Chichester City Walls, Priory Park

Today Mum and I visited Chichester, and while Mum was doing some shopping I went off as I usually do for a walk around the city. I walked the northern half of the Walls Walk, beginning in Priory Park.

Chichester's City Walls are not as famous as those of Southampton, York or Chester, but they are impressive and date from Roman and Medieval times. There are no surviving gates, but there is a rounded bastion on the southern stretch near the College. There is a fairly steep rampart around most of the surviving lengths of the wall that can be seen here. The mound on the left is all that remains of Chichester Castle. This was built in early Norman times and would have been built of timber. As far as I am aware, the castle went out of use very quickly and almost nothing survives of the structure except the mound or Motte as it is called. This has been greatly altered in the making of the park and earlier uses of the site, so the height is now much less than it would have been. The Motte has recently been consolidated and trees removed and between it and the walls is a popular children's play area.