Walks from Season Four - Chester City Centre
The magnificent Roman walls of Chester provide a fantastic vantage point to see the sights of this lovely city – and all a short distance from the railway station.
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A walk around Chester City Centre - Walks Around Britain Shorts
Walk Info
Distance | 3¼ miles (5.2km) |
Minimum time | 1½ hours |
Total ascent | 281 ft (86m) |
Level of difficulty | Easy |
Paths | City roads and old Roman walls Some steps to climb |
Map | |
Start/finish | Grid SJ 41264 66983 |
Dogs? | Keep on leads at all times |
Parking | Chester City Centre |
Public Transport | Northern to Chester station |
Toilets/Refreshments | In Chester City Centre |
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Route Directions
- From Chester Railway Station, head to the left and start walking down City Road on the left hand pavement.
- After a while, City Road crosses over the Shropshire Union Canal Main Line and shortly after reaches Chester’s funny square roundabout – The Bars.
- Use the subway on the left to cross underneath it and turn right onto Foregate Street.
- Walk along Foregate Street away from The Bars, and notice how the buildings get increasingly older as you journey further into the heart of the city.
- Eventually, Foregate Street turns into a pedestrianised area, with cars coming from the right down Frodsham Street. Carry on along Foregate Street until you reach the archway bridge.
- This is Eastgate – a part of the city’s famous walls – and above the archway is a clock, designed to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of the reign of Queen Victoria in 1897.
- Take the steps on the right between the wall and the Clarks shop, to reach the top of Eastgate – and turn right to start walking away.
- Soon, Chester’s magnificent Cathedral is on the left – which can be seen just about through the trees. This building dates back to 1093, and has been modified several times since.
- Keep walking, and soon you reach the first corner of the walls, marked with a building called the King Charles Tower – or Phoenix Tower. Once a medieval watch-tower, it was the meeting place for a group of painters, whose badge was the phoenix – hence the fine carving above the door.
- Carry on along the walls, and on the right directly below is the Shropshire Union Canal again.
- Soon, the walls become a bridge - and this is Northgate – traditionally the highest point in the city of Chester. This bridge was built between 1808-10, using local sandstone from Runcorn.
- Further along is Morgan’s Mount, a distinctive square tower with steps you can climb leading to the platform on the top.
- Once you’ve crossed over the Inner Ring Road using the 1960s bridge, and the railway, you’ll reach a tower called the Water Tower at the next corner. This was one of two towers built to defend the port of Chester.
- The walls cross over the railway again, and on the right is Chester’s Racecourse – the oldest still in use in England. Continue ahead, and after the pedestrian crossing, you’ll see the buildings of the Crown Court and the remains of Chester Castle.
- The next section is the only missing bit of the walls inside the city, so follow the paved walkway across the road and follow it alongside the River Dee on your right.
- Then, continue to follow the paved walkway as it crosses back over the road, and onto the raised walls again to walk over Bridgegate – the main route into the city from Wales.
- The wall follows the River Dee for a while, and then turns left to head northwards. Soon, the city’s Roman Garden on the right; built in 1949 to display fragments from the Roman fort of Deva.
- Further on, and by looking to the right on Newgate, you should just see another Roman part of Chester- the Amphitheatre. It was the largest in Britain, and well worth a visit.
- From Newgate, the walls continue on between shops and hotels until you reach Eastgate. Climb down the same steps you walked up, and turn left to head down Foregate Street.
- Use the subway again to reach City Road, and follow it all the way back to the Railway Station.
Relevant Links
For information about the clothing Andrew has been wearing throughout season four, click here.
Get to Chester by train with our friends at Northern.
Details about Chester Railway Station from National Rail Enquiries.
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