I lived in Chester for 26 years before I got married and moved to North Wales, and would like to give my view on this ancient town. My review is aimed at tourists from all walks of life, of all ages and with various tastes in what they look for when visiting a town for the first time.
**A Little Background Information**
As soon as the name 'Chester' is mentioned, the first thing that springs to peoples' minds is the Romans. The Romans built the town in AD71 and named it 'Deva'. They built the famous Roman wall which surrounds the town, and which is still more or less in tact today. The town overlooks the River Dee.
I won't bore readers with the full history of Chester because this review is intended on giving information of what the town has to offer to tourists today. The town is chock full of museums and historical centres which give endless information on the history of the place and, in my mind, it is all part of the Chester experience to look and learn as you go along.
**So What Kind Of People Visit Chester?**
Every year, from April through to September, Chester is inundated with tourists. Visitors in the early part of the year usually consist of exchange students from as far afield as France, Spain, Germany and China. During the summer months, the majority of visitors consist of middle age Americans who are often flabbergasted by this 'little ol' England' town, in comparison to the large cities in the US, Chester also attracts visitors from all over the British Isles.
**What is there to do?**
There is so many attractions catering for visitors to Chester that it would be impossible to go into each one in detail. However, I will try to cover as many as possible.
THE TOWN CRIER'S DAILY SPEECH ============================= This takes place at 12 noon every day at the Chester Cross
in the middle of the town. It may be a good idea to stop and have a listen before doing your sightseeing as, quite often, the Town Crier will shout out (and he is loud!) any events happening in the town on that day. If you want a good view though, I would advise you to get there early as the Cross gets busy at this time.
CHESTER GROSVENOR MUSEUM ============================
Situated in Grosvenor Street, the museum is a must for first time visitors of Chester. Do not be deceived by the size of the museum from the front. It looks nothing out of the ordinary at first glance, but once you get into the building, the displays of artefacts seem never ending. The museum comprises two exhibition galleries, a Chester Timeline display, historic stones, natural history exhibition, a 1900 kitchen, a Victorian parlour room, a Georgian Drawing Room, a Stuart dining room, a Victorian schoolroom, and 1920's nursery and Edwardian bathroom.
CHESTER VISITOR CENTRE ======================= In my opinion, not as enthralling as the Grosvenor Museum, but includes brass rubbing, history of Chester displays, a video of the history of Chester and a gift shop.
TAKE A WALK WITH A ROMAN SOLDIER ================================ This is a must for anyone with young children. Any regular visitors to Chester will be familiar with the sound of young children chanting "I want to be a Roman soldier…". The Chester Visitor Centre arranges guided tours for small children with a 'real' Roman soldier who will take them around the town and show them places of interest. Great fun and you can always tell the little ones really enjoy themselves.
SHOPPING ========= The Mall, formerly known as the Grosvenor Precinct, has been much improved over the years. There is an array of well known shops including Debenhams, H&M, Monsoon, La Senza, River Island, Clinton Cards, George at Asda, Dolces, Ann Summers, Body Shop, Holland & Barrett, Ponden Mill and many more.. The only criticism I have of The Mall is the lack of seating areas and lack of eating places. There is one fairly small café in the centre of The Mall but this is always very busy. There is a restaurant in Debenhams but not much else.
The town itself has all the big name shops such as BHS, Marks & Spencer, Woolworths, Boots etc. and the famous Chester Rows is full of shops, boutiques and gifts shops too.
GUIDE FRIDAY BUS TOURS ====================== I would recommend this to anyone visiting Chester for the first time. The double decker buses stop at many places through the town and you can get on and off wherever you like without paying any more money. The tour covers all the major tourists attractions of the town. Some buses have a live guide giving commentary, others have a recorded guide.
THE GROVES =========== The Groves is very popular with tourists, particularly in the summer months. The Groves is a long stretch of promenade along the River Dee and comprises a vast amount of seating, a few cafes, Old Orleans bar and restaurant, bandstand where the local brass band play on a Sunday afternoon and many ice-cream kiosks. You will find artists selling their work along the old sandstone walls which run along the Groves, and you can take a boat ride on the Mark Twaine or Lady Diana cruisers. These usually take you to the small village of Eccleston, and will then turn around and return to the Groves. There are rowing boats for those who don't mind doing the work themselves.
