Tourist attractions Chester

The construction of these shopping arcades, first mentioned in Chester's city records in 1331, seems to coincide with the arrival of merchants. Originally, shops were housed on the ground floor and the upper storeys were given over to accommodation. ..

This country house was built in the late 17C and restored in 1973 after subsidence caused by the surrounding mine galleries. The high-quality furniture was made around 1720 (see the State Bedroom ), and the porcelain, tapestries and paintings date f..

The 11C Norman abbey church was replaced by the present red sandstone building between 1250 and 1540 which has been carefully restored since 1868. Many of the original abbey buildings still stand around the 16C cloisters. Note the remarkable hammer-..

The city walls are extremely well preserved and are a good way of appreciating Chester. North Gate commands Northgate Street, one of the main thoroughfares of the inner city, which is lined with medieval façades. By following the eastern section of t..

A splendid zoo where the animals are housed and displayed in spacious enclosures, separated from the public by moats and flowerbeds rather than cages. An overhead railway provides a good view and a relaxing tour.

This black-and-white Elizabethan manor was built 1490-1612 by successive generations of the Norris family. Its oldest part is the great hall , with wood panelling from 1564. The many rooms show the Victorian preference for intimacy and comfort. In t..

This fine Gothic building (1869) in red and grey sandstone, with its 49 m tower, replaced an earlier Town Hall, destroyed by fire. The Assembly Rooms are open to the public.

The history of Chester is traced with particular emphasis on the Roman period; among the exhibits is an interesting collection of coins, minted in Chester in Saxon and Norman times and during the Civil War.

Begun in 1075, St John's Church was left unfinished without a roof for a hundred years. The Norman drum columns deliberately lean outwards. Above the arches, three arcades clearly show the change in styles from Norman to Transitional to Early English..