As I travel by train, the station area is the first view.
King Charles tower on the city walls. The King watched his defeated troops withdraw from the Battle of Rowton from here in the Civil War. The walls were modified in the 1700s into a Â"Promenade for respectable Ladies and GentlemenÂ", and the battlements and most of the towers were removed.
Along the Shropshire Union Canal.
From the canal up to the City Wall, with a Roman section still there, the bit with the cornices.
Another section of Roman Wall. The wall was whitewashed in Roman Times, to awe the natives.
Georgian houses in King Street
The North Gate, typical of the Georgian rebuild of the walls and gates.
The Town Hall, I work in the offices behind this building, which now houses the mayors rooms, meeting rooms and is used as a concert hall / ballroom
The Cathedral from the council offices. Not built as a cathedral, was an abbey till the reformation when the diocese of Chester was created from part of Lichfield diocese.
Watergate Street from Watergate Row North. The main streets in Chester are on two levels, the upper being called the Rows. You will notice different shops on the upper gallery than those at street level. The origin of the rows is obscure, but there are many therories- to make it easier to attack Welsh raiders, built on top of Roman Houses etc
Looking the other way
What it looks like on the rowsÂ…Â…
And if youre walking along them
The black and white house on the right is Bishop Lloyds house, built for some late mediaeval bishop
Note the carvings on the house, was covered in plaster for years
Street level view on Watergate Street
The Castle. Dosent much look much like a castle, was rebuilt in 1800s as judicial centre for the county. The cars ruin it.
In the background you can see parts remaining of the original castle
Castle Street
Georgian houses on South Bridge Street
The Bear and Billet Inn, used to be the Earl of Shrewsburys house
The Mediaeval bridge across the Dee
Ye Olde Kings Head, it was inevitable, wasnÂ't it??
The Falcon Inn, was derelict till 1986
Upper Bridge street
Victorian Fantasy on medeavalsim, Upper Bridge Street. The shopping centre is behind this façade. Most of Chesters Black and white buildings are Victorian and Edwardian ideas of what an idealised past looked like, in the process demolishing many of the genuine old houses.
The 3 from the left are genuine, the others Victorian
The picture everyone takes, The Cross
Towards the Grosvenor Hotel and Eastgate
St Werburgh street, nothing over 140 years old (apart from Cathedral!)
View from the Eastgate
The cathedral
Abbey Street
Abbey Square
Old houses made from demolished religious buildings at time of Reformation, Abbey Square
The last religious structure built before the reformation, the archway to the Abbey precincts
And so ends our tour, hope you enjoyed it!>
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