Things to do in Chichester
Chichester is a pocket-sized cathedral city sitting at the foot of the South Downs with a rich history dating back to Roman times. Just a 15-minute drive from our Church Farm Holiday Park, Chichester is not to be missed on your trip to Sussex.
Having never been industrialised, for hundreds of years the entire population of Chichester was able to fit inside its cathedral. Its original Roman walls remain, just one of numerous cultural highlights to explore. But with watersports, a canal and renowned theatre, there’s so many things to do in Chichester and here we’ve compiled a list of our favourites so you can build the ones you like best into your visit.
1. Chichester Watersports
Address: Coach Rd, Chichester PO18 0NX
Up the ante at Chichester Watersports, where you can tackle a wide range of water-based activities just a five-minute drive outside the city centre. With wakeboarding off boat and cable, waterskiing, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking available as well as open-water swimming and an inflatable Aqua Park, there’s something for everyone from the hardened thrill-seeker to small children.
2. Fishbourne Roman Palace, Fishbourne
Address: Roman Way, Chichester PO19 3QR
Found in the village of Fishbourne just outside of Chichester are the Roman mosaics and gardens at Fishbourne Roman Palace. Once the largest Roman residence north of the Alps, the estate dates back to AD 75 - just three decades after the Roman conquest of Britain. Discovered by local workmen in 1960, much of the palace has been excavated and preserved while there is also an on-site museum. The formal gardens have also been replanted, with raised walkways to view more than 20 stunning mosaics including the exceptional Dolphin mosaic.
3. Chichester Canal
Address: Canal Wharf, Basin Rd, Chichester PO19 8DT
Experience the Chichester Canal and take in the views of open farmland from the water whilst trying to spot wildlife like butterflies, moorhens, coots, heron and woodpecker. Catch one of the two canal boats - the Kingfisher or Richmond - along the two-mile section of the Chichester Canal between Basin and Donnington or walk the full four-mile route to the Chichester Marina in Birdham which links up to the sea. Be sure to stop at the Hunston Bridge to look back and enjoy the view of Chichester Cathedral and the Downs that inspired JMW Turner’s 1829 painting. Refuel at the Boat House Cafe at Chichester Marina before the journey back.
4. Chichester Festival Theatre
Address: Oaklands Way, Chichester PO19 6AP
The Chichester Festival Theatre is one of the UK’s most famous theatres, home to the Chichester Festival which takes place between April and September. Opening in 1962, Laurence Olivier was the first artistic director at this grand playhouse, creating the company that later merged with the Old Vic in London to create the National Theatre Company. If you get the chance, watch a production with West End transfers and new works on offer, but if you can’t just pop into the grade II listed building for a tour backstage. There’s also a wide range of food and drink options, from the Cafe on the Park and the Foyer Cafe to The Brasserie and Minerva Bar and Grill.
5. West Dean Gardens, West Dean
Address: West Dean, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0RX
Found six miles north of Chichester are the West Dean Gardens, exemplifying the natural beauty of the South Downs. The superb garden complex was replanted following the storm of October 1987 and now includes a 300-foot Edwardian pergola, impressive collection of Victorian glasshouses, walled kitchen garden, sunken garden and 50-acre arboretum to explore. You’ll see century-old cedars and chestnuts as well as modern fibreglass trees, before retiring to the terrace for tea and home-made cake.
6. Weald and Downland Open Air Museum
Address: Town Lane, Chichester PO18 0EU
Just down the road is the dog-friendly Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, spanning 40 acres and encompassing more than 50 traditional rural buildings representing everyday life in England over a 950-year period. Explore the restored timber-framed cottages, a market hall, farmhouses, stables, a watermill and school, or leave the stresses of the digital world behind and try your hand at weaving, farming, milling, blacksmithing and Tudor cooking.
7. Goodwood House
Address: Kennel Hill, Chichester PO18 0PX
A few miles north of Chichester is Goodwood, home to a host of top sporting events as well as 17th-century stately home Goodwood House. If you time your trip to attend the Festival of Speed, Glorious Goodwood or the Goodwood Revival you’ll have a great day out at the racetrack, but if you can’t then Goodwood House offers a slower-paced experience. The estate may still be private, but from March to October opens for tours allowing you to see the first Duke of Richmond and Lennox’s art collection, fine 18th-century French furniture and Egyptian dining room. Cap off your stately day out with afternoon tea in the magnificent ballroom for a selection of sandwiches, cakes, pastries and traditional English scones.
