Pictures of Chester

About Chester

A great deal is to be found in this pleasant City to connect Chester with its illustrious past but the source of its distinctive character, is the galleried tiers of shops known as - The Rows. There is something of great enchantment about these wonderful buildings that causes people from all over to visit time and time again.

Founded by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago, Chester is the only City in England to have preserved its Medieval Walls in their entirety and they form parts of the original roman defences.

Chester was an important military station and trading town until the romans withdrew from Britain. History tells us that the site then became deserted and remained so for five centuries. Gradually, the Medieval town began to flourish as a Port until the silting of the Dee during the 15th-century brought a decline in trade. The City continued as a commercial centre and its fortunes revived during the rich 18th and 19th-centuries.

To-day, there remains many beautiful buildings from all periods of Chester's long history. The handsome, sandstone Cathedral dates from the 14th-century. It is noted for its intricate and richly carved woodwork, the Lady Chapel and the Cloisters. Of the Black and White buildings to be seen, the most outstanding are - God's Providence House, Bishop Lloyd's House and Old Leche House and there are many old timbered inns. The ornate clock above Eastgate was erected to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. Among the city's other attractions are several interesting museums.

Chester is a lively, bustling city, in which you will find much of interest to occupy your time. It offers the visitor every possible facility from genteel gardens to nightlife and the shopping experience is superb. Chester's adjacent countryside is quiet and peaceful with some pretty spots in which to tarry and enjoy a picnic. Close-by there is a Battle site dating 1645 and this is surrounded by a host of pretty villages.