Chester The Five Minutes Spare Guide

Chester the city with a history spanning two millennia. 

Chester, long since a city in its own English Shire, has a history longer than that of sliced bread! It goes all the way back into pre-historic times, but we obviously have no records of this. What we do know is that it officially started as a fort built by the Romans and that nowadays it is a modern centre of business that is just as important as it always was.

Here at Five Minutes Spare, we think that the city has a lot of promise as the place for your 2021 staycation. So let’s put it under the microscope now to find out what the best and worst bits of Chester are. Ready? Ok let’s start with a bit of Chester history, and there is a lot of it!

 

Chester The Roman Fort

The recorded history of this English city began in 79AD, about 39 years after the Romans initially invaded England. They worked their way north, building towns and forts as they needed them. The Britons, druids, and hellish Scots were feared barbarians at the time, so progress was slow.

They reached Chester and built the town up around a fort, which was strategically placed to guard their important roads. Supplies would be moved up and down the country by way of these roads, and they had to be built all over Europe to ensure messages from Rome could travel in a hurry.

By the second century, the wooden fort had been rebuilt in stone, although not entirely. It was common for the Romans to build in wood until structures had been there long enough to become permanent… as it was with Chester, which they called ‘Deva’. This is possibly a reference to the fact that the city sprung up on the banks of the River Dee.

Early Growth

As always happened with the biggest of the Roman forts, the commoners from nearby areas fled to them for protection. Eventually, a township formed at the base of the fort, where the people could retreat from invaders to safety if necessary. This era would have seen a thriving town spring up to suit the Roman soldier’s needs. There would likely have been a brothel and a bathhouse, a temple, a carpenter, blacksmith and cooks. Wine and pottery were likely imported and, although nobody likes to talk about it, they probably brought slaves with them, and even took slaves from the countryside.

There was an amphitheatre in Chester in Roman times. This would have been one of only a handful of such entertainment venues that they bothered to build in England. It likely held events such as bear-baiting, chariot racing, and cockfighting. Interestingly, blood sports weren’t banned in Britain until the 19^th century, so the Romans left this little mark on the morality of the whole country.

Chester in the Dark Ages

There was a period of uncertainty in Chester after the Romans left. At first, the people would have drifted back out to the countryside to work the farms, when the soldiers had departed. Some, however, would have stayed behind. Those that depended on others for business, the soldiers who had started families here, and those that didn’t have the gift for farming, all would have gravitated to the relative safety of the walls. Since they were built in stone, it was better protection than the open fields.

In 617AD the Welsh had started to push the borders farther and farther into England. They attacked and fought the Saxons Chester, which then became Saxon territory. The Saxon word for a town was a ‘ceaster’, from whence the town took its name. Later, the Vikings would arrived invade. They found the Chester fort unoccupied and moved in. In the winter of 893/894, the Vikings were living in the city… only for Alfred the Great to attack and wipe them out.

When Alfred’s men moved in, he left a garrison behind him, probably to stop the Vikings from taking the fort again. The word was sent out that the fort would be made into a borough. This meant that the fortifications were built up and strengthened, the streets were opened and planned out, and the soldiers remained there in the event of an attack. By the end of the 10^th century the town was thriving again. It has never been abandoned again since.

Let’s breathe a moment and have some fun with the trivia.

 



 

Fun Facts about Cheshire!

Whenever we research a town, we like to find out all the best bits about it. That includes the fun facts, the morbid mysteries, and any gruesome murders that might have happened in the past. Here are the Five Minutes Spare favourite facts about Chester, as we found out from the natives:

• The walls are still standing even after 2,000 years… those Romans could really build for the long haul.
• Chester racecourse is the oldest in the UK, having been opened in 1539 and seen continuous use ever since.
• The last decade has seen more than a billion pounds of investment into the city centre. It is now an international centre of tourism and was even once voted one of the top ten prettiest European cities by an American newspaper.
• The two-tier shopping system they have is unique throughout the world. They built a second shopping/street level area for retailers back in the 15^th century and it has been the same ever since.

Chester has a long history filled with interesting events, weird ways of doing things, and famous faces. We hope we can do most of them justice throughout the rest of the article. Bear with us while we get back to the Middle Ages, we had just about caught up to the Domesday Survey when we last left off.

Medieval Times in Chester

Chester had a terrible time of it under William the Conqueror. The invading Normans had managed to take the capital but saw resistance in the north. Chester played host to a ‘harrying’, where people were kept in check through death and destruction. Around 200 houses were demolished, and a castle was built to oversee the people. The king later added a weir and two watermills, that went on to produce grain.

