Roman Roads (© David Stokes) Westgate was not a metalled road in Roman times, although it was an important route to the palace at Fishbourne, onto Bitterne and then Winchester. Note the short road from Chichester to Dell Quay in the south, which came into use when Fishbourne Harbour silted up and the main port… Continue reading Historic Maps of Westgate
Tag: Period/Roman
Mount Lane
The Westgate (St Bartholomew’s) suburb contains not just the main street but a collection of side streets that lead off the main road. This is part one of a series designed to present each of these in their own right. You can read about Henty Gardens and The Maltings here. It does re-use some material… Continue reading Mount Lane
The road we call Westgate (updated)
This is a comprehensive rewrite and expansion of my original 2017 post, recently undertaken by Dr Richard Brownfield. It pulls together a lot of different sources and is as full a historic description of the street as can be achieved. A major piece of research and a fascinating read. Westgate is the road that left… Continue reading The road we call Westgate (updated)
The Chichester Walls and Gates
The Roman army, after landing at Fishbourne in AD 43, set up a camp on the site which is now modern Chichester and fortified it with a wooden wall. The town was laid out on a grid with the main streets North and South Street, East and West Street, which crossed in the centre of… Continue reading The Chichester Walls and Gates
Westgate Archaeology
This section is edited from articles published by Colin Hicks on the original Westgate Residents Association Website, which were adapted with their permission from an archaeological desk-based assessment prepared by SLR Consulting Ltd on behalf of Chichester College in 2013. Richard Brownfield has very usefully brought these all together, updated and developed them to create a… Continue reading Westgate Archaeology
Hidden Westgate Histories 10: Demolished properties Southside
The following properties to the south side of Westgate were demolished in 1963 to make way for the Avenue de Chartres and the Chichester inner ring road. For information concerning the lost buildings to the north side of Westgate, please click here.
A Chichester History
Chichester is the only city in Sussex and owes its existence entirely to the Romans. There is no evidence of any form of a major settlement in the area before their arrival. The local iron age people lived in farmsteads rather than towns, although they were organised and there is evidence of considerable trade with… Continue reading A Chichester History
Westgate Timeline
43CE The Roman Second Legion land at Fishbourne and set up camp on the site which will become the palace of Togidubnus, vassal king of the Regni. Later they march inland under the command of Vespasian, probably along the track which was to become Westgate. They set up a winter camp on the flat plain… Continue reading Westgate Timeline
Hidden Westgate Histories 1: St Sepulchre Round Church
The former St Batholomew’s Church in Mount Lane off Westgate is not the first church to have appeared on this site. The suburbs extra muros of St Pancras to the east and of St Sepulchre to the west date back to Roman times, both housing 3rd century cemeteries within their parishes, with the main one… Continue reading Hidden Westgate Histories 1: St Sepulchre Round Church
Hidden Westgate Histories 4: The Westgate Lavant
Most residents are familiar with our winterbourne, the River Lavant. Winterbourne because it is a seasonal stream that comes down from the Downs, filtered out of the chalk after the Winter rains.