Destination Chester

Chester and Cheshire has everything you need for a short break or a long stay.

One of the most delightful and picturesque cities in Europe. Was known as Deva and by later, Legecester. Its walls are particularly impressive, and it is possible for three people to walk abreast all round the city on them. There are several Roman remains. St. John's Church was originally built by the Saxons, and rebuilt by the Normans as a Cathedral. The present Cathedral occupies the site of a Druidical shrine bearing the bones of St. Werburgh. There are fine medieval carvings in the stalls.

The Rows are probably the most often photographed sight in Chester, a series of half-timbered buildings joined with long galleries, looking for all the world like a Tudor shopping mall. There is not one single "Rows" but several complexes of houses in the same style, with the best examples on Watergate, Eastgate and Bridge Street.

The layout of the Rows go back to the 13th century. There were shops or warehouses at street level, with a long gallery above, reached by steps from the street level. Living quarters are on the gallery level. In the Middle Ages this would have been a hall, open to the roof and heated by a central hearth. The private rooms, or solar, were above the gallery.

In the Tudor and Jacobean period the upper floors were built out over the gallery, supported on long poles down to the street level. Shops at ground level used the space between the posts to display their goods to passers-by.

The story of Chester's Rows is told in detail in a special exhibit entitled "Our House – The Story of the Rows of Chester". The exhibit is housed at the Chester Visitor Centre on Vicar’s Lane. The Castle overlooks the Dee, and there is a racecourse outside the walls, where races have been held for over 300 years.

Hotels near Chester Racecourse

Whilst here, why not pay a visit to some of the local visitor attractions in Chester and Cheshire that include Chester Zoo, or perhaps have a flutter at one of several race meetings at the famous Chester racecourse. You can now book your attraction tickets for Chester Zoo and 'farmer for the day' online. Cheshire also offers a range of fabulous golf courses, so come and swing into action and book your golf experience in Cheshire today.

Chester Football Club is always bustling on a Saturday and with over 1,000 shops in Chester, shopping in Chester is a great experience as an alternative to football.

Whether you're browsing for high street fashion in many of our stores or simply enjoying a country break, take a walk and explore the fantastic eye catching gardens and come and see what is currently on in Chester and Cheshire - we guarantee you will feel better for having visited Chester and Cheshire!