Chichester canal dubbed one of city's 'best kept secrets'

Chichester Canal is just a ten-minute walk from the city centre but it is a tranquil spot to go for a walk, to see some wildlife or even take a boat trip.

The canal once formed part of the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal. Opened in 1823, the canal linked Chichester to the sea.

A coot on the canal (Image: Joanna Kaczorowska/The Argus Camera Club)Joanna Kaczorowska went for a stroll there with her camera earlier this week and captured vibrant autumnal colours of the trees which line the waterway.

Now, the canal is used for leisure and people can fish, canoe and row along it. 

The Great Sussex Way, Chichester District's information office, said the canal is one of the city's "best-kept secrets".

For walkers, the canal towpath is a four-mile stroll stretching from the Canal Basin in Chichester to Chichester Marina.

The canal is alive with the colours of autumn (Image: Joanna Kaczorowska/The Argus Camera Club)

A spokesman for Chichester Canal said: "Historic remains of original features, including the Poyntz Bridge, close to the canal basin, can still be seen – information boards are available to help you learn more.

"By stopping at the Hunston Bridge you can look back and enjoy the view of the canal against a backdrop of Chichester Cathedral and the Downs – the same view painted by JMW Turner in 1828."