The parklands estate lies to the north of Westgate, bordering the back gardens of the houses on that side. It was built on farmland that had belonged to the church; indeed, the land sold in 1878 for the St Bartholomew’s vicarage, which became number 74, was owned by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.
However, by the 20th century much had come into the ownership of the Henty family. When George Henty had bought the brewery in 1827, the deeds described it as made up of a dwelling house, brewhouse, malthouse, malt kilns, warehouses, storehouses, granaries stables, coach house, wood house, gardens orchards and lands. This last was most of the land to the north and west of the brewery site probably including Nursey Farm, the farmhouse of which was on Westgate next to Westfield House (later no. 80) and included land which was sold in the 1930s for the building of houses along Westgate.
The church had also retained building land along the road and sold this off to ‘distinguished men’ of WW1.
The land to the north of Westgate, or the Portsmouth Road as it was more commonly known, is usually described in the title deeds of the new houses variously as ‘pasture’ (1906) and ‘park’ (1920), which does explain why there are still some fine trees scattered across the Parklands estate and indeed why it was called that. There were wells on this land of vital importance historically to the brewery, which may account for why the land was retained for so long by the brewery trustees, and only the arrival of the Portsmouth Water Company and clean piped water in Chichester would have reduced their significance.
Just before the land was sold for building, however, the Sussex County Show took place on this land. Opened by the Duke of Norfolk on 21st June 1933, some 14,500 people visited the show over three days despite mixed weather.
Richard Brownfield 2025