I thought id take some pictures on the way to work and at lunchtime today…

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As I travel by train, the station area is the first view.
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King Charles tower on the city walls. The King watched his defeated troops withdraw from the Battle of Rowton from here in the Civil War. The walls were modified in the 1700s into a “Promenade for respectable Ladies and Gentlemen”, and the battlements and most of the towers were removed.
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Along the Shropshire Union Canal.
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From the canal up to the City Wall, with a Roman section still there, the bit with the cornices.
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Another section of Roman Wall. The wall was whitewashed in Roman Times, to awe the natives.
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Georgian houses in King Street
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The North Gate, typical of the Georgian rebuild of the walls and gates.
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The Town Hall, I work in the offices behind this building, which now houses the mayors rooms, meeting rooms and is used as a concert hall / ballroom
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The Cathedral from the council offices. Not built as a cathedral, was an abbey till the reformation when the diocese of Chester was created from part of Lichfield diocese.
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Watergate Street from Watergate Row North. The main streets in Chester are on two levels, the upper being called the Rows. You will notice different shops on the upper gallery than those at street level. The origin of the rows is obscure, but there are many therories- to make it easier to attack Welsh raiders, built on top of Roman Houses etc
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Looking the other way
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What it looks like on the rows……
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And if youre walking along them
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The black and white house on the right is Bishop Lloyds house, built for some late mediaeval bishop
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Note the carvings on the house, was covered in plaster for years
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Street level view on Watergate Street
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The Castle. Dosent much look much like a castle, was rebuilt in 1800s as judicial centre for the county. The cars ruin it.
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In the background you can see parts remaining of the original castle
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Castle Street
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Georgian houses on South Bridge Street
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The Bear and Billet Inn, used to be the Earl of Shrewsburys house
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The Mediaeval bridge across the Dee
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Ye Olde Kings Head, it was inevitable, wasn’t it??
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The Falcon Inn, was derelict till 1986
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Upper Bridge street
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Victorian Fantasy on medeavalsim, Upper Bridge Street. The shopping centre is behind this façade. Most of Chesters Black and white buildings are Victorian and Edwardian ideas of what an idealised past looked like, in the process demolishing many of the genuine old houses.
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The 3 from the left are genuine, the others Victorian
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The picture everyone takes, The Cross
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Towards the Grosvenor Hotel and Eastgate
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St Werburgh street, nothing over 140 years old (apart from Cathedral!)

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View from the Eastgate
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The cathedral
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Abbey Street
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Abbey Square
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Old houses made from demolished religious buildings at time of Reformation, Abbey Square
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The last religious structure built before the reformation, the archway to the Abbey precincts





And so ends our tour, hope you enjoyed it!

lovely! Chester is a very pretty city with lots of character, I visited last year and loved the two level shopping streets, something you won't find anywhere else :)

Good pictures of the NW's 4th city :yes:
I'm not really a big fan of Chester though.

Nice pics. Castle and Upper Bridge Streets look good.

I miss Chester haven't been there in a few years, it's very refreshing to see a City which wasn't brutalised in the post-war years

I miss Chester haven't been there in a few years, it's very refreshing to see a City which wasn't brutalised in the post-war years


could do another set of pics on that note...the inner ring road, forum, tesco etc


The place could look far better if it werent for the above, inner ring road in particular, who thought of putting a dual carriageway thru the city walls????

Thats such a cool looking city.

This is my favourite small city in the UK.Those typical medieval buildings are awesome and give a nice atmosphere of the Middle Ages.I need to visit it someday :)