Discover Chichester’s extraordinary relationship with some of the great 20th-century artists in this one-day modern art city tour.
Standing inside Chichester Cathedral, your eye is drawn forward, beyond the stone and centuries, towards something altogether unexpected. A vast, luminous tapestry by John Piper hangs behind the high altar. It feels modern, bold and almost disruptive. But more importantly, it represents a symbolic central thread that weaves together the complex but fascinating modern art story of Sussex, Chichester and Chichester Cathedral.
Chichester is a city shaped by history, with Roman walls and Norman foundations, but more often than not, you’ll also find pockets of modern art from across the county weave their way back here. Luther Gotz, Nash, Ravilious, the Bloomsbury Group – Chichester seems to be the central hub.
A one-day modern art itinerary
This easy, one-day, three-stop art trail offers a chance to see Chichester and its ancient cathedral through a different lens, the lens of modern art and how it shapes our county.
Stop one: Pallant House Gallery: The story of modern British art
The trail begins at Pallant House Gallery, where the story of modern British art unfolds within an 18th-century townhouse. The gallery’s origins lie in a remarkable offer made by Walter Hussey (Dean of Chichester Cathedral from 1955 until 1977), who gifted his impressive and diverse private collection of modern British art to the city on the condition that it should be displayed.
When the resulting Pallant House Gallery opened in 1982, it brought together works by artists such as Ceri Richards, John Piper and Graham Sutherland, establishing a collection that would grow into one of the most significant holdings of modern British art in the country. Today, the gallery traces the development of British art from 1900 to the present day, allowing visitors to move through shifting styles, ideas and responses to the world.
2026 exhibition
This summer, from 30 May to 1 November, one particular exhibition, Landscape: A Sense of Place explores how artists have interpreted the British landscape, not simply as scenery, but as something shaped by memory, identity and imagination. Works by Barbara Hepworth, Paul Nash, Eric Ravilious and Thomas Gainsborough reveal a landscape that is lived in as much as it is observed. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see our country through their eyes.
Stop two: Chichester Cathedral: Seen through a modern lens
Just a short walk from Pallant House, Chichester Cathedral is perhaps a surprising home for another thread in the story of Sussex’s modern art. When Walter Hussey offered his collection to the city, he had already transformed the cathedral itself. Arriving in 1955, Hussey had found a cathedral that felt subdued in the post-war years, and so he slowly began to introduce contemporary works, inviting leading artists of the day to contribute to the life of the building as well as to the process of post-war healing.
Hussey was perhaps fortunate because the foundations for his work had already been laid by George Bell, Bishop of Chichester from 1929 to 1958. Amongst other things, Bell is known for his deep commitment to the arts. It was Bell who commissioned the Bloomsbury artists Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and her son Quentin Bell, to decorate the interior of the small rural church of St Michael & All Angels in Berwick in East Sussex during WWII, and it was under Bell’s guidance that the cathedral had already begun to engage with modern art.
Works such as The Baptism of Christ by Hans Feibusch, a refugee who arrived in Britain in the 1930s, were commissioned and installed by Bell, and the striking similarity in style to work by the Bloomsbury Group is unmistakable, posed as it is behind the muted tones of the baptismal font designed by sculptor John Skelton in 1983.
Picking up the baton, Hussey accelerated the relationship between history, Christianity and modern art. Throughout the cathedral, modern works are woven into the fabric of the space. In the Chapel of Mary Magdalene, Graham Sutherland’s Noli Me Tangere captures a moment of emotional tension, Mary reaching towards Christ, only to be gently held back. It is intimate, human and deeply expressive with shifting light falling through the stained-glass window above.
The Piper Tapestry
And then there is the tapestry. Designed by John Piper and installed in 1966, it hangs behind the high altar as a vast, luminous focal point. At first glance, it feels unmistakably modern, bold in colour and form. But look more closely, and its complexity is revealed: the Trinity at its centre, the elements of earth, air, fire and water, and the symbols of the evangelists, all drawn together into a single, complex vision.
Elsewhere in the cathedral, light itself becomes part of the story too. A stained-glass window by Marc Chagall fills one corner of the cathedral with colour and movement, its imagery drawn from Psalm 150, a celebration of music, joy and praise. A striking pulpit by Geoffrey Clarke, cast in aluminium and cement, brings a bold, sculptural presence, its angular forms echoing the symbolism of the Crucifixion.
You can explore the cathedral’s art unguided, but a guided Art Tour brings a depth of knowledge and understanding to the different works and weaves them into a much more comprehensive experience.
Stop three: Oxmarket Contemporary: Where the conversation continues
From the cathedral, the trail leads down a narrow alley or twitten. Oxmarket Contemporary is housed within a former medieval church and there are still traces of that earlier life in the stone and structure. Today, however, Oxmarket Contemporary is a working exhibition space and creative hub, a place for artists, craftspeople and designers to show their work, experiment with ideas, and connect with audiences. It is, in many ways, the most immediate expression of Chichester’s cultural life.
Where Pallant House Gallery traces the story of modern British art, and Chichester Cathedral reveals how that story was first brought into a historic setting, Oxmarket shows what happens next. More than 48 exhibitions are hosted here each year, spanning painting, ceramics, glass, textiles and design, often side by side. It is less about a single narrative, and more about encounter: stepping in and discovering what is there, in that moment.
As a volunteer-led charity, Oxmarket remains committed to its community. In 2026, it celebrates its 50th anniversary, with an ambition to raise £50,000 to expand its support for artists and local creative activity in the years ahead.
- Entry to Oxmarket Contemporary is free. They have an ever-changing programme of exhibitions.
- Entry to Chichester Cathedral is free. The Glowing + Alive exhibition uncovers the story behind the Piper Tapestry’s creation, the people and patrons who shaped the commission, and the artwork’s lasting impact on the Cathedral’s life. The exhibition runs until 15 November 2026. The Cathedral is hosting a new series of Art and Textile Tours which focus on how 20th‑century artworks converse with and transform the ancient setting of Chichester Cathedral. Booking is required and costs £10. Check the Chichester Cathedral website for tour details, times and dates.
- Entry to Pallant House Gallery costs £17 per adult. Both Chichester Cathedral and Pallant House Gallery have café and toilet facilities.
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