2. Chester

Where: Chester, England
When: July 21-22, 2015
With: Me!

Since before I even moved to England, since the first time I read the Book, Chester has stood out to me. Expensive train tickets and a busy schedule over the two years we lived in London sadly resulted in no trips to this town that had stoked my imagination for years, and the return to America only made it higher on my list. Perfect little Tudor homes AND a fortifying wall? Oldest Roman amphitheater in Britain? And what exactly were "the Rows"? I needed to know.

I've been quite fortunate that my British friends have been getting married in perfectly spaced out timeframes that have allowed me several trips back to the U.K. since I left. And for the last wedding, I decided to make a weeklong trip of it. Since I couldn't expect anyone to take off work and entertain me during the week, the first thing I did after booking my flight was to look up train times from London to Chester. Weekday travel coupled with advanced notice yielded reasonable train prices and I was able to book. Finally!

The train ride to Chester is fairly quick, only a couple of hours. With all the hopping around I was doing, staying with various friends, the easiest way to travel was with a knapsack on my back. I love traveling solo once in a while, and something about a knapsack makes me feel all the more the adventurous and intrepid traveler.

However, the hotel I booked myself at was one of the most posh in England - the original Grovesner! I had found a great price (probably helped that I stayed there on a rogue Tuesday) and decided to just go for it. It's been around since the mid-1800s, and has all the elegance to show it.  Therefore, there was a touch of shock on the faces of the doormen as I, rocking up in a knapsack and sweatpants, stated that I was checking in. They probably expected me to ask directions to the nearest hostel. 

Looking far more polished when I exited the hotel than when I came in (doormen certainly didn't recognize me), I headed off to explore. Next to the hotel sits the most photographed clock in England after, of course, Big Ben. Sadly, it was under heavy renovation. Thankfully, the British covered the clock in a tarp with its likeness. So we can pretend. 

Next, I headed to the city's crossroads, where the four main streets of Chester come together at a square called the Chester Cross. These roads (Eastgate, Northgate, Watergate, and Bridgegate) follow the same path as those laid out during Roman times. From here, I could see the Tudor homes going out in all directions as far as the eye could see.

For clarification, a Tudor home is one that represents the style of homes built during the Tudor family's reign in England, most notably King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I, in the mid to late 1500s. The most recognizable symbol of a Tudor home is the half-timber style, where big beams of wood were used to build homes, left exposed and painted in contrasting colors. The Chester homes went a touch further, adding intricate black and white woodwork. It made the city so charming. 

After a quick stop at the tourist information booth for a map and a list of sites (necessary, as I was walking this city old school - no internet!), I stopped off in the Chester Cathedral. Started in 1093, this cathedral had the usual beautifully stained glass and carved stone pillars. No matter how many cathedrals I see, they all amaze me with how beautiful and magnificent they are. And to think of how long ago they were constructed always amazes me.

To engage some of the younger visitors to the Cathedral, an exhibition was being held to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Alice In Wonderland. Displays were set up throughoutdepicting scenes from the classic, allowing children to interact with various rooms in the cathedral. My favorite was the "off with her head" courtroom scene set up in the room that used to hold religious court. 

The interior was beautiful. It felt good to be back in a European cathedral. Back when Chester was a Roman city, this site held a temple to Apollo. But with the conversion of the Romans to Christianity, the temple was converted into a church. As a result, a church of some type has sat on this site for almost 2,000 years.

Lots of carved wood dating from the 1300s in the choir stalls. 

Great ceiling and organ. 

The thing I loved most about this cathedral was a beautiful statue in the middle of its cloisters. Called The Water of Life, it depicts an encounter Jesus has in the Bible in which the life-giving properties of water are discussed. I loved that the shape of the sculpture changed as I wandered around it.

Couldn't get enough of it. 

After the cathedral, lunch was very much in order. And my favorite place to eat lunch in England is always an old pub. I wandered down back alleyways in search of something off the beaten path and stumbled upon the The Victoria. Low-beamed, crooked ceilings, a friendly staff, and great fish and chips. It was a total win for lunch. 