In 1086, at the time of the Domesday Survey, Chester’s population was so vast that nobody bothered to record it which often happened with large population centres. Given King William was the then towns listed Lord & Tenant in Chief he probably knew enough about it anyway. It received a city charter in 1176. It would have made the landowners lots of money, considering there was a mint in town.

The Earldom of Chester

The Earldom of Chester became a much-coveted title, and Thirteen different nobles held the title between 1067 & 1377 when it became part of the Prince of Wales patronage. The years passed, things were pretty successful under the various Earl’s of Chester. Leather was the biggest export, and shoemakers, hatters, clovers, armorers – all types of leather experts frequented the town. 1322 saw a water tower added so that the residents of Chester were some of the first in England to have fresh water. The Black Death hit around 20% of the population over three successive waves in 1349, leaving around 4,000 people living there… a sizable number for the start of the 15^th century.

Middle Age Chester

In the 15^th century the port closed as the river silted over, clogging it up and preventing ships from passing there. There was a nunnery, a chapel, a friary, and several other religious establishments there at the time, which were later closed by Henry VIII. Chester abbey was made a cathedral in 1541, however.

Leather and wool remained the go-to export of the town. Plague outbreaks and large fires struck time and time again – yet Chester survived. The people rebuilt no matter who took over… It has always been a busy place. By the 17^th century they had three hospitals, had built up earthen defences to support the king in the Civil War, withstood a siege, withstood another siege, endured two more plagues – and finally survived long enough to reach the Industrial Revolution. When we said there was a lot of history to Chester City, we weren’t lying to you.

Industrial Era Chester History

Coming into the Industrial Revolution, Chester was one of many cities that rapidly outgrew its walls. Houses were thrown up rather haphazardly, leading to slum type tenements outside the town proper. Still, it was not all bad as a school was added in 1717, exceedingly early considering socialism didn’t pick up until the 1800s. As the locals got educated the balance of commerce began to change , the leather trade began to diminish and the city  became a centre for manufacturing in lead, silver, and steel.

Ships were built on the iron and coal mined from the rest of the north. In 1735 they dragged the river open to make trade easier. Later, in 1797 a canal was added, meaning the town could build boats for both areas. The early 1700s also saw it grow in importance as a stagecoach inn stop on the road to London. With trade coming from all angles, it was no wonder the town did so well. Before 1800 had arrived, the town had its first theatre, had named the passing place of the river by prisoners bound for execution as ‘the Bridge of Sighs’, and had a population of about 15k.

The wars in France saw ships being built to the extreme, leading to another industrial boom. When the rest of the country was going through slum life in the 1800s, Chester had already fixed its housing problems, had piped water, and had gas streetlights. There were busses, the train line was on its way, and there were more rich people in town than there were in other cities of its size. There were no ghettos in Chester.

Modern Chester

For a further hundred years, Chester became a well-to-do place that was popular among tourists. To this day, it remains a brilliant destination for tourists heading north. The Victorian era saw many public parks added, a public library open, and the museum finally arrives. Chester was thriving and the only thing that could stop it was a World War.

At the start of the 20^th century, Chester had a population of 38,000 people. Council houses were added in the 20s and 30s, after thousands of young men from the area had lost their lives. Despite this, life went on. The award-winning Chester Zoo opened in the 30s, with construction taking a nosedive until the economy recovered from WWII in the late fifties.

Grosvenor Shopping Centre was built in ’65, with a new road added in ’72. The Forum shopping centre was built in ’73 and a heritage centre, a courthouse, and a huge antiques trade sprung up in the city. As it stands in 2021, the population is 118,000 people. Chester’s population has swollen more in the last hundred years than it did throughout the entire Industrial Revolution… another thing that makes Chester different to any other place in England.

What’s next for Chester? We want to see a thriving retail and tourist trade in the city as we move forward. As a staycation location, Chester has a million attractions that are all within a day’s drive of London. If you are willing to learn about those attractions, then stick around for a while. We’re just going to talk about famous people from the city before we move on to the best things to see and do in town.

Famous People from Chester

There have been thousands of famous people from Chester through the generations. Some of our favourites include:

• Famous James Bond actor Daniel Craig was born in Chester.
• Recently passed actor remembered for his outstanding contribution to cinema, Ronald Pickup.
• Malcolm Hebden, who plays Norris in Corrie, is a Chester man.
• Ainsley Harriot, early 2000s celebrity chef.
• Loads of sports personalities, including Tom Heaton, Simon Hunt, Ron and Paul Futcher, Danny Murphy, Danny Collins, Pat Sanderson, and Ben Foden, to name a handful.

