Chester
Chester still has its full circuit of ancient defensive walls. Walk the full circuit for the best views of the city.
Once upon a time it was perfectly legal to shoot a Welshman in Chester with a bow and arrow. If he broke the 9pm curfew, that is. These days its more shopping capital than capital punishment. And shopping here is like nowhere else. Because just when you think you’ve seen it all. There’s another black and white 13th century timber row with even more irresistible ways of lightening your purse. Just like Old England. But with Jaeger, Jo Malone and Karen Millen.
As cities go, Chester is a little on the diminutive side. No bad thing. It means you can cover good ground on foot. And all the best bits are close by. But once you’ve seen Chester Castle (home of Hugh ‘the Wolf’, William the Conqueror’s delinquent nephew). 17th century God’s Providence House (the only house in Chester to dodge the plague). And visited the UK’s biggest Roman Amphitheatre, with room for about 7,000. You’ll be ready to sit down at Chester’s other Roman-influenced establishment. It’s called Piccolino. It’s a bar and restaurant. With room for about 120.
They’ve been racing at the Roodee at Chester Racecourse for more than 450 years and there’s a packed season ahead. So best dust off your hat for Ladies Day. We’ve other events too. More festivals than you can wave a length of bunting at. Easter’s Food and Drink Festival has demonstrations by the likes of James Martin, Lesley Waters and Simon Rimmer. It kicks off with a cheese rolling contest.
There are other things worth celebrating outside the city, too. At Gorstage Green Farm near Northwich you can try your hand at dairy farming. Get to grips (literally) with a pedigree herd of 90 dairy cows. And there are over 7000 animals at Chester Zoo. New arrivals include baby elephants. It won Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2006 at the Visit Chester and Cheshire Awards. And Tatton Park, the most complete Georgian estate in the UK. Set in over 1000 acres of parkland. With award-winning gardens. It hosts the Royal Horticulture Society’s Flower show in July.
The gardens at Arley Hall are award-winners, too. Voted amongst the ten best in the UK. The house was voted ‘Small Visitor Attraction of the Year’ at the 2006 Northwest Tourism Awards. Or see the world famous Lovell Radio Telescope, flagship of the Jodrell Bank Observatory. Quietly investigating the depths of space since 1957. Still one of the biggest, most powerful radio telescopes in the world today.
Or hire a barge and quietly investigate our canals. With over 200 miles of waterways, Cheshire has more length of canal than any other English county. Float along to Northwich to see the 1875 Anderton Boat Lift. It was the world’s first. They call it the ‘Cathedral of the Canals’.
