The Bull Inn located at 4-5 Market Road was a Free house that closed in 2015.

Carpenter Samuel Wren was the publican in 1881 when the road was called Snag Lane. This name may come from the Sussex dialect word ‘snag’ meaning snail.

In 1896 the inn was the location for an inquest on the Lord Bishop of Chichester’s butler William Cramp who lived at 4 Market Road with his wife Mary Jane. On a Tuesday morning William got up as usual about half-past six and went downstairs. As he did not return despite her calling out for him she rushed down and found him in an outhouse with his throat cut. Mary called in for Mr Hunt the licensee of the Bull who summoned Dr. Ernest Buckell. William was still alive and was conveyed to the Infirmary but died on the way and was brought back. The Lord Bishop gave evidence saying that relations at the Palace with William were satisfactory. William had apparently been suffering from depression for some time exacerbated by an illness and subsequent hospital operation. The jury returned a verdict of ‘suicide while temporarily insane’.

In 1905 landlord Thomas Brown who had a reputation for drunkenness was charged with assaulting his daughter and threatening the family. ‘He had been an awful blackguard to his wife all his life’ said one daughter. He was bound over for a surety of £25 and ordered to keep peace for a month and pay cost of 9s 6d.

Licensee Edward Linkhorn suffered a tragedy in 1911 when his 36 year old son Charles Linkhorn was found drowned in the Canal. He had earlier been drinking at the Richmond Arms and according to the pub’s licensee William Soal was seen walking ‘not quite straight’ to the Station. He had appeared to have no worries, but the fact that his mackintosh and hat had been carefully put under the wall before drowning might suggest to some that the deceased had put himself in the water. In the end the inquest returned an open verdict of ‘found drowned’.

The Bull inn ran a knock-out darts competition and was at times the location for the annual general meeting of the Chichester City Band. At its 1937 meeting its accounts showed a balance of £6 7s. The Bandmaster, Mr E.D. Shepherd noted that 1936 had been an important one as it marked the beginning of contest work.

In 1942 at the Chichester City Bench it was acknowledged that licensed victuallers experienced difficulties in acquiring a full knowledge of all the legislation affecting their trade. Harold Anderson was a licensee in the 1940s and like other licensees at the time fell foul of the practice of buying liquor from seemingly authorised persons due to the difficulty experienced by licensees in obtaining sufficient spirits which resulted in having to refuse many customers. The convicted seller of the spirits was a youth of 18 who frequently visited the pubs of the defendants. Harold was let off lightly with a fine of £5 and costs of £1 1s. Harold was still licensee in 1947 when he died suddenly in his sleep.

The current owners of the freehold are Cassamo Holdings Ltd based in the Isle of Man who registered the title in 1992.