Chester Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Chester is a very pretty and historic English city on the river Dee in the North-Western county of Cheshire. Although maybe not worth a whole holiday, it's well worth a day trip to see the Roman ruins.
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Understand
Chester originated in the Romano-British period at the latest, when it formed the settlement known as Deva or Castra Devana, the fortress city of the 20th Legion (Legio XX Valeria Victrix). As a result some parts of Chester are around two thousand years old. It was a Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War in the 1640s, and along the walls one can see the tower from which King Charles I watched his troops do battle.
A resident of Chester is called a 'Cestrian'.
Get in
By train
Chester is on the line to Crewe, which is on the line from Manchester to Reading. Chester has a direct line to Liverpool and Merseyside.
By car
Chester is situated near the eastern end of the A55, which becomes the M53, which crosses the M56. London is approx. 200 miles by road, Birmingham approx. 90 miles, Manchester approx. 30 miles, Liverpool approx. 20 miles.
By coach
Most national coaches stop in Chester. Chester coach station in the city centre has now been closed. The coaches stop at a bus stop on Vicars Lane, opposite the Visitor Centre near the Roman Amphitheatre.
Get around
The city centre itself is relatively small, with everything within walking distance. During the day there are regular buses, and one can flag down a taxi well into the night.
See
- Chester Cathedral, 12 Abbey Square, +44 (0)1244 324756, (fax: +44 (0)1244 341110) [1] Opening 09:00-17:00; Adults: £4.00, Senior Citizens: £3.00, Children (5-16): £1.50, Family Ticket: £10.00
- Chester Amphitheatre [2]
Do
- Open-top bus ride, which will get you round all the main tourist sites in 30 minutes. Several bus operators run tours: Heritage Tours [3]
- Boating along the river. Rowing boats can be hired, or if you don't want to exert yourself, there are many boat trips that go from the river bank on the city centre side between Handbridge Suspension bridge and the walls, and they show you everything you will want to see!
- Walk around the top of Roman walls that surround the city.
- Chester Racecourse, ph: 01244 304 600 (email:[4]) [5]. If you're really keen on horseracing, find out the dates of the 'races days' Chester hosts a few times a year. You may have to book tickets in advance, and there is quite a range of prices. If you just want to see a bit of the race atmosphere for free, the walls walk you right past a view of the action down below.
- Chester Zoo Upton-by-Chester, Chester, CH2 1LH, ph: 01244 380 280 (email:[6] fax: 01244 371 273) [7] Well worth a visit, the zoo is absolutely superb and reportedly one of the best in Europe. The elephant collection is world class. Entrance is around £10-£12, and it's best to leave 3-5 hours to do it properly. It's a little way out of the city centre, so either catch a bus from the bus station, or take the train from Chester Station to Bache on the Wirral Line. The latter option is extremely quick (under five minutes) and correspondingly cheap.
- Christmas Lights, city centre. Chester is the prettiest city in the run up to Christmas when the streets are tastefully decorated with lights. The shops are hectic but try a walk round the walls after 5 pm.
Buy
Chester has fantastic shopping for its size. All the major stores are based in one of the most attractive city centres in the country. Traditional black and white Tudor buildings and the Rows (a two-tiered shopping gallery, the only one of its kind in the world) coupled with good shops will make this a pleasant shopping trip.
If that doesn't satisfy your consumerist needs, Cheshire Oaks is a designer outlet 10 miles away by bus or car.
Eat
Good choices for food are:
- Est Est Est - Pizza/Pasta
Drink
Chester has plenty of historic, old-fashioned English pubs, with beer at around £2-£2.50 a pint. However, most places will stop serving at around 11:30pm, and even a little earlier on Sundays. There are only a handful of nightclubs, and the relative lack of competition means they aren't that fantastic. However, check out Telford's Warehouse, alongside the canal. The latest any club will stay open in Chester is 3am.
- The Albion Park Street, Chester, CH1 1RN, ph: +44(0)1244 340345. Defiantly traditional, 'family-hostile' pub with walls covered in First World War memorabilia where you normally see big screens. So self-consciously, determinedly and uncompromisingly authentic and English that it manages to feel, well, not that English after all, and not a little contrived. Fabulous beer and good home cooking though, and well worth a visit.
- When The Marlbororough Arms needed its sign painting, the artist stopped to quench his thirst half-way through, and the rest is history. Very close to the city centre, outside it offers a 'man-creche', where ladies can deposit their hapless husbands for an afternoon's shopping in peace.
Sleep
Budget
Mid range
Splurge
- The Chester Grosvenor Hotel and Spa, Foregate Street, Chester CH1 1LT ph: +44 (0)1244 324024 (reservations@chestergrosvenor.com fax: +44 (0)1244 313246) For the seriously moneyed, there is only one choice. The five-star Grosvenor is the height of luxury and is in the centre of town.
Stay safe
Chester is not an especially dangerous city, with no particular reputation for crime. However, the usual UK rules apply. Be aware that, between midnight and 3am or so, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, there will be plenty of drunken people about, so stick to well-lit areas and main roads. If you are one of these people and don't know the city, consider taking a cab home.
Get out
Chester is on the border with Wales, and the Victorian seaside resort of Llandudno is just 30 miles away.
Vibrant cities Manchester and Liverpool are close.
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