The Guildhall Chichester

I was so proud of myself this morning, I got to work a good half an hour early (in complete contrast to yesterday!) and instead of wandering to Starbucks to grab a coffee I had a walk around Priory Park in the rain!

This is where I spent a fair few of my lunch breaks last summer, sitting on the grass in Priory Park with a sandwich and a book overlooked by the Guildhall!

I didn't realise that the Guildhall was quite so interesting until today so I thought that I would share some of the facts with you (whether you like it or not!!) .............

The Guildhall is the only surviving part of a Franciscan friary completed in about 1282 and sold to the citizens of Chichester in 1541. I had no idea that it was so old. It was also used as a courtroom for the trials of smugglers and such like but it did have one famous trial, William Blake (The chap that wrote Jerusalem) in January 1804 he was tried for sedition after being alleged to have uttered treasonable words in the Fox Inn at Felpham! The case was dimissed.

Its amazing what you discover just wandering around the places that you think you know!!