| The Present | The surroundings
| Accomodation | Tourist
information |
THE PAST
The City of Chester is a blend of the ancient and modern. Its history stretches
back 2,000 years, from its time as a Roman fortress built to suppress Welsh
tribes. Today Chester possesses a rich and fascinating legacy of history.
It includes:
-
the City Walls, two miles around, of Roman
origin.
One can walk around the top of them, free of charge;
-
the medieval Water Tower (on the walls) with English Civil War and Siege
of Chester exhibitions;
-
the unique world-famous 'Rows', covered galleries of 'shops above shops'
(one layer at street level with a second reached by steps from the street);
the City Gates (Northgate, Watergate, Bridgegate, Eastgate);
-
Eastgate Clock, the most photographed timepiece in the world after 'Big
Ben' (Photo, right)
-
a Cathedral dating from 900 AD;
-
the largest Roman Amphitheatre ever uncovered in Britain;
-
Chester Visitor Centre with life-size reconstruction of 'Victorian Rows'
and 1850's street scenes with authentic smells and sounds of the period;
-
Roman Gardens; the Grosvenor Museum with its Roman artefacts, and countless
other reminders of the City's history.
-
the Cross (photo, below) where four Roman streets converge and the Town
Crier delivers public proclamations.
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THE
PRESENT
Although Chester is primarily world-renowned for its spectacular architectural
heritage, the shopping facilities in the City are increasingly being recognised
as second only to London. The two-tier shopping precincts, with their covered
galleries of shops above street level (The "Rows"), are the most avant-garde
developments in the world, and enable visitors to do their shopping in comfort,
largely sheltered from the elements. It is also a University College
City.
As befits one of Britain's leading tourist centres, Chester has splendid
all the-year-round entertainment;
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the world-famous Zoo;
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the River Dee with its pleasure cruises, motor launches and rowing
boats;
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Chester races on the picturesque Roodee course (the oldest in Britain);
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horse-drawn canal barge cruises;
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a lot of great pubs;
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an abundance of street buskers.
Eating places abound in the City, ranging from high-class international
cuisine to pub lunches in medieval buildings. And at night, Chester has a
varied selection of night-clubs and music venues. The TV soap opera "Hollyoaks"
is filmed in Chester and the new "James Bond" movie features the British
warship "HMS Chester".
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THE
SURROUNDINGS
The attractions of the City are matched by the attractions of the area. The
rich countryside of Cheshire is on one side and the Welsh hills are on the
other. Access to Snowdonia and the Lake District is easy, and both provide
opportunities for day or weekend visits. The cities of Liverpool and Manchester
are 30 minutes and 50 minutes drive from Chester. The motorway network provides
good links in all directions except west, where the A55 is almost as good
and all the North West bluegrass venues are within easy reach of Chester.
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ACCOMODATION
As befits a tourist City of the importance of Chester there
many Hotels, Inns and B&B venues to be found in all price ranges.
Some are more recent structures but many
are in buildings of considerable historic importance.
Write to the
Tourist Information Office
Tel: (+44) 01244-402111
Click for the
Chester
City Tourist web site
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Updated 23rd Jan 1999
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