Chester Cathedral [Copyright - Travelling Torrsome]
Chester is the embodiment of a Roman and Tudor story. We visited the severely underrated city in July as a birthday surprise trip for Tee and were blown away by the beautiful Tudor architecture and the warmth of locals. The city was founded in 75 AD as a Roman castrum which is a Roman military camp. The settlement later grew around the castrum. The city was originally intended to be the capital of Britannia over Londoninium, now London.
Imagine a reality where the capital was Chester? Would it have been larger? Would London have been smaller? This brings a lot of questions. Ok so, here’s how we can envision it, Chester may have grown to encompass Liverpool. Manchester will still be what it is today but could have been a part of a twin city status. Inside the Chester walls, would be the city centre that is preserved but with administration and the built up urban sprawl being located in Liverpool.
Anyway, aside from our fun little fantasy city planning, if this city is not yet on your radar, please add it because it is worth the trip!
Contents
Where is Chester
Overview of Chester
How long should we spend in Chester?
Where to stay in Chester
What to do in Chester
Where to eat in Chester
Evening Entertainment
Accessibility
A Simple Itinerary
1) Where is Chester?
Chester is located in the North West of England along the English/Welsh border. You can easily reach the city within 2 hours from London Euston using direct Avanti West Coast services. This makes it a perfect stopover if you’re looking to reach the North of Wales for Snowdonia or that famous football club Deadpool owns…Wrexham!
If travelling from Liverpool you can reach the city using direct Merseyrail services or direct Northern rail services to Manchester.
2) Overview of Chester
Currency: GBP
Language: English
Chester Station [Copyright - Travelling Torrsome]
3) How long should we spend in Chester?
We spent 3 days in the city but we think 2 days is a good amount to see the sights as the city centre is very compact and walkable. However, 3 days gives you more time to enjoy the various eateries or attend the Chester Racecourse. We have provided a useful itinerary at the end of our guide!
4) Where to stay in Chester?
We would highly recommend the Moxy as the hotel had incredible amenities and friendly staff. The free hot chocolate and drinks on arrival made the experience even nicer. It is located within 10 minutes of the station and less than 15 minutes into the city centre, along a nice canal walk. The hotel also provides useful stay and ticket packages for racecourse days.
Moxy Chester [Copyright - Travelling Torrsome]
5) What to do in Chester?
Chester Zoo
One of the largest and most famous zoos in the UK. This is a great place to visit with the family. You would want to spend the whole day here so do leave time in your itineraries to make the most of the zoos offerings. The zoo is around 20 minutes by car or taxi from the city centre. Although, we found the prices to be quite steep so we decided to skip it. It's worth it if you would like to see amazing animals or travelling with children.
Chester Cathedral Tower Tour
It is free to enter the Cathedral itself. However, you can choose to join a tour of the tower with their friendly staff. We were glad we booked it as we learnt a lot and it’s probably our favourite Cathedral climb so far (we do a lot of them). Tours usually run on certain days at 11am or 1pm. Please arrive at least 10 minutes early as it is guided and you can only go up as part of the tour group. Do not be like us and arrive late not realising it was guided! After your tour, do have a walk around this spectacular cathedral and stopover in the quaint cathedral garden.
Chester Cathedral [Copyright - Travelling Torrsome]
Chester Rows
This is a one of a kind walkway, with a double storied row of shops and restaurants. The origin of the Rows is actually unknown. It stands as a symbol of Chester and a hub for many independent shops and eateries. Do visit and enjoy what’s there to offer. Behind the Rows you can visit the modern shopping centre which houses the H Beauty division of Harrods.
Chester City Walls
Chester is unique in the sense that its city walls have remained fully intact after centuries. Once a protective measure for the Romans, is now a great way to see the city as you can walk the full length of the city, passing the Chester Racecourse and King Charles I Tower. The latter, is believed to have been the place King Charles I watched an oncoming battle hence the name, before he was believed to have hid inside Chester Cathedral as the battle intensified.
The walls also bring you to Eastgate Clock which is a beautiful focal point of the city. It’s situated on the wall running across the city’s Main Street. If you look carefully from below, you’ll see that the clock is not centred. You may also want to try the amazingly fresh Eastgate Clock Doughnuts located at the bottom of the stairs or the ice cream parlour towards the left side of the clock.
City of Chester [Copyright - Travelling Torrsome]
Chester Amphitheatre
The Amphitheatre was only found in more recent years but it has become a performance centre for the local community. You can also have a nice walk through admiring the detail. Just don’t expect it to be as large as the Amphitheatres in Rome or Verona!