There are famous people from all walks of life in Chester. Keep your eyes peeled when you are in the supermarket!

Things to do in Chester

Now the part we have all been waiting for – the best bits! If you are on holiday in Chester, what are the must-see sights? Let’s take a look…

Historic Sights and Landmarks

There’s no way to miss Chester Cathedral, even if it wasn’t the top-rated attraction in town. This place is stunning, is still in use after half a millennium, and is the number one place in town to get your Instagram photos from. Attend a service if you are so inclined, but according to visitors, it holds the history of a city in its walls.

The Eastgate Clock is hard to miss. It’s large, ornate, and suspended in mid-air about the archway on the Eastgate. This was built back in Victorian times, so it is a bit gothic in nature. It’s proud face still sports the 1897 commemoration of its building.

There are a thousand attractions in this town – too many to list. Try Chester Racecourse on the weekend and wear your best hat. Visit the Chester Roman Gardens for an educational tour on the historic evidence our predecessors left behind. Visit a recreation of Chester built in Lego in the basement of an indoor market – we’re serious. There are so many things to do…

Galleries and Museums

The Grosvenor Museum is probably the best known in town, although you have the option of seeing art exhibits here, too. They have Roman artifacts and a natural history section, as well as a full recreation of a Victorian home. If you want to learn about Rome, the Dewa Roman Experience will give you your fill. Chester History and Heritage centre will give you further inspiration for things to do in Chester, but you may prefer the history of violence that comes with the Cheshire Military Museum.

As for fine art, you will find all you need between the Watergate Street Gallery, the Whitewall Galleries, and the Chester Art Centre.

Outdoor Attractions

Chester Zoo was once voted one of the top ten zoos in the entire world. Run by the North of England Zoological Society, the zoo has more than 1000 members of staff and happens to be the most visited in the UK. They have 35,000 animals kept in a spacious 128 acres of land. It’s clean, the animals are well cared for, and they do a lot of important conservational work in the area. Pay them a visit and enjoy the experience.

The River Dee flows into town and presents loads of opportunities for fun days out. Hire a pedalo and take a life jacket, go on one of the tour boats, or catch a ferry up to Liverpool for the heck of it. Even just enjoy a lazy walk along the river on a Sunday and see how many markets you spot.

There are lots of parks in town, but we can’t recommend the statues and plant life found at Grosvenor Park. Better yet, there is a large miniature railway that the kids can ride on until their wee hearts are content.

Sports and Recreation

Chester Football Club plays at Deva stadium, named after the original name of the fort erected all those years ago in the place where Chester stands now. The stadium was erected in 1885, the team founded in the same year. Nowadays you can see them play or go on a tour of the stadium, whichever you like.

As for golf, choose from Westminster Park Municipal Golf Course, Upton-by-Chester Golf Club, or Chester Golf Club, all of which are within a stone’s throw of the suburbs.

Chester Rugby Union FC is a popular team who you can also find safely nestled within the 2,000-year-old city walls.

Shopping/Retail

One of the most fascinating places in the city are the Chester Rows. Here you can experience street level and underground shopping in a unique pattern of architecture that isn’t seen anywhere else in the world. You can also head to the Grosvenor shopping centre, the Forum shopping centre, or the Greyhound Retail Park, as some other options.

There are loads of antiques centres in town too since there is a bit of a roaring trade for them here. If you want an antiquing holiday in England this yar, try Chester.

Other Important Sights in Chester

There is a wealth of other places in Chester for those looking for a staycation there. We tried our best to cover them all in more detail, but here are some things that didn’t make the cut:

• The Storyhouse Theatre is a landmark worth seeing. This one was opened before the 1800s.
• There is sometimes an open-air theatre at Grosvenor Park in summer.
• Walk the canal or sail it in a tour boat.
• Take a walk around the city walls, nearly two thousand years old and still going strong.
• While you are there, visit the old Roman Amphitheatre.
• Go on a nature trail at the Countess of Chester Country Park…
• Browse the flowers at the Mount Pleasant Gardens…

And the list goes on…

How to get there

How do you get to Chester? You follow our loose direction and hope for the best.

By Road

Head north on the M6 then cut west on the A49 just after Crewe.

By Rail

Chester train station is on City Road.

By Air

Liverpool airport is the nearest, about 10 miles away.

By Sea

You are round the corner from Liverpool, at the mouth of the River Dee.

Got Five?

If you haven’t satisfied your need for holiday inspiration yet, head on over to Five Minutes Spare HQ where you can find out all about the different towns and cities of Britain. Maybe you’ll find out something interesting about your hometown? You’ll never know if you don’t take the time to check.