As many residents will know, Westgate, along with St Pancras, was part of the Parliamentary encampment during the brief siege of Chichester by Colonel William Waller at Christmastide in December 1642, the first year of the Civil War. Christmas 2022 marked the 380th anniversary of this event.
Tag: Period/Roman
The Road we call Westgate (updated)
Westgate is so named as it is the road that left Chichester by the West Gate, an encumbrance to traffic which was demolished in 1773 except for the south pillar which is still standing, complete with hinge, to the left of the Indian Restaurant.
Chichester & St Bart’s: Walls, Gates and a Ditch
This text is about the suburb of St Bartholomew’s Without in the wider context of the development of the City of Chichester. It is drawn from an edited extract of a 1935 publication (details below). As such it has kept a centuries-old way of talking about Chichester where the city walls, gates, ditch and parishes defined… Continue reading Chichester & St Bart’s: Walls, Gates and a Ditch
Chichester & St Bart’s: History of the Municipal Area
Prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066 the municipal area of Chichester is not known. From the late 9th century, Alfred had founded his network of Saxon burhs. These lay at the centre of Alfred’s reformed military defence system and were distributed at strategic points throughout the kingdom. Many were former Roman towns, the largest of which was… Continue reading Chichester & St Bart’s: History of the Municipal Area
Westgate in the 17th to 19th Centuries
This article forms the fourth and final one in a series on the archaeology of Westgate and is adapted with their permission from an archaeological desk-based assessment prepared by SLR Consulting Ltd on behalf of Chichester College in 2013. The numbers on the map refer to objects mentioned in the text below that have been… Continue reading Westgate in the 17th to 19th Centuries
Chichester & St Bart’s: The Early Settlement
The extent of Chichester has altered at various times. The settlement was first established as a winter fort for the Second Augustan Legion under Vespasian (the future emperor) shortly after the Roman invasion by Emperor Claudius in AD 43. Like all Roman walled towns, Noviomagus Reginorum was divided into four quarters by two main roads… Continue reading Chichester & St Bart’s: The Early Settlement
The Romans and Westgate
The above picture is of the Bosham Head, part of the largest Roman statue ever found in Britain. Discovered around 1800 and well-weathered from being left outside in the Bishop’s Palace Garden. Thought to be that of Emperor Trajan (CE 53-117) and perhaps installed by Hadrian at the entrance to Chichester Harbour. This article forms… Continue reading The Romans and Westgate
A brief archaeology of Westgate
This brief article introduces a monthly series of four on the archaeology of Westgate. These four pages may be accessed via the underlined titles. The data has been adapted, with their permission, from the findings of an archaeological desk-based assessment prepared within a 500 metre radius of Chichester College by SLR Consulting Ltd in 2013.… Continue reading A brief archaeology of Westgate