8. Novium Museum
Address: 1 Tower St, Chichester PO19 1QH
Back in the city centre is the award-winning Novium Museum, constructed over the remains of a Roman bath house and containing hundreds of artefacts recovered and restored from around Chichester. Spaced across three floors and free to enter, the baths make up the entire ground floor with an accompanying film explaining how they were built and what role they played in Roman life.
9. Chichester Cathedral
Address: Chichester PO19 1PX
History, art and spirituality blend together with stunning Gothic architecture to create Chichester Cathedral. Inside, you'll find beautiful stained-glass windows, impressive sculptures, and the famous Arundel Tomb. The cathedral's peaceful atmosphere makes it a perfect spot for quiet reflection or leisurely exploration. Don't miss the charming cloisters and the tranquil Bishop's Palace Gardens nearby.
10. Bishop’s Palace Gardens
Address: 4 Canon Lane, Chichester PO19 1PX
Nestled right next to the cathedral lies a hidden oasis of tranquillity and beauty. These beautifully landscaped gardens offer a peaceful retreat with their vibrant flowerbeds, lush lawns, and charming pathways. Visitors can enjoy a leisurely stroll, relax on a bench, or have a quiet picnic in the serene surroundings. The gardens truly are a haven for nature lovers, with a variety of plants and wildlife to admire.
How to get to Chichester from us
Only 15 minutes in the car from our Church Farm Holiday Park, driving to Chichester is simple and easy. Just follow this route:
Follow Pagham Road to Lagness Road/B2166 in Bognor Regis for 2.8 miles
Continue onto Lagness Rd/B2166 for a mile
At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Vinnetrow Road
Follow the A259 to East Street in Chichester until you reach the city centre
Start planning your Great British break
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Important information
Let2offset - make no site fee payments until 2032 Let2offset is a contractual lettings product that offers eligible owners a guaranteed letting income at a preferential rate (calculated each year) in exchange for a stipulated number of letting breaks. It also allows eligible owners to pay their site fees and receive their letting income in 12 equal monthly instalments; the monthly site fee amount charged by Haven will be after deduction of the letting income.
‘Make no site fee payments until 2032 when using Let2offset’ is available at 33 Haven parks excluding Burnham, Cardigan View, Far Grange, Garreg Wen, Lydstep Beach, Riviere Sands and Seaview. The letting income received will vary by make, model and location. The monthly site fee payment does not include running costs e.g. utilities, rates & insurance.
“Make no site fee payments for until 2032 when using Let2offset” is applicable to new and existing customer purchases of new Victory Ashberry 3 Bed or equivalent grade holiday home purchases made through Haven where customers have also signed up to Haven’s Let2offset contract. It is not applicable to private sales and cannot be used in conjunction with our free Site Fee promotion. An example of how “Make no site fee payments until 2032 when using Let2offset” operates under Let2offset is the purchase of a Victory Ashberry 3 Bed holiday home at Seton Sands with a monthly site fee of £667.08 (includes purchasing discount of £17.08) and monthly letting income of £673.17. The monthly difference equates to £23.17, which will be credited to the owner's account. Both letting income and site fees are subject to yearly pricing reviews and the monthly site fee costs and letting income shown in the example are based on 2025 figures. Modelled assumptions on expected annual site fee and letting income charges over the 7-year lettable life of the Victory Ashberry 3 Bed indicate that under Let2offset it is anticipated that these customers will continue to receive a monthly credit during this period, however, this is not guaranteed. The modelled assumptions are based on the historical performance of Haven over the past 5 years of trading as of 2024. Images are shown for representational purposes. Access to holiday home is subject to park opening times. Park cannot be used as a permanent residence. Haven Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 01968698) and is a FCA appointed representative of Bourne Leisure Limited (t/a Haven). Bourne Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 04011660) and is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Services Register No. 312847) as a credit broker and insurance distributor. Registered office: One Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. We may receive commission from the finance provider if you enter into an agreement with them. Site fees from as little as £130 a month with Let2offset at Burnham-on-Sea Let2offset is a contractual lettings product that offers eligible owners a guaranteed letting income at a preferential rate (calculated each year) in exchange for a stipulated number of letting breaks. It also allows eligible owners to pay their site fees and receive their letting income in 12 equal monthly instalments; the monthly site fee amount charged by Haven will be after deduction of the