Chichester (district)
Encyclopedia
Chichester is a largely rural local government district in West Sussex
, England
. Its council is based in the city of Chichester
.
, as a merger of the municipal borough
of Chichester and the Rural Districts
of Midhurst, Petworth and part of the former Chichester Rural District.
control; as of the 3 May 2007 elections, the Conservatives held 34 seats, the Liberal Democrats
held 11 seats and there were 3 independent councillors.
, Selsey
and Petworth
, most are villages.
to the west and Surrey
to the north. The districts of Arun
and Horsham
abut to the east; the English Channel
to the south. The district is divided by the South Downs
escarpment
, with the northern part being in the Weald
, composed of a mixture of sandstone
ridges and low lying clay
s known as the Western Weald. To the south the dip slope
of the downs falls gently to a flat coastal plain and the sea. The Western Weald is drained by the River Arun
and its tribituaries including the rivers Lox, Kird and especially the River Rother
and its tribituaries the River Lod
and the Haslingbourne Stream. On the northern boundary Blackdown
is the highest point in Sussex, while further east around Loxwood
the land is low and quite flat. The south of the district has many permeable chalk and gravel areas and is drained by two winterbourne
s, the River Lavant
and River Ems, which are usually dry in the summer. The large inlet known as Chichester Harbour
and the headland of Selsey Bill
are conspicuous features of the coast.
The district, apart from the few main roads, is generally rural in character, as can be seen by the number of villages within it. Apart from the coastal strip there are few main roads, and the erstwhile railways
which once served Midhurst have long been closed.
, Goodwood Racecourse
, Halnaker Windmill
and Cowdray House
a ruined Tudor
mansion.
assembly plant at nearby Westhampnett
. Boatbuilding is an important industry along the coast. Many people from the northern parts of the district commute to work in London, using the A3 road
or the railways from Portsmouth
to London Waterloo station and Littlehampton
to London Victoria station. Fertile soils on the coastal plain are used for arable farming and intensive vegetable production, the latter employing many migrant workers from Eastern Europe. High sunlight levels and a mild climate also make the coastal region suitable for glasshouse growing. A fertile strip of land on the north side of the River Rother
is also used for vegetable growing, but most of the area north of the Downs is of low agricultural value and there are large areas of forest and pasture, interspersed with arable cropping.
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Its council is based in the city of Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
.
History
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, as a merger of the municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
of Chichester and the Rural Districts
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
of Midhurst, Petworth and part of the former Chichester Rural District.
Governance
Chichester District Council has 48 councillors, representing 28 wards. Chichester itself has four of those wards (North, South, East and West); whilst the remaining ten wards comprise groups of villages. It is currently under ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
control; as of the 3 May 2007 elections, the Conservatives held 34 seats, the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
held 11 seats and there were 3 independent councillors.
Civil parishes
There are 67 civil parishes in Chichester District. Apart from the City of Chichester, and the three towns of MidhurstMidhurst
Midhurst is a market town and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England, with a population of 4,889 in 2001. The town is situated on the River Rother and is home to the ruin of the Tudor Cowdray House and the stately Victorian Cowdray Park...
, Selsey
Selsey
Selsey is a seaside town and civil parish, about seven miles south of Chichester, in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. Selsey lies at the southernmost point of the Manhood Peninsula, almost cut off from mainland Sussex by the sea...
and Petworth
Petworth
Petworth is a small town and civil parish in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the junction of the A272 east-west road from Heathfield to Winchester and the A283 Milford to Shoreham-by-Sea road. Some twelve miles to the south west of Petworth along the A285 road...
, most are villages.
Geography
Chichester District occupies the western part of West Sussex, bordering on HampshireHampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
to the west and Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
to the north. The districts of Arun
Arun
Arun is a local government district in West Sussex, England. It contains the towns of Arundel, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, and takes its name from the River Arun, which runs through the centre of the district.-History:...
and Horsham
Horsham (district)
Horsham is a local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in Horsham. The district borders those of Crawley, Mid Sussex, Mole Valley, Chichester, Arun and Adur....
abut to the east; the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to the south. The district is divided by the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
, with the northern part being in the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
, composed of a mixture of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
ridges and low lying clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
s known as the Western Weald. To the south the dip slope
Dip slope
A dip slope is a geological formation often created by erosion of tilted strata. Dip slopes are found on homoclinal ridges with one side that is steep and irregular and another side, the dip slope, that is generally planar with a dip parallel to the bedding...
of the downs falls gently to a flat coastal plain and the sea. The Western Weald is drained by the River Arun
River Arun
The Arun is a river in the English county of West Sussex. Its source is a series of small streams in the St Leonard's Forest area, to the east of Horsham...
and its tribituaries including the rivers Lox, Kird and especially the River Rother
River Rother (Western)
The River Rother is a river which flows for thirty miles from Empshott in Hampshire to Stopham in West Sussex, where it joins the River Arun. It should not be confused with the River Rother, in East Sussex....
and its tribituaries the River Lod
River Lod, West Sussex
The River Lod is a short river draining about of north west Sussex. The source is on Marley Heights near Haslemere, about 140 metres above sea level. From here it flows west past Linchmere, then south to Furnace Pond, where iron cannon were cast during the English Civil War...
