Free Medieval Market at the Market Cross on 5 September opens the City Council's 800th anniversary programme: exhibition, two talks, open day and lantern procession.
Chichester City Council is marking 800 years since its foundations with a free Medieval Market around the Market Cross and Cathedral Green on Saturday 5 September, the first of a run of anniversary events through September and October, the council has announced.
The council dates the organisation to 1226, and its programme page says 2026 “marks 800 years since the foundations of the organisation we know today as Chichester City Council”. The city’s civic history is older still: the first of the two anniversary talks covers the period from Chichester’s first Royal Charter in 1135 to local government reorganisation in 1974.
The Medieval Market, Saturday 5 September
The market runs from 10am to 5pm around the Market Cross and on Cathedral Green. No tickets are needed. The council’s listing promises stalls selling traditional goods including eggs, honey and freshly baked bread, alongside a set of demonstrations and workshops:
- butter-making and medieval bread-making workshops using period recipes
- spinning, weaving and felt hat-making demonstrations
- a working forge with a blacksmith
- a medieval surgeon explaining how wounds and illnesses were treated
- a moneyer showing how coins were struck, and a relic seller with pilgrim badges
- stocks, for anyone who wants to “punish” friends and family
Medieval grave diggers and a ratcatcher will wander the crowds, and Cathedral Green will have live medieval music, storytelling and have-a-go archery. The council says it expects the day to be popular and advises allowing plenty of time.
Exhibition at the Council House, 1 to 17 September
An exhibition of the council’s civic history opens on Tuesday 1 September in the Council Chamber and Smith Gallery at The Council House on North Street, running 10am to 4pm daily until Thursday 17 September. Exhibits include council records, medals, mayoral and royal occasion memorabilia, city guides and Jubilee souvenirs. No booking is needed. (One of the council’s promotional images gives 18 September as the closing date; the programme text and the exhibition listing both say the 17th, so check before a late visit.)
Two evening talks, 2 and 7 September
The council is putting on two free talks at 6pm in the Assembly Room at The Council House, on Wednesday 2 September and Monday 7 September. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance, through the council’s Ticket Tailor pages linked from the programme page.
- Part 1: Mayors, Maces and Municipalities, 1135 to 1974. Local historian Alan Green traces how Chichester was governed from its first Royal Charter through the medieval period, the Civil War and the Victorian era, up to the 1974 reorganisation.
- Part 2: Friendships, Freedoms and Functions in a Changing Local Government Landscape. Former Mayor and current city councillor Anne Scicluna and former Town Clerk Rodney Duggua look at the council since 1974, including twinning and its modern civic role, drawing on Rodney Duggua’s 51 years in local government.
The council’s page lists the talks in that order against the two dates; the booking pages confirm which talk falls on which evening.
Heritage Open Day, Sunday 13 September
As part of the national Heritage Open Days festival, the Council House opens its doors from 10am to 4pm on Sunday 13 September, with access to the Mayor’s Parlour and Council Chamber and displays of items such as the Mayor’s Robe and the Town Clerk’s wig. City councillors and local historians will guide visitors. No booking is needed, though the council warns there may be a wait for a guided tour. The event is also listed on the Heritage Open Days site.
Procession and Proclamation, Saturday 31 October
The programme closes with city councillors processing to the Market Cross on 31 October to recreate an old civic tradition: the Mayor was once responsible for lighting the way through the city after dark, with lanterns and the “municipal moon”. Residents and visitors are invited to join the procession, and lantern-making workshops will be held at the Council House in the days beforehand. Dates and details for those are still to be announced; under-16s must be accompanied by an adult.
What it means for you
- Saturday 5 September in the city centre will be busy. The market occupies the Market Cross and Cathedral Green from 10am to 5pm. If you are driving in, allow for pressure on the central car parks; the city’s roadworks and travel page has the current closures.
- Book the talks now if you want a seat. They are free but ticketed and booking is required in advance.
- The exhibition and Heritage Open Day need no booking, so they suit a spare hour in town.
- Diarise 31 October if you have children who would enjoy making a lantern; the workshop dates will follow on the council’s page.
For more on the city’s civic buildings and where to visit, see things to do in Chichester.
Source: Chichester City Council at 800, Chichester City Council, accessed 16 August 2026.
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