Charming Chester

OVERVIEW

Get historical on a guided walk through Liverpool’s neighbor, Chester, where excavated Roman ruins and famous medieval walls await. The leisurely drive inland crosses the Mersey and brings you to the center of Chester’s renowned Old City, once a powerhouse until its River Dee silted up in the 17th century and Liverpool captured the lucrative sea trade. Your expert-led walk includes up-close views of red-sandstone defensive walls that date to 100 AD and remain the most complete Roman and medieval wall system in the UK. The archeological treasures found inside these walls are just as impressive – from a sizable Norman cathedral, to the Roman cobblestones under your feet, to the Tudor half-timbered buildings all around you. After your expert-led orientation stroll, you’ll have free time to delve even deeper independently. Explore the Chester Rows, half-timbered shops sitting above the ones on street level. Stop in at the Cheshire Military Museum or step into the Dewa Roman Experience for a sampling of life along a reconstructed Roman street. Of course, sometimes the best plan is to have no plan at all, allowing yourself to simply see what happens as you browse interesting shops or seek a typically English bite to eat.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel by coach across the Mersey and to the city that once dominated sea shipping in these parts.
• Take a guided walk in the historic Chester and see Roman ruins and the UK’s most complete city walls.
• Admire cobbled streets lined with ornate half-timbered houses, including some from the 1500s.
• Spend some free time after the walk exploring further on your own; there’s a lot to see here.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear warm, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, and an umbrella as needed.