Chichester Walls Trail
Toilet facilities can be found in the Cathedral Cloisters as well as by the car park.
A really original, fun and family-friendly way of exploring the heart of this historic city centre.
The 7-metre high walls date from the 3rd century and were built to defend the prosperous town against coastal raiders. Today, they are the most intact circuit of Roman town defences in southern England, with over 80% of the original structure withstanding the test of time.
Elevated vantage points, offer unrivalled city views
Explore a (nearly) 1000 year old cathedral
Playground, suitable for all ages en route
Beautiful ornamental gardens
Hunt for fish swimming in the crystal-clear river
A really original, fun and family-friendly way of exploring the heart of this historic city centre.
The 7-metre high walls date from the 3rd century and were built to defend the prosperous town against coastal raiders. Today, they are the most intact circuit of Roman town defences in southern England, with over 80% of the original structure withstanding the test of time.
Elevated vantage points, offer unrivalled city views
Explore a (nearly) 1000 year old cathedral
Playground, suitable for all ages en route
Beautiful ornamental gardens
Hunt for fish swimming in the crystal-clear river
KEY INFO:
ADMISSION:
FREE!!
SUITABLE FOR:
LOCATION:
Cattlemarket Car Park, Market Rd, Chichester PO19 1JW
PARKING:
Charges apply, 911 spaces
AMENITIES:
DISTANCE:
1.5 miles
OPEN:
All day, every day
The smooth, tree-lined trail runs along the top of the walls and the elevated position offers unrivalled views across the city. Once on the trail, the route is well way marked, with pavement markers and finger posts that children will love spotting.
En route, the trail passes the beautifully landscaped Bishop's Palace Gardens. The gardens are both pretty and tranquil and offer great views of the cathedral. Further on, the trail passes through Priory Park, with its wonderful playground.
No trip to Chichester would be complete without a visit to the 11th century cathedral. There are no admission fees, however donations are requested. When we visited (on a Saturday afternoon) we were lucky enough to see a rehearsal for a choral concert!
The Novium Museum (PO19 1QH) is a 2-minute walk from the cathedral and also offers free admission. Set over 3 floors, the museum was purpose built to show the remains of a Roman bath house, which are now uncovered for visitors to see.
How to access the trail
There are many different points at which you can commence your walk and you can choose to walk clockwise, or anti clockwise. We advise parking at the Cattle Market car park, as it is the largest in the city centre & there are toilets. From here, the nearest access point for the City Wall Trail is in East Walls - see map for the route from the car park to East Walls.
Parent feedback: "I would recommend the walk to be completed in a clockwise direction as we came to the playground super quick, which meant the kids had had their fun and games before we had completed the walk!"
NB: The majority of the trail is pushchair friendly, however there are some steps en route, which require pushchairs to be lifted.
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