Sights in Cheshire
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City Walls
A good way to get a sense of Chester's unique character is to walk the 2-mile circuit along the walls that surround the historic centre. Originally built by the Romans around AD 70, the walls were altered substantially over the following centuries but have retained their current position since around 1200. The tourist office's Walk Around Chester Walls leaflet is an excellent guide.
Of the many features along the walls, the most eye-catching is the prominent Eastgate, where you can see the most famous clock in England after London's Big Ben, built for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
At the southeastern corner of the walls are the wishing steps, added in 1785; loca…
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Chester Cathedral
Originally a Benedictine abbey built on the remains of an earlier Saxon church dedicated to St Werburgh (the city's patron saint), it was shut down in 1540 as part of Henry VIII's dissolution frenzy but reconsecrated as a cathedral the following year. Although the cathedral itself was given a substantial Victorian facelift, the 12th-century cloister and its surrounding buildings are essentially unaltered and retain much of the structure from the early monastic years. There are 1ΒΌ-hour guided tours to really get to grips with the building and its history.
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The Rows
Chester's other great draw is the Rows, a series of two-level galleried arcades along the four streets that fan out in each direction from the central Cross. The architecture is a handsome mix of Victorian and Tudor (original and mock) buildings that house a fantastic collection of individually owned shops.
The origin of the Rows is a little unclear, but it is believed that as the Roman walls slowly crumbled, medieval traders built their shops against the resulting rubble banks, while later arrivals built theirs on top.
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St John the Baptist Church
Built on the site of an older Saxon church in 1075, it's been a peaceful ruin since 1581. It includes the remains of a Norman choir and medieval chapels.
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Grosvenor Museum
Excellent museum with the country's most comprehensive collection of Roman tombstones. At the back of the museum is a preserved Georgian house, complete with kitchen, drawing room, bedroom and bathroom.
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Chester Roman Amphitheatre
Chester's most complete set of Roman ruins were discovered in 1929 when a boiler room was being built underneath Dee House and a large curved wall appeared. Once an arena that seated 7000 spectators (making it the country's largest), this Roman ampitheatre has undergone a series of mildly successful excavations at the hands of enthusiastic locals.
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Bear & Billet Pub
Just inside Southgate, known here as Bridgegate (as it's at the northern end of the Old Dee Bridge), is the 1664 Bear & Billet pub, Chester's oldest timber-framed building and once a tollgate into the city.
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Eastgate Clock
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Rows
Chester's other great draw is the Rows, a series of two-level galleried arcades along the four streets that fan out in each direction from the Central Cross. The architecture is a handsome mix of Victorian and Tudor (original and mock) buildings that house a fantastic collection of individually owned shops. The origin of the Rows is a little unclear, but it is believed that as the Roman walls slowly crumbled, medieval traders built their shops against the resulting rubble banks, while later arrivals built theirs on top.
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Roman Amphitheatre
Just outside the city walls is what was once an arena that seated 7000 spectators (making it the country's largest); now it's little more than steps buried in grass.
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Dewa Roman Experience
Walk through a reconstructed Roman street to reveal what Roman life was like. It's just off Bridge St.
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