Made in Chichester District - Highlights of the New Novium Museum Exhibition
The 2026/27 exhibition at the Novium Museum, Made in Chichester District, is a compact but mighty statement on the heritage of manufacturing in the city and the surrounding area. Collecting curios and artefacts from the ancient past to the present day, it celebrates the people and crafts that have shaped the area and will no doubt throw up a few surprises and reawaken a few memories for locals.
What can people find in the new exhibition, now free to view on the first floor of the city-centre museum? We take a look at some highlights.
Royal Connections
You may remember the Royal Arms public house that stood at 92 East Street. The pub closed after a fire in 2006, but the distinctive facade remains, hinting at the building's storied history in the city. As Scarborough House, it is where John Lord Lumley was said to have entertained Queen Elizabeth I in 1591.
An even greater royal connection may be the Milk Punch that was produced there up to the First World War. In 1840, Queen Victoria granted a Royal Warrant to the manufacturer of milk punch to Her Majesty. It was said to be one of her favourites, and if you're wondering, the ingredients of this heady drink were milk, lemon, sugar, and rum brewed for two years. The drink gave the pub its first name, the Punch House, and is well represented in the exhibit with some original labels.
Lost Landmarks
A curious fragment recalls the Unique House (sometimes called Shell House) that once stood to the north of the city. Built during the 1920s and 1930s by Mr George Tippen, the building's facade was covered with chips of china, glass, old Shippams jars, wine bottles, and broken china collected from local dumps. The decorated concrete piece in the exhibit is a remnant of the house, which became a city attraction until its demolition in 1996.
Community Spirit
Hanging alongside the exhibitions central glass case of artefacts is some Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) created by the voluntary Chichester Scrubs Group during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its a great and recent example of the craftsmanship that remains in the area and the community spirit that rises to meet difficult times.
Old Perspectives
Residents may be familiar with J.M.W. Turner's stunning landscapes of the area, including those of Chichester Canal. This exhibit, however, shines a spotlight on two local paintings of the city centre. Local teacher Roland Watt's oil painting of West Street in the early 1950s and professional painter Peter Iden's of a long-demolished newsagents on Southgate are snapshots of the city through the 20th century.
Unique Pride
It's the perfect time for the Pride Monkey to be on display. The distinctive rainbow mascot is produced locally and has become a family sight around town during the summer months, with all proceeds going to charity.
Neolithic Industry
Flint examples show that manufacturing has been part of the Chichester District for millennia. Flints unearthed in Medmerry, Selsey, in 2010-2011 date from the Mesolithic to early Neolithic times—thats up to 12,000 years ago. As the oldest exhibits (the examples show how tools were evaluated and adapted), these flints provide an astonishing sense of manufacturing continuity in the region.
Made in Chichester District will regularly rotate items to showcase the depth and variety of local craft. It's safe to say that the first-floor collection will jog as many memories as reveal a few surprising facts for Chichester residents, and engagement is actively encouraged, too.
If you have memories or connections to manufacturing in the area, this is the place to share them.
Made in Chichester District is open at the Novium Museum until April 2027