The town seems to have been of little importance in South Saxon times, although the modern name dates from that period—­“Cissa’s Ceaster.”  Cissa was one of the sons of Ella who landed on the Selsey peninsula.  During the Conqueror’s reign Chichester regained some of its former dignity when the seat of the Sussex see was removed hither from Selsey.  At the same time the town was presented to Roger Montgomery, Earl of Alencon, together with most of South-west Sussex.  The Earl built a castle, but nothing of this remains, though the mound in the Priory Park is said to be the site.

The troops of the Parliament—­led by Sir William Waller, besieged Chichester in 1642; after ten days the city fell and much ill work, especially in the cathedral, followed.  Since then its history has been uneventful.

Some days may be spent in this pleasant town without exhausting its interest and charm and the cathedral cannot be seen in one visit without fatigue.  As a centre for the exploration of West Sussex Chichester is much better than one of the smaller towns. (I am not now advising that adventurous traveller who, fearing nothing, will trust himself to a remote village hostelry among the Downs.) The South Coast Railway runs in three directions and all high roads converge on the city.

[Illustration:  CHICHESTER CATHEDRAL.]

Chichester Cathedral is the second on the site, and much of this building has been added to and altered at various dates.  The original cathedral is supposed to have been for a time the adapted church of St. Peter’s monastery which stood on or near the south-west corner of the city cross-roads.  Bishop Ralph’s building, erected in 1107, was destroyed by fire in 1114.  The same bishop started to build the older portions of the church which we now see.

The most striking object in the exterior view is the modern spire, built by Scott to replace the tower which fell in 1861 while repairs to the piers were in progress.  The summit is exactly equidistant from the west porch and the end of the Lady Chapel.  The most effective, if not the most picturesque view, is from the north, where the sturdy campanile makes a good foil to the graceful spire.  Until the enormous bulk of the new Liverpool Cathedral rose above the great city in the north, Chichester was the only English cathedral visible from the sea.

[Illustration:  SKETCH PLAN OF CHICHESTER CATHEDRAL.]

The nave should be entered from the west porch, a much admired specimen of Early English.  We are at once aware of the fine effects of light and shade produced by the four aisles.  The Cathedral is one of the widest in England (though those usually quoted as excelling it—­York Minster and St. Paul’s, are actually excelled themselves by Manchester, which also has four aisles).  The nave and the inner aisles are Norman, the outer being Geometrical; these were added to make room for the various chapels and shrines which were found necessary as the development of the church progressed.  The base of the south-west tower is possibly of an earlier date than the remainder of the nave and the suggestion has been put forward that it forms part of the original monastery church of St. Peter; the style of it is very rude and archaic.