and the Haslingbourne Stream. On the northern boundary Blackdown
Blackdown, Sussex
Blackdown, or Black Down, is the highest hill in the historic county of Sussex, at 280 metres , and is second only to Leith Hill in southeastern England....
is the highest point in Sussex, while further east around Loxwood
Loxwood
Loxwood is a small village and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England, within the Low Weald. The Wey and Arun Canal passes to the East and South of the village....
the land is low and quite flat. The south of the district has many permeable chalk and gravel areas and is drained by two winterbourne
Winterbourne (stream)
A winterbourne is a stream or river that is dry through the summer months. A winterbourne is sometimes simply called a bourne, from the Anglo-Saxon for a stream flowing from a spring, although this term can also be used for all-year water courses....
s, the River Lavant
River Lavant, West Sussex
The River Lavant is a winterbourne that rises at East Dean and flows west to Singleton, then south past West Dean and Lavant to Chichester. From east of Chichester its natural course was south to the sea at Pagham, but the Romans diverted it to flow around the southern walls of Chichester and then...
and River Ems, which are usually dry in the summer. The large inlet known as Chichester Harbour
Chichester Harbour
Chichester Harbour is a large natural harbour to the south west of the city of Chichester on the Solent. It straddles the boundary of West Sussex and Hampshire. Geographically it is a ria. It is one of four natural harbours in that area of the coastline, the others being Portsmouth Harbour,...
and the headland of Selsey Bill
Selsey Bill
Selsey Bill is a headland into the English Channel on the south coast of England in the county of West Sussex.The southern most town in Sussex is Selsey which is at the end of the Selsey Peninsula and Selsey Bill is situated on the towns southerncoastline...
are conspicuous features of the coast.
The district, apart from the few main roads, is generally rural in character, as can be seen by the number of villages within it. Apart from the coastal strip there are few main roads, and the erstwhile railways
Midhurst Railways
The Midhurst Railways were three Branch lines which were built to serve the market town of Midhurst in the English county of West Sussex. The three lines radiated from the town; south to Chichester, west to Petersfield, and east to Pulborough....
which once served Midhurst have long been closed.
Landmarks
Apart from the geographical landmarks, Chichester District contains Chichester CathedralChichester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called Chichester Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in Sussex, England...
, Goodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House...
, Halnaker Windmill
Halnaker Windmill
Halnaker Windmill is a tower mill which stands on Halnaker Hill, northeast of Chichester, Sussex, England. The Mill is reached by a public footpath from the north end of Halnaker, where a track follows the line of Stane Street before turning west to the hilltop...
and Cowdray House
Cowdray House
Cowdray House consists of the ruins of one of England's great Tudor houses, architecturally comparable to many of the great palaces and country houses of that time. It is situated just east of Midhurst, West Sussex standing on the north bank of the River Rother...
a ruined Tudor
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
mansion.
Economy
West Sussex County Council and Chichester District Council are major employers in Chichester, along with Rolls-Royce Motor CarsRolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a British manufacturer of luxury automobiles based at the Goodwood plant in West Sussex, England. It is the current producer of Rolls-Royce branded automobiles, whose historical production dates back to 1904. The factory is located across from the historic Goodwood Circuit...
assembly plant at nearby Westhampnett
Westhampnett
Westhampnett is a village and civil parish in the district of Chichester in West Sussex, England located north-east of Chichester on the former A27 road, now by-passed.-History:...
. Boatbuilding is an important industry along the coast. Many people from the northern parts of the district commute to work in London, using the A3 road
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
or the railways from Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
to London Waterloo station and Littlehampton
Littlehampton
Littlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester....
to London Victoria station. Fertile soils on the coastal plain are used for arable farming and intensive vegetable production, the latter employing many migrant workers from Eastern Europe. High sunlight levels and a mild climate also make the coastal region suitable for glasshouse growing. A fertile strip of land on the north side of the River Rother
River Rother (Western)
The River Rother is a river which flows for thirty miles from Empshott in Hampshire to Stopham in West Sussex, where it joins the River Arun. It should not be confused with the River Rother, in East Sussex....
is also used for vegetable growing, but most of the area north of the Downs is of low agricultural value and there are large areas of forest and pasture, interspersed with arable cropping.
Football clubs
- Bosham F.C.Bosham F.C.Bosham F.C. are a football club based in Bosham, near Chichester, West Sussex, England. They were formed in 1901 and after a long spell in local football, joined the Sussex County Football League as founder members of Division Three in 1983....
- Chichester City United F.C.Chichester City United F.C.Chichester City F.C. are a football club based in Chichester, England. They were established in 2000, following a merger between Chichester City and Portfield. They are currently members of the Sussex County League Division One....
- Midhurst & Easebourne F.C.Midhurst & Easebourne F.C.Midhurst & Easebourne F.C. is an English football club based in Midhurst, West Sussex. The club are currently members of Division Two of the Sussex County League and play at Dodsley Road.-History:...
- Selsey F.C.Selsey F.C.Selsey F.C. is a football club based in Selsey, West Sussex, England. They joined the Sussex County League Division Two in 1961. They have reached the 3rd round of the FA Vase five times in their history. In January 2000 former Brighton & Hove Albion defender, Danny Hinshelwood was appointed player...