Travelling around England? Chichester has West End stars and West Sussex charm. Holiday Goddess Editor Jessica Adams explores.

Ah, Chichester. It’s hard to think of anywhere else in the world where you can check into an award-winning, Michelin-recommended hotel for around £100 (even less for a single room) – and then see award-winning British stars like Imelda Staunton and Anna Chancellor at the theatre. In good seats.

To find out what’s on at Chichester Festival Theatre and plan your weekend around it, visit www.cft.org.uk.

Chichester has bags of charm, even if you don’t stay overnight. Fishbourne Roman Palace (or what remains of it) is just minutes from the town. Vast, stunning mosaics are all that survives today, but if you are curious about the Romans, don’t miss their perfectly-preserved interior design. Discovered by accident, the palace is best-known for its enormous, beautiful mosaic of Cupid riding a dolphin.

Lots of the students who volunteered on the archaeology dig here in the 1960s fell in love while on site, and their story (told on photo boards inside the palace) is just as fascinating as the Roman history. No wonder the Rolling Stones turned up for a look when it opened!

Visit www.sussexpast.co.uk to find out more about the intriguing old palace.

The most glamorous place to stay in Chichester is The Ship Hotel, which in 2011 managed to be recommended by not only Michelin, but also Conde Nast and The Sunday Times.

It’s a listed building with a sleek, modern bar facing the street, and some luxurious rooms upstairs. I spent a very happy hour here reading all the newspapers and devouring their excellent olives.

In peak season, single and double rooms range from £87.50 for a single room and £110 for a double.  For special deals on accommodation visit www.theshiphotel.net.

One of the nicest things about Chichester is that everything you want to see  is within walking distance (even Fishbourne Palace if you are feeling energetic enough).

It suits every budget as well. You are firmly in Viyella and Jaeger country here, which means the charity shops (there are several) are heaving with labels

If you’re a fan of authentic vintage clothing, though, don’t miss One Legged Jockey, at 9 Crane Street. Look for the pile of ancient brown leather suitcases outside, and the window displays of 1960s Beatles fan magazines and straw boaters.

It’s the best shop in West Sussex to find chic retro suits, frocks, shoes, hats and bags for the annual Goodwood Revival.

Goodwood is the place to come and time-travel (watching the cars is optional) as it has become an annual vintage fashion and music event, rather like a love-letter to the 1940s-1960s. It’s not mandatory to dress up, but most people do. You’ll see more scarlet lipstick and pink gloves here than you ever knew existed. And it’s true what they say – men just look better in a suit and hat, somehow.

Goodwood is about five miles from Chichester, and another good reason to come for a daycation – or a weekend staycation.

Find out more at www.goodwood.co.uk. The best option for a lady (and perhaps her chap) might be one of the Goodwood Saturday tickets at £54. Entry is by advance ticket only, booked online.

Even if you skip Goodwood, the Fishbourne Roman Palace or the theatre, this is still a lovely town to wander around for a few hours, thanks to its excellent cafes and restaurants, and stunning cathedral. If you only want to take a short trip, do check the advance fares from London at Southern Trains at www.southernrailway.com as return ticket prices can be remarkably low, off-season.

The cathedral is best-known for its gargoyles of Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Phillip. They are quite beautiful, and are among many such gargoyles in the town.

Chichester Cathedral dates from 1075. It has a window by Marc Chagall and the famous composer Gustav Holst (The Planets), is buried here. Philip Larkin’s poem, An Arundel Tomb, “What will survive of us is love,” was inspired by the tombs of Richard FitzAlan and his wife Eleanor, also here.

And after all that? It might be time for afternoon tea at the town’s resident pink cupcake palace, The Swallow Bakery.

For the best lunch in town, visit the glorious Amelie and Friends, where the gourmet salads can be customised to suit your tastes. For full details on the menu (Amelie also serves spectacular breakfast and dinner) visit www.amelieandfriends.com.

For take-home presents, drop into two very special shops. The Pallant House Gallery (which was showing Frida Kahlo paintings when I visited) has some lovely cards, designer tea-towels, bespoke matches (‘Keep Calm and Light a Candle’) and art books.

I really liked Cloth Kits, too. You might remember this funky Sussex company from the late 1960s/early 1970s, when everyone’s mum (including mine) was sold on the idea of easy-sew designer clothes and bags. Cloth Kits has no fussy paper patterns. Instead, all you have to do is snip around the outlines on the fabric, and plug in your sewing-machine. The colours and designs are retro, fresh and clean. And utterly original.

The Cloth Kits 1950s tea-dress pattern and fabric is under £50, which seems exceptional for a British designer garment (even if you do make it yourself.) Their website can be found at www.clothkits.co.uk.

Chichester should really be renamed chic-Chester at some point.