Chichester is a small city with plenty of shops, a beautiful 12th-century cathedral and gorgeous surrounding countryside.

The bustling city has become popular with families thanks to its great schools, lower-than-average crime rate and excellent amenities.

Chichester Harbour, which is located 16 miles away from the city centre, has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

There’s a lot to love about Chichester. The city itself and the surrounding areas are lovely and its rich history provides a plethora of sites and experiences for visitors.

Chichester Cathedral, which has stood in the centre of the city for more than 900 years, has incredible architecture in both the Norman and Gothic styles.

The cathedral has been described as “the most typical English Cathedral” by architectural critic Ian Nairn, and it’s easy to see why.

The cathedral’s free-standing bell tower and incredible medieval sculptures are a sight to behold and are definitely worth seeing if you’re ever in West Sussex.

The white dunes of West Wittering Beach are just a 20-minute drive away and are a great place to relax, sunbathe and escape the bustle of the city in the summer. The sandy beach is popular with windsurfers, kitesurfers and bird watchers as well as families. In the summer months when the tide goes out, children can safely play in the warm shallow lagoons.

For those who don’t love sandy beaches, the South Downs are just down the road.

However, if you’re looking to stay in the city, you won’t be disappointed. The Buttery at the Crypt Cafe and Tearoom located in a historic 12th-century building is the perfect place to enjoy a spot of lunch or a decadent cream tea. The café offers homemade cakes, delicious scones, a choice of sandwiches and lunch favourites as well as your usual variety of hot drinks.

There’s also a plethora of independent boutiques, delectable eateries and quirky old-fashioned pubs as well as all of the posh clothes brands you’d expect.

Draper’s Yard, which has around 20 sheds of small retailers, is also worth a visit if you’re looking to purchase something a bit different.

One of my favourite pubs while visiting the city is The Hole In The Wall – a dog-friendly ale and cider house with cosy leather sofas, an open fire and traditional exposed bricks. As well as great drinks, the pub offers fantastic burgers, pub classics and small plates which are perfect for sharing.

Getting to Chichester from most areas in Southern England is fairly easy. The city is around 90 minutes from London Victoria, 20 minutes from Portsmouth and an hour from Gatwick Airport. Southampton is also less than an hour away, the Isle of Wight two hours away and Bournemouth just under two hours away.

Chichester was named the “best place to live in the South East” by The Sunday Times last year and was described by the judges as “beautiful” with both “class and heart”. It’s also been described as “friendly”, “lovely” and “refreshing” by visitors on TripAdvisor.

However, I personally found the city quite disappointing. Having visited other cathedral cities like Winchester and York, I found Chichester dull in comparison.

While the cathedral is stunning, the roads in and around the city are ridiculously busy, the shops are posh and overpriced and it’s overall missing that wow factor.

It’s also disappointing that some of the area’s best attractions, such as the beach and the harbour, are miles away from the city itself which means you’ll likely end up stuck in traffic or spending a small fortune on taxis to get to them.

If you’re looking for a nice pub lunch, or a cup of tea and a slice of cake in a picturesque location, Chichester is definitely worth a visit.

Will I be returning to Chichester? Probably not. But I’ll be heading to West Wittering Beach in the summer.