Chester Ghost Walk
This was a great way to learn about the city and probably the best ghost tour we have been on so far. Our guide was amazing and in 90 minutes you learnt a lot about even recent hauntings such as the rumoured ghost of one half of the Yorkshire moors murderer. One stood trial at the Chester Crown Court in the 60s where the tour will depart. We advise to only take this tour if you can manage the walk for 90 minutes otherwise it’s a fun way to immerse in the city and learn about different buildings.
City City Cruise
This ½ hour city cruise is a nice introduction to the River Dee and the dwellings on its banks. It was a nice, relaxing way to see the city. We’d advise booking closer to your visit or in Chester to ensure you have the right weather. Once you have booked your ticket, these will be valid for the full day of your chosen date. No time slot bookings are required. The last sailing times will be displayed on the Chester City Cruises website. Please check these for your day of visit so you can plan which time you’d like to go. Sailings are hourly but try to arrive up to ½ hour before that hour to ensure you get a good seat.
Chester Racecourse
The famous Racecourse is a massive draw to the city. It makes for a very nice day out and to experience the city at its peak. Although, should you not want to attend the races, we advise to visit on a non-race day as the city can become much busier with hotels quickly filling up.
Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet
The designer outlet located 30 minutes from the city, is considered one of the best outlets to find deals across a wide range of shops making it a great shopping destination.
Chester Eateries [Copyright - Travelling Torrsome]
6) Where to eat in Chester?
Favourite Cafes
Jaunty Goat
Arguably one of the best vegetarian cafes we have been to. From the brunch to the yummy array of cakes available. There are two branches, should either be full and a dedicated bakery.
The Flower Cup
Another great cafe located on the top floor of the Rows above our favourite restaurant in Chester (more on that next).
Favourite Restaurants
Death by Tacos
This was recommended to us by our hotel and we were so pleased we went. The tacos are amazing and had a cool atmosphere, should you also want to delve into metal music.
Chez Joules
This was our date night venue of choice and was perfect! We hadn’t had French food in a while and the food was absolutely amazing! It also has a very nice, traditional decor. It ended up being conveniently close to our ghost tour meeting point. Everything felt nicely close in Chester!
Chester Rows [Copyright - Travelling Torrsome]
Other Options
There is a great array of food otherings around the city that left us really impressed. From Chester Market to great Italian at La Fattoria to Brewski to Porta Tapas which is great for mixing and matching small plates. Hickory’s Smokehouse is a great American smokehouse joint that was started in Chester. It is located near the riverside for a nice relaxing atmosphere. Marmalade and Fork & Favour were other café recommendations located by the Canal side, a short walk from the Moxy, making for a great relaxed spot.
Dessert
For dessert recommendations, try Hanky Panky or the delightful chocolate shop, Montezuma with an array of cocoa treats and very tempting tasters.
7) Evening Entertainment
For the evening, we enjoyed an array of games at Spinners where we tried duckpin bowling and traditional shuffle for the first time. Let’s just say Tee wasn’t too impressed with the score!
For evening drinks, we tried Chester’s best kept secret, the Prohibition Speakeasy. Head to a non-assuming door and just knock where you’re then transported to a New York style bar. We loved the ambiance but definitely found the drinks to be on the strong side so be prepared! The staff were amazing and on hand to adapt drinks. For traditional drinks, head to The Duck & Dagger or The Old Hackers Arms.
Chester Spinners & Prohibition [Copyright - Travelling Torrsome]
8) Accessibility
The city overall is pretty accessible, especially along the Main Street leading to the Rows. I would be cautious on where you access the riverside due to steep gradients especially near Hickory’s Smokehouse.
Please note that the Chester Rows can be narrow at times with uneven flooring and being located on the first floor. This can make access more difficult for wheelchair users or those with limited mobility. There are useful guides along the rows on access.
Montezumas Chester [Copyright - Travelling Torrsome]
9) A Simple Itinerary
Day 1: Chester Exploration Day
Passing Chester Rows, Chester City Walls & Eastgate Clock and Chester Amphitheatre on your walk.
Dinner at Death by Tacos
Spinners in the evening
Day 2: Exploration Day
Chester Cathedral Tower Tour in the morning
Chester City Cruise by the afternoon but weather dependent.
Dinner at Chez Joules
Chester Ghost Walk Tour in the evening
Prohibition Speakeasy (if an adults only group)
For Zoo or Racecourse Days
Day 1: Exploration Day
Chester City Walls & Eastgate Clock
Chester Rows
Chester Ghost Walk Tour in the evening
Prohibition Speakeasy (if an adults only group)
Day 2: Zoo or Racecourse Day
Day 3: Chester Cathedral Tower Tour
Chester City Cruise
Spinners
Thank you for reading and supporting our blog! We hope this helps with your next trip planning. Do let us know any tips or stories of your Chester travels.
… And please subscribe to follow our next adventure and be the first to find out where we head to next!