Chester walking tour & city guide

The walls and the Rows

Chester's city walls, built by the Romans and extended in medieval times, run for about 3 kilometers around the old city and can be walked all the way round. The Rows, along the four main streets, are covered walkways at first-floor level above the street-level shops, dating back to the 13th century.

The Eastgate Clock, standing on top of the city gate, was built for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and is said to be the most photographed clock in England after Big Ben.

Cathedral and Roman Chester

Chester Cathedral, a former Benedictine abbey, has beautiful medieval woodwork and cloisters. Outside the walls, the Roman Amphitheatre is the largest uncovered in Britain, and the Roman Gardens display pieces of the ancient fortress. The River Dee flows past the Groves, a tree-lined promenade with boat trips.

A classic walk on the walls

Climb onto the walls at the Eastgate, beside the clock, and walk clockwise past the cathedral and the King Charles Tower. Continue around the northern walls, then down past the racecourse, the oldest in England, to the River Dee.

Leave the walls at the Bridgegate to walk along the Groves, then return through the Rows on Bridge Street and Eastgate Street. The full loop is about 4 kilometers.

Visiting tips

Chester is about two hours from London and 40 minutes from Liverpool and Manchester. Chester Zoo, one of the largest in the UK, is just north of the city, and North Wales and Conwy are less than an hour away.