Chichester gave naturalist and writer W.H. Hudson a bad case of the blues when he stayed here before the dawn of the 20th century. In fact, it gave him a depression he called ‘the chichesters’, claiming many visitors suffered the same.
In his book Nature in Downland, published in 1900, he wrote: “I am here always conscious of an odour not easily described. Perhaps it comes nearest in character to an effluvium ascending in warm and damp weather from long-covered old forgotte cesspools, mixed with something more subtle or volatile, like a fragrance that has list its pleasantness.”
He noted the population of 12,000, 3,000 of them adult males, was served by no fewer than 70 public houses and waxed lyrical about the wonderously colourful inn signs.
Today, Chichester is blessed with many visitors who appreciate its history and all the city has to offer, from shopping and restaurants to cinema, galleries and the cathedral.
1. East Street
The old police station in East Street, Chichester, which contained the town gaol. It was demolished in 1937 and the site redeveloped in the 1960s. Photo: West Sussex Record Office
2. East Street
On the corner of St John's Street and East Street, Chichester, around 1938, with tobacconist L.B. Elsmore and Adcocks Garages. Photo: West Sussex Record Office
3. East Street
East Street, Chichester, in 1989, showing the changes made during the 1960s redevelopment, creating a busy shopping location with offices above. Photo: JPIMedia
4. East Street
East Street, Chichester, in June 2020. Photo: JPIMedia