the site and established the present museum which opened to the public in 1968. This remains (1997) in their ownership while the rest of the (unexcavated) site is in multiple public and private ownership.

John Donne

Thomas Fuller

PS: Click on the photograph to enlarge it. You will see stars surrounding the moon

4 Canon’s Lane is a beautifully restored eight bedroom house situated in the historic precincts of Chichester Cathedral.

All bedrooms are en-suite and offer stunning views of the Cathedral or gardens. It has 4 large double / twin rooms, 3 standard double rooms and a ground floor single room with wheelchair accessible facilities.

Breakfast is available in the dining room of the house which looks out into the private, walled garden.

A stay at 4 Canon’s Lane offers the convenience of a city centre location within the tranquil setting of the Cathedral precincts. An ideal location from which to explore the historic city of Chichester with its beautiful Cathedral, galleries and shops.

Over the years, Chichester’s Market Cross has become a well recognised feature of the city. It is believed to have been built in 1501 by Bishop Edward Story, who paid ten pounds to the Mayor of Chichester for the ground on which it is built. The Bishop allowed poor peasants, who only had a few eggs or vegetables to sell, to trade without paying a toll provided they could stand under the cross. Bishop Story died in 1503 and left £25 a year in his will for the upkeep of the structure.

The Cross was built on the site of an earlier wooden construction which had been erected by Bishop Rede (1369-1385) close to the original Roman roads. The current Cross is an eight-sided structure made of Caen stone, a popular building material of the time, and has a central column which is supported by eight flying buttresses. Around the base of the column is a low stone seating area with a stone-paved floor. Each side has an arch carved with the Bishop’s mitre, or headdress, and bosses of demi-angels.

The Cross ceased to serve its original purpose in 1808, when the increased population of the city meant a more extensive market area was required and a large market house was built in North Street. At this time it was proposed to demolish the Cross as it was considered a nuisance. This was prevented when several local people purchased houses on the north side of the Cross, allowing the widening of the street after their demolition.

Mark 11:24

These photographs show the only surviving remains of a late 13th Century Franciscan friary that once dominated Priory Park.

Timeline of the guildhall:

1269 – 1282 A Franciscan Friary is constructed in Priory Park. Believed to have been the chancel of the friary, it contained the high alter and would only have been used by the resident Greyfriars who remained in Priory Park for more than two centuries until the dissolution of monasteries in the 16th Century.

1538 The friary was closed under the reign of King Henry VIII. With the exception of the chancel, all buildings belonging to the friary were demolished. The site was given to the Mayor of Chichester.

1541 The City Corporation buys the chancel from the Mayor of Chichester. The building is used as law courts and the Town Hall, or Guildhall. During this time some famous trials were held here including the trial of the Hawkhurst gang of smugglers in 1749 and the trial of the poet & artist William Blake in 1804.

1850 The building stops being used as a Guildhall and is used by the Sussex Rifle Volunteers as an Armoury and Drill Hall.

1947 The Guildhall becomes Chichester’s first museum site and is used to display historic artefacts for the people of Chichester.

2007 – 2009 The Guildhall undergoes a major repairs programme and becomes a hire venue for community events.

2015 The Guildhall is granted a license to host civil ceremonies and becomes a wedding venue for the first time in its history.

The Bishops Palace Gardens, next to Chichester Cathedral, is a beautifully kept, tranquil garden bordered by the historic Roman city walls, and the Tudor wall. The perfect place to take a relaxing wander a few steps from the thriving centre of Chichester, you can enjoy some of the best views of the cathedral. There are plenty of benches to take that well-earned rest, or sit and admire the immaculately kept gardens.

In the gardens you will find a section of shrubs, trees, roses, climbers and herbaceous plants, with around 100 unusual trees and shrubs throughout. There is also an eye-catching rose pergola which was planted in 2009 and carries climbing roses, clematis and honeysuckle.