An Introduction to Chester / 2

1. The Northgate / 2 / 3

2. The North Wall

3. The Phoenix Tower

4. The Kaleyard Gate / 2

5. The Cathedral / 2 / 3

6. The Eastgate / 2

7. The Newgate & Wolfgate

8. The Amphitheatre 1 / 01 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

9. St. John's Church / 2

10. The 'Roman Garden'

11. The River Dee / 2

12. The Bridgegate / 2

13. The Castle / 2

14. The Grosvenor Bridge

15. The Roodee/ 2

16. The Watergate / 2

17. The Infirmary

18. The Watertower

19. Tower Wharf

20. St. Martin's Gate

21. The Bridge of Sighs / 2

22. The 'Old Port'

23. The Rows of Chester

The Vanished Pubs of Chester

Quotes from Centuries of Visitors

To help you make the most of your visit...

Exploring the two mile circuit can be exhausting during the hottest part of the day- consider instead walking in the early morning or in the evening, when things are much quieter, and the walls and much of their surroundings can look particularly beautiful. And fear not- as we shall discover, there are many pleasant spots along the way for rest and ample opportunities for partaking of all manner of refreshments.

Our ancient city walls and unique covered walkways known as the Rows are lovingly maintained but inevitably contain uneven surfaces and steep steps that are likely to prove an obstacle to prams, wheelchairs and those of you who have difficulty walking. There are however, a small number of ramps which will allow you access to limited stretches of the walls. You will find these at the Kaleyard Gate (point 4 on our map) on Park Street near the Newgate and close to the Albion pub (7) the Castle (11) and near Bonewaldesthorne's Tower (16).
Moreover, most of the western part of the circuit is at pavement level, and therefore easily accessible to all- but please mind the traffic!

Our Chester Virtual Stroll is but the latest in a long line of guides to the splendours of our ancient city, but the first to be published exclusively on the World Wide Web, instantly and freely available to you, wherever in the world you may be. One wonders what Joseph Hemingway or Lucian the Monk would have made of it?
Bear in mind that our intention is not to present a definitive history of the City of Chester, but rather to provide a pleasant and illuminating day out with a few anecdotes, pictures and personal comments thrown in. Nevertheless, if you do need specific information about Chester, Liverpool or their surrounding areas, don't hesitate to get in touch and I will do my best to help. All your letters will be answered- and may even be published on our Reader's Comments pages.

If you're planning to visit Chester, you're welcome to print these pages and bring them with you- a better companion by far than commercially-available equivalents! However, you should not use any of this material for commercial or other purposes without talking to us first...

Finally, to see more photographs of Chester or its great neighbour, the fascinating city of Liverpool and a wide variety of images of other subjects- as well as full details of our fine photographic, digital, design and photographic restoration services, be sure to visit the Black & White Picture Place.

Help keep the Chester Virtual Stroll growing and up-to-date. DONATE!

If you think our Virtual Stroll is entertaining, that's nothing compared to our real guided walks!

Join us to explore the world famous walls- the most complete in Britain- and discover the rest of our lovely city as well. Quick introductory tours of the city centre or lengthy and detailed study walks upon specific themes, the choice is yours. Available all year round, reasonably priced, friendly, informal and very informative- click on the picture for more details...