| [ 1 ]
Cathedral |
|  A church was
founded on the site in the 10th Century, when the remains of St Werburgh were
brought to Chester form Hanbury. St Werburgh who died around 707 was a Mercian
Princess. In the Middle Ages, her shrine became a place of pilgrimage and in
1093, the church became a Benedictine abbey. It remained a monastery for the
next 500 years until 1540, when Henry VIII instigated the dissolution. The
monastery was made a cathedral dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin.
|
| [ 2 ] Abbey
Square & Abbey Gate |
| The vaulted 14th
Century gateway to Abbey Square was the gateway to the old Abbey. It was an
important feature of medieval Chester from which gifts were distributed to the
poor and at Whitsun religious mystery plays were acted. |
 |
|
| [ 3 ]
Kaleyards Gate |
| Tradition recalls that in 1275 Edward I
allowed the monks of St Werburgh Abbey to breach the city walls, as long as the
gate did not permit the entry of a man on horseback, so as to prevent easy
access for attack. Today the gate is still locked every evening at 9
O'clock. |
| [ 4 ] King
Charles Tower |
 King Charles
Tower is situated on the north-east side of the Roman fortress. Its name is
derived from the belief that Charles I watched his troops' progress at the
Battle of Rowton Moor from here in 1645. It was also known as the Newton Tower,
as it overlooks Newton and also the Phoenix Tower after the emblem above its
door. The badge represents the painters, glaziers, stationers and embroiders
guild, who used the tower as their meeting place. |
| [ 5 ]
Northgate |
| The old Northgate was a toll gate and was
under the charge of the city sheriffs. The new Northgate was designed by Thomas
Harrison and commissioned by the Earl of Grosvenor, the Mayor, in 1807. The
classical arched gate was built between 1808 -1810. |
| [ 6 ] Bridge
of Sighs |
| The Bridge of Sighs built in 1713 linked the
jail to the old chapel of St John. The 'sighs' refers to the sound of the
prisoners on their way to the gallows! |
| [ 7 ]
Morgan's Mount |
| Morgan's Mount was named after the commander
of the gun battery on this tower during the siege of Chester in
1644. |
| [ 8 ] Goblin
Tower |
 |
An unusual half-tower on the north wall. It has
the name Pemberton's Parlour after John Pemberton, a rope maker and Mayor of
Chester in 1730, who used it as a vantage point to watch his men working on the
rope walk below. There are two Cartouches on the Parlour carved by John Tilston
and tablet recording the names on the Mayors and Mivengers, (who were the
officers responsible for the upkeep of the wall). |
|
| [ 9 ]
Bonewaldesthorne's Tower |
 Bonewaldersthornes's Tower stands at the north-west angle of the
walls. The origin of its name has long puzzled historians. One theory is that
it was named after an Anglo-Saxon King. |
| [ 10 ] The
Watertower |
| This was built to protect the port of Chester.
The tower was contracted in 1322-23 and was designed by the architect, John de
Helpestan. Today the tower is used as a branch of the Grosvenor Museum. It is
connected to the north west angle of the wall by a massive spur wall.
|
| [ 11 ]
Watergate |
 The present Watergate was
built in 1788. It's round arch contrasts with the old gate where in medieval
times, ships were unloaded and the cargo brought into the city. |
| [ 12 ]
Roodee |
 Roodee is Anglo-Saxon for
"the island of the cross". It was once a Roman harbour. As the Dee
silted up Chester ceased to be a port and since 1540 the Roodee became the
venue for horse racing, with the main meeting being held every May.
|
| [ 13 ]
Grosvenor Bridge |
 Opened
in 1832 by Princess Victoria, it was, at the time, the largest single arch
stone bridge in the world. Its building also pre-empted the first major change
in the city's street pattern, creating a new street called Grosvenor Street
which was built to link the new bridge and Bridge Street. The bridge was
designed by Thomas Harrison, a noted Chester architect. The 200 foot span cost
£50,000 when it was built. |
| [ 14 ]
Chester Castle |
 Little of the original castle
remains. Agricola's Tower on the south-east side dates from the 12th Century.
The castle was rebuilt in 1788 in the Greek Revival style of Thomas Harrison.
|
| [ 15 ] Old
Dee Bridge |
| The Old Dee Bridge was built in the 14th
Century and was the only crossing point of the Dee at Chester until 1832. The
bridge links Chester with Handbridge and used to provide a gateway to Wales. In
1773 the Old Dee Bridge was described as 'very narrow and dangerous' as the
volume of traffic continued to rise, yet no other bridge was built for almost
60 years. |
| [ 16 ]
Bridgegate |
 The medieval
Bridgegate guarded the Old Dee Bridge. It had a water tower on it, which stored
water drawn from the Dee and distributed it to properties within the city. The
present gate dates from 1782. |
| [ 17 ] Bear
& Billet |
 Situated by
the Bridgegate is the Bear and Billet. It is a black and white tiered building
dating from 1664. Now one of Chester's oldest pubs, it was once a town house of
the Earls of Shrewsbury. |
| [ 18 ] Three
Kings Studio |
| Adjoining the Bear and Billet, it has an 18th
Century façade, concealing an old half-timbered building underneath.
|
| [ 19 ] St
Mary's on the Hill |
 St.
