Chichester – UK Breaks

nuts4chic - travel

Lifestyle

Fashion

By Amy Clarke

With the rolling South Downs to the North, the coastal Harbour and ‘The Witterings’ to the South plus a central cityscape complete with stunning cathedral - the Chichester District offers the perfect destination for combining a city, coast and countryside weekend – with something on offer fro everybody.

Culture Vulture
Billed as the arts capital of the south, Chichester District is home to some magnificent art institutions. Pallant House Gallery is the South Coast’s rival to the Tate Modern while the Cass Sculpture Park at Goodwood offers a unique twist on the traditional gallery, with 26 acres of stunning outside parkland filled with incredible 21st century sculptures. The city’s famous cathedral is resplendent with its intricate Chagall artwork and the Otter Gallery at the University showcases the work of up and coming artists.

For a taste of the theatrical, visit Chichester between April and October for the summer festival held at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Or if you are a film lover the Chichester Film Festival, running from 24 August to 9 September is the ideal destination.

As well as arts Chichester and its surrounding area has a wealth of history. There are a number of beautiful houses and gardens dating back hundreds of years such as Parham, Goodwood and Uppark Houses. The Weald and Downland open-air museum is a step back in time, celebrating Britain’s history and is home to 50 historic buildings dating form the 13th to the 19th century, while Fishbourne delves even further back with a journey through England’s fascinating Roman past.

Walk on by
If country walking is your thing there is certainly more than enough to satisfy you in Chichester, with the best of the British countryside on offer including Kingley Vale the UK’s oldest yew forest, delightful strolls within the Goodwood Estate and Cowdray Park Estate and within the grandeur of the National Trust’s Petworth House and Uppark Park. Chichester’s gorgeous harbour side villages such as Bosham and West Itchenor offer spectacular waterside walks.

Water lot of fun!
Chichester’s West Wittering is Britain’s answer to the Hamptons, with its long sandy green flag beaches, green spaces and natural wildlife. The energetic can sail or try kite surfing and wind surfing with extreme sports company X-train, which runs a number of girl only “Chicks that Rip” courses and even courses designed especially for kids as young as five – so its perfect for all your family! Classes run until October. For those who just want to chill you can enjoy sunbathing on the soft golden sands of the beach or coastal walks amongst beautiful scenery. Chichester’s harbour side also offers plenty of activities including sailing and even bass fishing
Shopping
As with any city centre, shopping is a fundamental part of a day trip or weekend retreat and although Chichester has a great high street with plenty of well known shops to enjoy it is also home to a wealth of independent stores and boutiques, perfect for some unique shopping opportunities. Two of the most renowned of these are Montezuma’s, a chocolate lover’s heaven and Peter Hancock Antiques (01243 786173), which offers something for the more traditional connoisseur. It is a delightful shopping are to walk around and is home to fantastic farmers markets, with delicious produce.

Feeling Hungry?
From quintessentially English tea and organic homemade baking to high-end dining and country pubs, Chichester has it all. Shepherd’s Tea Rooms is a cosy cafe, famous for its choice its delicious rarebits – at least seven choices of which will be on offer at any given time while St Martin’s Organic Tea Rooms is a rare old world gem tucked away in the heart of Chichester, serving mouth watering wholesome homemade organic food and drinks.

There is a whole host of eateries and bars for you to enjoy in the evenings, whether you are after a night of romance, some girlie time with your friends or a family night out. The city centre’s The Dining Room is a gorgeous restaurant renowned for its shellfish and game, with a relaxing ambience whilst for something more lively The Smith and Western has a vibrant and energetic atmosphere, scrumptious food and all the fun of the American Wild West! Brookes Bar and Brasserie at The Ship Hotel serves delicious dishes and is perfect for a night out with an excellent choice of cocktails for sipping until the night is over!

Country pub wise, the Royal Oak is an 18th Century pub in the quintessentially English village of East Lavant, with a reputation for fine English cuisine with a Mediterranean twist and tasty real ales. The Halfway Bridge in the peaceful village of Petworth, is surrounded by classic English countryside. Here you can drink an ever-changing selection of real ales in ancient bar rooms with a genuine 17th Century feel. Deep in the South Downs sits another historic pub, the Chilgrove White Horse, a 1765 Coaching Inn boasting acclaimed cuisine and a wine list of over 600 labels.

Chichester has so much to offer the visitor that it is almost hard to come up with a reason to not visit this lovely southern coastal district. Additional information including details on B&Bs and hotels can be found by visiting www.visitchichester.org.