Chichester

I've never been to Chichester - and I wasn't intending on doing so as part of this trip. However, on an impulse I turn off the A27 and am so glad I did. What a charming town.

Here the skyline is dominated by the cathedral. It's one of the oldest in England - the See of Chichester was established in 1075 and the building of present cathedral was begun in 1076. It's a proper, massive cathedral and an intriguing contrast to Portsmouth. However, like Portsmouth it is also a lovely welcoming place at the heart of the town - the cathedral is on the edge of the main shopping area and opposite the House of Fraser store. It feels an integral part of the town and whilst I pottered around the place there as a brief pause as, on the hour, a couple of short prayers were said from the pulpit. It had the right vibe - blending faith, history and relevance.

Having wandered around the town centre for a little while I stumbled across the Pallant House Gallery. It's a wonderful, smallish gallery housing a fascinating collection of modern art. An absolute gem of a place and I spent a good while working my way round the artistic displays. Here, in a gallery down a side street, I came across works by Picasso, Dali, Nash, Moore, Hepworth, Sutherland, Nicholson, Caulfield, Hodgkin, Freud, Hockney, Blake and Warhol. Should you ever be in Chichester, and even remotely interested in art, I heartily recommend you pay a visit - and if modern art isn't your thing it has an excellent bookshop and restaurant/cafe. Simply delightful.