Chester Sights

  1. 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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  2. Cathedral

    The cathedral was a Benedictine abbey built on the remains of an earlier Saxon church dedicated to St Werburgh, patron saint of Chester. The abbey was closed in 1540 as part of Henry VIII's dissolution frenzy, but was reconsecrated as a cathedral the following year. Although the cathedral itself was given a substantial Victorian face-lift, the 12th-century cloister and its surrounding buildings are essentially unaltered and retain much of the structure from the early monastic years.

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  3. Chester Cathedral

    This stunning cathedral exudes grace and stature. Once a Benedictine abbey built on the remains of a Saxon church dedicated to St Werburgh, patron saint of Chester, it has been a place of worship for over one thousand years and remains a strong and vital Christian symbol. There are free guided tours to really get to grips with the building and its history.

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  4. 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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  5. 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 companion guide.

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  7. Grosvenor Museum

    The excellent Grosvenor Museum is set in a classic 19th-century building and boasts snippets of history from the last two millennia. It explores Chester's rich and varied past, beginning with the largest collection of Roman tombstones in the country. At the back is a preserved Georgian house, complete with kitchen, drawing room, bedroom and toilet.

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  8. Roman Amphitheatre

    Chester's most complete set of genuine Roman remains is opposite the visitors centre, outside the city walls. Here you'll find what's left of the Roman amphitheatre; 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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  9. St John the Baptist Church

    Adjacent to the Roman amphitheatre (near the Tourist Office on Northgate St) is St John the Baptist Church, built on the site of an older Saxon church in 1075. It started out as a cathedral of Mercia before being rebuilt by the Normans. The eastern end of the church, abandoned in 1581 when St John's became a parish, now lies in peaceful ruin and includes the remains of a Norman choir and medieval chapels.

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  10. 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.

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