Chichester Local History Society
A generation which ignores history has no past and no future
A permanent structure built as a dwelling, shelter, or place for human activity or for storage.
This post is based on the talk ‘The Battle of Birdham Bridge’ given by Roger Thomson in June 2025 The Battle of Birdham Bridge (1824) was for the all England bare-knuckle championship involving the second fight between the then current champion, Tom Spring, and the Irish Challenger, Josh Langan. On the previous occasion Spring had…
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The digital mapping of Chichester Pubs is kept under review to update information and add any new drinking establishments. The following four are the latest additions – more images are provided at their map locations. Founded by Ben and Kate O’Norum in 2025, The Ghost at the Feast provides several street food kitchens, coffee, craft…
By Alan Green Readers of this blog may recall a piece I posted in March 2024 about No 18 North Street as seen in an old postcard which I had just acquired on eBay. Well, I’ve just made another eBay find, this time depicting the next three shops up, namely Nos 19 to 21. This…
An update by Roger Thomson. A few years ago I posted a blog here (in the June 2021 Newsletter) on the attempts being made to restore Burndell Bridge, a bridge across the old Portsmouth and Arundel Canal, in Yapton. There were hopes to incorporate a restored bridge in the middle of a new housing estate…
For the summer visit on July 10, members of the Chichester Local History Society enjoyed a tour of the new reception area nearing completion at the Planetarium and were then given a tour of the starlit sky from the North to the South Pole by Dr John Mason. The expansion and improvement to the Sir…
We have received a request from the Centre to complete a survey and we thought it would be helpful to share this with you. The Centre are replacing the roof of the school building and those that fund the Centre need to know about the various people that use it so that New Park can…
by Bob Wiggins The Bull Inn located at 4-5 Market Road was a Free house that closed in 2015. In mid-2023 work started on gutting the interior. The latest photo of the repainted exterior was taken in March 2024 when it displayed a ‘To Let’ notice -‘All classes and uses considered’. Snapshots of past Publicans…
by Alan H J Green I have made another interesting find on eBay, this time a sepia postcard which was described by the vendor as being of 18 North Street Chichester, a tobacconist’s shop. I did not recognise the building, but a quick check of my 1933 Kelly’s confirmed that it was what it claimed to…
by Alan H J Green Every week I make a trawl of eBay to see whether any items of Chichester interest might be lurking that could prove to be worthy additions to the ‘Grumpium’ collections. Recently I found – and won – the sales particulars for the first stage of the East Broyle Estate. The…
In remembrance of a little church Seventy-two years ago, on the 30th of this month, the West Sussex Gazette recorded that the Church known as St Peter the Less in North Street ‘one of the pre-Reformation “little churches of Chichester” has now been demolished’. This church stood where the Lakeland store now stands and its…
Read More “The demise of St Peter the Less Church – and others” »