Mary's on the Hill is situated on one of the steepest streets in Britain, which
has kept its cobbles. West on the hill is St. Mary's Church, a charming little
church which was restored in 1860. |
| [ 20 ] St.
Olave's |
| St Olave's in Chester is one of the city's
most interesting churches. It was dedicated to the King of Norway, St. Olaf,
who died in 1030 and is an example of the Scandinavian influence in Chester.
|
| [ 21 ] Tudor
House |
 Situated in
Lower Bridge Street, it is reputed to be Chester's oldest house. In recent
years it has been beautifully restored and is a contrast in architectural style
to the Georgian house lower down the street. |
| [ 22 ]
Falcon |
 The Falcon on the corner of
Lower Bridge Street and Grosvenor Street was reopened in 1982, following major
restoration. It is actually a 17th Century timber framed building, once the
town house of the Grosvenor Family. |
| [ 23 ]
Pepper Street |
 This
sketch shows the crossroads of Pepper St and Bridge St in the 17th Century.
|
| [ 24 ]
Newgate |
 The Newgate was built in 1935
next to the old Wolf Gate, which was rebuilt in 1608. It is an excellent
vantage point, from which one can view numerous points of interest within the
city. |
| [ 25 ] Nine
Houses |
 Six of the
original nine 17th Century timbered houses remain and were restored to their
present state in 1969. They have a sandstone and brick base with a timber frame
superstructure, a building combination fairly unique to Chester. |
| [ 26 ] Roman
Gardens |
 The
peaceful Roman Gardens are situated between the walls near the Newgate and the
cavernous Souters Lane. They contain many Roman remains found in the city
including a Roman hypercaust (heating system). The area of Chester has been
rich in Roman finds. The garden was laid out in 1949 to display them.
|
| [ 27 ] The
Roman Amphitheatre |
 Half
of the amphitheatre was excavated in 1929-34 and 1965-69. When it was in use it
played an important part in the social life of the Roman City. The oval arena
is thought to have been 190ft by 162 ft, with capacity for 7,000 people. In the
18th Century, the site contained a bear pit. |
| [ 28 ] St'
John's Ruins |
 St John's Church is to the
east of the amphitheatre. Its origin is probably Anglo-Saxon. From 1075 to
1102, it was Chester's Cathedral. The part of the church that was unused now
exists only as ruins. The nave is a fine example of Norman architecture. The
ruins are of the 12th Century choir. The church contains fine examples of
Norman churches. |
| [ 29 ]
Grosvenor Park |
| The park was a gift to the city in 1876, from
the 2nd marquess of Westminster. Situated overlooking The Groves, its well kept
gardens and variety of atmospheres provide the visitor and Cestrian alike with
a calm and pleasing place to contemplate. |
| [ 30 ]
Thimbleby's Tower |
| Next to the Newgate is the oldest existing
gate in the city, the Wolf Gate. It dates from the 12th Century, with the
present structure having undergone major restoration in 1768. The Thimbleby
Tower was built to strengthen the walls in that vicinity. It was destroyed in
the Civil War of 1642-49, never being rebuilt. It was named after a benefactor
to the city, Richard Thimbleby. |
| [ 31 ]
Eastgate Street |
 The
Eastgate as it stands today was built in 1768 and commissioned by Richard, Lord
Grosvenor. The gate it replaced, was as were all the City's gates at the time
tollgates. The Eastgate clock, dating from 1897, commemorates Queen Victoria's
Diamond Jubilee. |
| [ 32 ] The
Rows |
 The Rows are found on both sides of
Bridge Street, Watergate Street and Eastgate Street. The Rows provide ideal
conditions for shopping, regardless of the weather. The Eastgate and Bridge
Street Rows are linked to the modern Grosvenor shopping precinct. The Watergate
Street Rows are the oldest, with crypts dating from the 13th Century.
Documented evidence supports a development from the 13th Century to the 18th
Century. The Rows are made up of three elements, cellars, stalls at street
level and the rows themselves. |
| [ 33 ] The
Cross |
The Cross has great significance in Chester's
history. The High Cross was on this site from 1407 until the Civil War and was
a point of meeting and merchant's trading. After a time in the Roman gardens,
it was re-erected in the city centre in 1975. For centuries it was the site of
the government of the city. The Aldermen and councillors met in a timber
structure (pentice) on the site. In 1588 a cannon was fired at the Cross to
celebrate the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Due to the increasing congestion at
the Cross, the pentice was demolished in 1803.
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