Rounded off a very lazy

Rounded off a very lazy Sunday by walking round the city walls. This is one of the great pleasures of living in Chichester, and I’m lucky enough to live right next to the walls. I can climb the steps that are just twenty paces from my front door and take a gentle stroll around them. Today I walked all the way round in a clockwise direction – it takes about 30 minutes at a steady pace.
The walls walk is a great way to look over the city. Some parts back on to gardens that you can look down into (there seems to be a sense of pride in some, in others a sense of defeat). Some people stop on the walls and look brazenly in the windows of the properties below, most of which have the benefit of blinds or net curtains to keep out prying eyes.
Part of the walk passes through Priory Park which, as I have said before, is one of my favourite places. The view from the walls towards the Priory and Cathedral is one of the best in the city.
The great shame is that chunks of the walls are missing. Previous generations of Cicestrians haven’t cared well for the walls – most of the south-eastern section is missing now, and the old city gates are all gone. Certainly when you look at places where the walls are complete (like St Malo, for example) they are very imposing and lend a special character to the place.