Cities- Chester, Roman Amphitheatre & Environs, Cheshire.

Visited April 2025.

I have a funny thing with Chester. I used to go a lot as a kid and then when Cheshire Oaks opened I didn’t bother anymore.

On this trip I hadn’t been for over ten years and I wanted to see the Roman Amphitheatre.

‘Chester was founded in the 70s AD as a "castrum" or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. One of the main army camps in Roman Britain, Deva later became a major civilian settlement. In 689, King Æthelred of Mercia founded the Minster Church of West Mercia, which later became Chester's first cathedral, and the Angles extended and strengthened the walls to protect the city against the Danes. Chester was one of the last cities in England to fall to the Normans, and William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border. Chester was granted city status in 1541.

The city walls of Chester are some of the best-preserved in the country and have Grade I listed status. Apart from a 100-metre (330 ft) section, the walls are almost complete. It has several medieval buildings. However, many of the black-and-white buildings within the city centre are Victorian restorations, originating from the Black-and-white Revival movement.’ SOURCE.

Go HERE to read more about Chester and HERE to read about the Amphitheatre.