Chichester Cathedral

The cathedral of the Holy Trinity at Chichester was founded in 1075, after the seat of the bishop was transferred to the town from nearby Selsey[?]. It was consecrated in 1108, but a subsequent fire created a need for substantial rebuilding, which was not completed until 1184. This was not the last stage in its development, by a long way. Saint Richard[?], who was bishop from 1245 to 1253, is buried in the cathedral, where his shrine was a place of pilgrimage. Further damage to the cathedral had been done by fire after the second consecration, and much rebuilding was carried out in the Early English[?] style. The spire, which was originally built in the 14th century, was of poor-quality local stone, and collapsed suddenly in 1861, miraculously without loss of life. It was immediately rebuilt.

The cathedral has many unique features. Under the floor of the nave are the remains of a Roman mosaic pavement, which can be viewed through a glass window. Also in the interior are the grave of Gustav Holst and the "Arundel tomb" referred to in a famous poem by Philip Larkin. Chichester is the only medieval cathedral in England with a separate bell tower, and also the only one visible from the sea. Despite its age, it contains several modern works of art, including tapestries by John Piper[?] and Ursula Benker-Schirmer[?], a window by Marc Chagall, and a sculpture by Graham Sutherland[?].