letting income. ‘Site fees from as little as £130 a month with Let2offset’ is available at Burnham-on-Sea. The letting income received will vary by make, model and location. The monthly site fee payment does not include running costs e.g. utilities, rates & insurance. Offer is subject to availability. “Site fees from as little as £130 a month with Let2offset” is applicable to new customer purchases of new Victory Ashberry 3 Bed or equivalent or superior gradeholiday home purchases made through Haven where customers have also signed up to Haven’s Let2offset contract. It is not applicable to private sales and cannot be used in conjunction with our free Site Fee promotion. An example of how “Site fees from as little as £130 a month with Let2offset” operates under Let2offset is the purchase of a Victory Ashberry 3 Bed holiday home at Burnham-on-Sea with a monthly site fee of £783.75 (includes purchasing discount of £19.58) and monthly letting income of £634.00. The monthly difference equates to £130.17 which will be billed to the owner's account monthly; to meet the site fee payment of £130 per month, an additional credit of £0.17 per month will be applied to the owner’s account. Both letting income and site fees are subject to yearly pricing reviews and the monthly site fee costs and letting income shown in the example are based on 2025 figures. Modelled assumptions on expected annual site fee and letting income charges over the 7-year lettable life of the Victory Ashberry 3 Bed indicate that under Let2offset it is anticipated that these customers will continue to receive a monthly credit during this period, however, this is not guaranteed. The modelled assumptions are based on the historical performance of Haven over the past 5 years of trading as of 2024. Images are shown for representational purposes. Access to holiday home is subject to park opening times. Park cannot be used as a permanent residence. Haven Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 01968698) and is a FCA appointed representative of Bourne Leisure Limited (t/a Haven). Bourne Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 04011660) and is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Services Register No. 312847) as a credit broker and insurance distributor. Registered office: One Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. We may receive commission from the finance provider if you enter into an agreement with them. Site fees from as little as £160 a month with Let2offset at Lydstep Beach Let2offset is a contractual lettings product that offers eligible owners a guaranteed letting income at a preferential rate (calculated each year) in exchange for a stipulated number of letting breaks. It also allows eligible owners to pay their site fees and receive their letting income in 12 equal monthly instalments; the monthly site fee amount charged by Haven will be after deduction of the letting income. “Site fees from as little as £160 a month with Let2offset” is available at Lydstep Beach. The letting income received will vary by make, model and location. The monthly site fee payment does not include running costs e.g. utilities, rates & insurance. Offer is subject to availability. "Site fees from as little as £160 a month with Let2offset” is applicable to new customer purchases of new Victory Ashberry 3 Bed or equivalent grade holiday home purchases made through Haven where customers have also signed up to Haven’s Let2offset contract. It is not applicable to private sales and cannot be used in conjunction with our free Site Fee promotion. An example of how “Site fees from as little as £160 a month with Let2offset” operates under Let2offset is the purchase of a Victory Ashberry 3 Bed holiday home at Lydstep Beach with a monthly site fee of £939.58 (includes purchasing discount of £28.83) and monthly letting income of £751.17. The monthly difference equates to £159.58 which will be billed to the owner's account monthly. Both letting income and site fees are subject to yearly pricing reviews and the monthly site fee costs and letting income shown in the example are based on 2025 figures. Modelled assumptions on expected annual site fee and letting income charges over the 7-year lettable life of the Victory Ashberry 3 Bed indicate that under Let2offset it is anticipated that these customers will continue to receive a monthly credit during this period, however, this is not guaranteed. The modelled assumptions are based on the historical performance of Haven over the past 5 years of trading as of 2024. Images are shown for representational purposes. Access to holiday home is subject to park opening times. Park cannot be used as a permanent residence. Haven Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 01968698) and is a FCA appointed representative of Bourne Leisure Limited (t/a Haven). Bourne Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 04011660) and is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Services Register No. 312847) as a credit broker and insurance distributor. Registered office: One Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. We may receive commission from the finance provider if you enter into an agreement with them.