Afterwards, on a very full stomach, it was time to really start exploring this city. Despite the entrance of the Victoria being in a back alleyway, there was also an entrance that led right toward the main streets of Chester. With this exit, I finally got to learn/understand what I'd read about as one of the main architectural features of Chester: The Rows. No matter how much I read about The Rows, I needed to see them to understand them. So here is my attempt to explain. 

When I left the Victoria, I was elevated above the street, on a second level balcony, if you will, but enclosed in an alleyway. This alleyway followed along the main street, with its own set of shops and stores (including the Victoria), but elevated above the main street level. In the photo below, the archways and white pillars would be this second-level alleyway, or "row", of shops. 

Along the way, narrow staircases lead down to the street below. All four main streets I mentioned earlier have "Rows" lining them. In some places, the beams holding them up get so low, even I had to duck to get through them. 

After debunking the mystery of the Rows, it was time to explore Chester itself. I first set off down Bridge Street. This is where I truly got to appreciate the Tudor style homes that make this city special. Despite the modern businesses frequenting the shops, the old glass and criss-cross beams felt like being back in time. 

Even where the buildings get a little more modern, the Tudor homes continue to mingle with them throughout the city. 

The map I followed pointed out some of the older homes and pubs along the way. Sometimes, it was amazing they were still standing as you could see the bends in the wood. 

Now it was time to go from 16th century England back to 79 AD when Chester was a Roman fort called Deva Victrix. As this was a military stronghold, the Romans built a fortifying wall around the city to protect it. Through the years, the various occupants of the city refortified the walls which has resulted in a beautiful 2-mile footpath encircling the entire city. The ups and downs of the wall means that at some points, I was nose to nose with the top floor of Chester's buildings, and at other points, under complete tree coverage on a foot path. It was a gorgeous walk.

At the start of the walk are the remains of Chester Castle. Originally built in 1083, but worked on through the 1800s, this would have provided an excellent vantage point to protect the famous city. 

As the wall began to hug tighter to the city, the houses became part of its structure. 

The Wishing Steps: if you can run up this flight of steps while holding your breath, your wish will come true. I have to admit: I felt a touch silly doing it!

As with all important cities back in the day, they were usually built on a water source. The River Dee was Chester's and this shows the Grosvenor Bridge, built in 1832. 

Now the river provides the ideal backdrop to the city's walls and promenade, which is called The Groves. I would love to see a concert in that bandshell!

About halfway around the wall, I stepped down to check out the Roman Amphitheater, yet another incredible landmark held within this tiny city.

While it may not look huge, this theatre could hold 8,000-10,000 people back in the day. In fact, this is only the northern half of the theatre. The other half has buildings built over it. It had stopped being used in the year 350AD and wasn't rediscovered again until 1929. 

Unlike Rome, they do allow you to descend into the pit and stand where the gladiators once did. A mural was painted on a back wall to show what the view of the stadium from below may have been. 

Just short walk from the amphitheatre is a small park called the Roman Gardens. This is where artifacts discovered during excavations in the 1800s are put on display. Original foundations, mosaics and columns are displayed here on a recreated Roman street.

At the far end of the city sits a church called St. John the Baptist's Church. While it still stands today, the ruins from previous models over the years sit in the yard outside of it. I know this sounds odd but I think it's so cool when the walls still stand and I can feel what the layout of the church was, but I'm still outside. 

While walking, I definitely read that a famous hermit was rumored to live here, but for the life of me, I can't find any information now on who it was. 

As my day came to a close, I finished off my rounds of the wall. It was so peaceful, with the river on one side, the city on the other, and the farmland in the distance. All on my own, I felt like I'd fallen back in time. 

The last bit of the wall was my favorite view with the old lampposts lighting the way.

And back where I began, in the backyard of the Chester Cathedral to end the day. 

After all this walking, I returned to my gorgeous hotel for a quick stop that turned into a very early and dinnerless night for me. I guess the incredibly cozy bed of the Grosvenor was too much for my adventures and jet lag. I was asleep by 7pm! However, I feel like I made the most of this city that I had so been longing to visit and ended up exceeding all of my expectations.