The number one thing to do in Chester in our opinion as explore the city walls. So few ‘walled cities’ are left in the world and Chester’s walls are still mainly complete. As Chester is a fairly compact city, walking the walls won’t take you more than an hour or so, but it’s great fun to get a real feel for how the city was defended and how the taxes were taken. There are regular points at which you can join and leave the walls, mainly at interchanges with roads, although the original entrances were at four key points – Northgate, Eastgate, Westgate and Southgate.
One of the best views on the walls is from the bridge at the entrance to the shopping area at Eastgate. It’s here that you’ll find the Victorian clock (pictured above). You can look up and down the shopping street and then continue your walk in between the historic buildings. The walls date back 2000 years to Roman times and Chester claims to have the most complete set of walls in Britain. They are constructed from sandstone and its thought it took 100 years to finish them. The walls are around 2 miles long, but sections are often out of use for maintenance and repairs.
As the city grew, further entrances were added at Watergate, Bridgegate and Shipgate. The walls were also extended to surround the new castle too. After the Civil War, the defensive purpose of the walls became redundant and the walls were instead preserved for recreation. There are several things to look out for on your trip around the walls. The first thing to mention is the towers on the walls. They’re all different and have their own histories. Bonewaldesthorne Tower on the northwest corner is a medieval structure which has been there since 1249. More recently it has been used as a museum including the adjacent water tower. The Goblin Tower is a curious structure on the northern section but our favourite was Pheonix Tower near the Cathedral which almost looks like you could live in it! Also look out for Chester Castle (pictured below) and you’ll notice that the walls become the pavement next to Chester Racecourse.
Chester’s walls are free to visit, but bear in mind that some parts have steep steps which are slippery in wet weather. Walking the walls – as the Roman’s did – is an experience you wont forget though! You can see sections of the city walls without walking on them by taking the Chester Hop-on, Hop-off Bus Tour.
LOCATION & MAP
There are lots of entrance steps to the walls and you don’t have to walk far to find one. The map below shows the location of the Eastgate clock.
MORE ON CHESTER CITY WALLS
Chester City Walls – Cheshire West & Chester Council
Chester City Walls – Wikipedia
Hotels In Chester – Booking.com