GROSVENOR PARK ================ From the Groves, you may like to take a very short walk to Grosvenor Park. The park is renowned for its beauty, particularly in the summer months, and the maintenance of the flowers and shrubbery is first class. There is a very small children's play area and ice-cream kiosk.
CHESTER RACES =============== Originally, races were only held in May, but now take place throughout the summer, but the 3 day race meeting in May is still the most popular. During the May meetings, Collins Funfair descends on the town and takes place on the Little Roodee car park for one week in the first week of May.
CHESTER ZOO ============= Although situated just outside the town centre, Chester Zoo is one of the most refined zoos in the country, and concentrates mainly on conservation and the breeding of endangered species, rather than just being a tourist attraction. There is a monorail, a water bus and café which is an essential part of your visit because the zoo is so large, it will take a few hours to see everything. There are over 7000 animals and 500 species so you really need a full day.
CHESTER CATHEDRAL
============= Situated right in the centre of the town, Chester Cathedral is an exquisite site with its stained glass windows and cloisters. The Cathedral grounds act as a stage for the famous Chester Mystery Plays which take place annually. Well worth a visit.
CHESTER GATEWAY THEATRE ========================= For theatre goers, Chester Gateway is the main theatre in the town. I think it now looks very dated but it still draws the crowds and lots of well known names have appeared here over the years.
EATING OUT ========== Chester is certainly not short of eateries. In addition to the restaurants situated in the well known high street stores, Chester is now buzzing with modern cafes and wine bars. The most popular are The Office, Bar Lounge, The Fat Cat, Loaf, Arkle (situated in the Grosvenor Museum) and Pizza Hut.
NIGHTS OUT/PARTYING =================== Chester well and truly comes to life at night time, especially on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Probably the most popular venue is Brannigans which has recently been refurbished. Live bands play regularly here. Other venues include Bar Lounge, Telfords Warehouse, Watergates, Alexanders Jazz Bar, Slug & Lettuce, Wetherspoons and many more.
GUIDED TOURS ============= Chester Tourism offer many guided tours around the town. These include general city wall excursions, and around Halloween time, there are speciality ghost walks. Chester is allegedly second in line to York for being the most haunted place in England.
AND A LITTLE OUT OF TOWN… ========================= There are many attractions situated just a short drive out of the city centre. These include The Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port, Ellesmere Port Boat Museum, Beeston Castle (obviously in Beeston), The Catalyst Museum in Widnes, Jodrell Bank Planetarium in Macclesfield and Wirral Country Park.
**So What Are The Advantages Of Visiting Chester?**
Chester is extremely easy to reach wherever you are travelling from. It is connected by the major motorway networks and is a fairly short distance along the motorway from Manchester and Liverpool. Everyone who visits Chester will find something of interest to them.
**And The Disadvantages?**
As with many places, Chester does have some disadvantages. Probably the main problem for visitors, and this view is shared by residents as well, is the parking. Parking in the city centre is very limited. There are two multi-storey car parks in the centre, but these charge at 60p per 15 minutes and can work out expensive. The Little Roodee Car Park charges £3.00 for up to six hours. However, there are three Park & Ride services available: one operating from Chester Zoo, one operating from Boughton Heath and the third operating from Wrexham Road. The fee for a return journey from one of these is £1.30. Children travel free.
Another disadvantage is the city centre is fairly small and, in the high tourist season, it can be busy to walk around. The same applies at Christmas time. However, I would say it is worth putting up with the hustle and bustle - just give yourself plenty of time!
**Finally, Would I Recommend Visiting Chester?**
Definitely. As I said, there is something for everyone and I feel so lucky to have lived in such a lovely place for many years.
Hi Carol,
What a superb review! You've detailed so many things here, and it's balanced enough to include some disadvantages too. I know Chester a little, but this is a brilliant introduction to somoene visiting the town.
Pete.
Pete.
sunmeilan 05.12.2005 11:16
I love Chester, am originally from Staffordshire, so not too far away. I think counties like Cheshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire are sadly misunderestimated, so good to see this! Melony
blonde_girl774 23.11.2005 16:18
I've visited Chester a few times and loved it each time, it's such a pretty city without your usual sky scrapers, well fewer than most cities! Sam
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Nov 10th, 2005
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