Chester Destination Guide

Chester is the place to visit if you want a historic roman city close to the North Wales coastline and to the north Mersyside. Chester is one of the best preserved walled cities in Britain. It has a number of medieval buildings and apart from a small 100-metre (330 ft) section, the listed Grade I city walls are almost complete. The black and white buildings in the town centre, "The Rows" are unique in Britain. They consist of buildings with shops or dwellings on the lowest two storeys, where the ground floors are often lower than the street and are entered by steps, which sometimes lead to a crypt-like vault. Those on the first floor are entered behind a continuous walkway, often with a sloping shelf between the walkway and the railings overlooking the street. But don't be fooled by appearances as although much of the architecture of central Chester looks medieval it is actually Victorian, a result of what was termed the "black-and-white revival". Overall Chester is an ideal location as it not only has a beautiful town but is a great city base for the more remote North Wales.