Celebrating Chichester’s People and Places at the Novium Museum.

Have you ever taken a step back into the history of Chichester at The Novium Museum? No! You’re missing a treat. From 2017 they had a wonderful exhibition of local man Tim Peake’s journey to space (he lived in Westbourne, just down the road from our Sussex holiday cottages). Then, in 2018 they showed what life was like for smugglers in and around Chichester Harbour with Cutlasses and Contraband; A Smuggler’s Tale. Now, the museum is celebrating the people and places of Chichester and surrounding area through fabulous photography. And it’s all for free!

This award-winning museum opened in 2012. Built over the remains of a Roman bath house and located adjacent to the impressive Chichester Cathedral – as well as three floors of eye-opening exhibits incorporating up to 500,000 artefacts that chronicle Chichester’s diverse history – the Novium Museum and its site has its own architectural kudos and heritage aplenty.

The exhibits in this museum are really interesting and informative! They cover displays from the bronze age, roman period as well as articles from the second world war and other old artefacts such as old games, musical instruments and a gramophone, to name just a few. The first part of the museum shows the excavation of a roman bathhouse, with associated information panels and there are also parts of a roman mosaic on the walls. Considering that this is quite a small museum, which is also free, I was really impressed – August 2016.

A Celebration of People and Places by Chichester Camera Club

With 2018 marking the century and a quarter anniversary of The Chichester Photographic Society (now Chichester Camera Club), last November was a fitting time to open a photo-focused exhibition at The Novium Museum.

While rejoicing the club’s history and development the exhibit shows how the Chichester area has been a rich source of inspiration across a range of photographic genres. What’s more, local amateur photographers have been given the opportunity to submit their own photos for inclusion in the exhibition on the following themes: People, Place, Celebration and Community.

Featuring shots of everything from familiar vistas of the South downs National Park to sunsets over Chichester Harbour – this is a true celebration of Chichester’s people and places by Chichester’s people. It’s well worth a visit if, while staying at Quay Quarters’ luxury bed and breakfast or holiday cottages, you want to get under the skin pf this small and unique historical city. the exhibition runs until 10 March 2019.

Cutlasses & Contraband; A Smuggler’s Tale

Exploring the history of smuggling in the Chichester District, from gaining prized contraband to finding shrewd ways to conceal it, this Novium Museum exhibition highlights Chichester’s seedy underbelly.

Ripe with stories of colourful characters past and featuring objects from the Novium Museum’s collection, such as a smuggler’s talisman and cutlass, this makes for an interesting perusal. Especially, when you consider the smuggling history of the places in and around Chichester Harbour – most notably Pagham Harbour, Selsey Bill, Hayling Island and Thorney Island – that are all just a barrel’s roll from Quay Quarters.

While staying in one of our luxury holiday cottages, you could also visit Chichester’s Smugglers’ Stone in Broyle Road, close to Chichester Festival Theatre. Erected in 1749, this marks the place of execution for a group of local smugglers involved with the terrible Hawkhurst Gang who rampaged the south coast and were then tried and convicted at Chichester Guildhall.

Stay at Quay Quarters while you visit The Novium Museum.

Interested in visiting the Novium Museum for free to find out all it has to offer? Book a stay at Quay Quarters today and you’ll be perfectly placed between the museum and much of beautiful West Sussex coastline and countryside that feature in Chichester’s wealth of wonderful history.