Move your caravan to a Haven park
*This offer is available for holiday homeowners not located at a Haven park and that want to relocate their holiday home from their current holiday park to the following Haven parks: Church Farm, Craig Tara, Far Grange, Haggerston Castle, Orchards, Cleethorpes Beach, Golden Sands, Rockley Park or Skegness. Offer is subject to availability of pitches and the satisfactory completion of our standard onboarding checks. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, discount or promotion.
**Free 2025 site fees are available at selected parks. Haven reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time without notice. Full Ts & Cs can be found at: www.haven.com/caravans-for-sale/move-your-caravan
Images are shown for representational purposes. Parks cannot be used as a permanent residence. Haven Leisure Ltd (t/a Haven) is registered in England (No. 01968698) and is a FCA appointed representative of Bourne Leisure Limited. Bourne Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 04011660) and is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Services Register No. 312847) as a credit broker and insurance distributor. Registered office: One Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL.
Owner’s 'Appy Meal Deal for £7.99
All day, every day* - collection only
Only available to Owners staying on park
Any pie, fishcake or large sausage, small chips, any side and a soft drink
Upgrade to regular cod or haddock^ for £3
Owners can use their discount on top of this offer
Only available in Cook’s venues and not from our Cook’s vans. Offer includes any pie: Minced Beef and Onion, Chicken and Mushroom, Steak or Cheese and Onion, fish cake or large sausage (choose from plain or battered) and a portion of small chips, any side and a soft drink. Sides include curry sauce, gravy, beans or mushy peas. Drinks include any soft drinks can or bottled water (excludes Coca Cola). ^Some of our Cook’s do not serve haddock - in this case, an upgrade to cod will be the only option of fish to purchase. Dishes cannot be changed or swapped for alternatives. Non-inclusive of upgrades or add-ons. Discount is applied if all dishes and drinks are purchased together, and this must be in the same transaction. Available daily, subject to venue opening hours. *Some of our Cook’s do not open for lunch trading. Offer is only available when ordering via QR code, app or website and for collection only. Offer is only available to Owners who are staying on park. Owners can use their owner discount on top of this offer. Offer may be withdrawn or changed at any time, without notice. Offer is valid March 2025 - November 2025. Prices include VAT. This offer can be used in conjunction with all other offers. Offer not available in any on-park franchises. Haven Holidays is a trading name of Bourne Leisure Limited. Registered office: 1 Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 4YL. Registered in England and Wales, no 0401166
*New holiday homes from £29,995 – UPDATED 17 January 2025
*Holiday home price is based on a new 2-bedroom Willerby Ellerton holiday home and includes siting, connections and standard accessories.
Price excludes 2025 site fees, running costs and add-ons requested at point of sale. Subject to status and availability.
As at 17 January 2025, price is available at Church Farm, Golden Sands, Quay West, Skegness and Church Farm.
Images are shown for representational purposes. Access to holiday home is subject to park opening times.
Park cannot be used as a permanent residence. Haven Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 01968698) and is a FCA appointed representative of Bourne Leisure Limited (t/a Haven). Bourne Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 04011660) and is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Services Register No. 312847) as a credit broker and insurance distributor. Registered office: One Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. We may receive commission from the finance provider if you enter into an agreement with them.
Pre-owned holiday homes from £14,995 – UPDATED 17 January 2025
*Holiday home price is based on a pre-owned holiday home and includes siting, connections and standard accessories.
Price excludes 2025 site fees, running costs and add-ons requested at point of sale. Subject to status and availability.
As at 17 January 2025, price is available at Church Farm, Cleethorpes Beach, Combe Haven, Craig Tara, Doniford Bay, Far Grange, Golden Sands, Haggerston Castle, Quay West, Skegness, The Orchards and Wild Duck. Price can be withdrawn at any time.
Images are shown for representational purposes. Access to holiday home is subject to park opening times.
Park cannot be used as a permanent residence. Haven Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 01968698) and is a FCA appointed representative of Bourne Leisure Limited (t/a Haven). Bourne Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 04011660) and is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Services Register No. 312847) as a credit broker and insurance distributor. Registered office: One Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. We may receive commission from the finance provider if you enter into an agreement with them.