Everyone who’s ever stepped foot in Chester will undoubtedly have been blown away by its sheer beauty and fantastic sights. It should come as no surprise then that it made 5th place on a list of Europe’s best-looking cities.
To commemorate this achievement, here are some facts about Chester that you may not have known about.
- Chester used to be known as ‘Deva’ back when the Romans had a settlement back in 79 AD. It was used as a fortress and was once of the largest throughout Britain.
- It’s lasted the years and is claimed to be the best preserved walled city throughout Britain as there are little lapses in the quality throughout the town walls.
- St Werburgh is the patron saint Chester. He had a massive impact on convent reform for the whole of England.
- Although welcoming to all cultures in this day and age, the Chester of 1403 was a no-go for any people from Wales. Henry V ordered that they all be banished from its grounds or suffer execution.
- The magnificent Chester Cathedral is the most popular tourist attraction all throughout the North West region and is a place of respected worship.
- A stroll will undoubtedly allow you to come across the Roman amphitheatre: a major attraction which used to seat 7000 spectators. It is the largest of its ilk in the country.
- A hard to miss venue is the Chester Racecourse which is also the oldest of its kind and also a sporting venue in general. 1539 saw the first race taking placing there with many more years of competition to follow.
- Chester’s Rows are unique in that they are present in all four of the city’s main streets and cannot be found elsewhere in the world; a definite walking opportunity if ever there was one.
- As of 2011, 118,200 people resided in Chester with them being varied across all kinds of background but with the majority claiming Christianity as their religious belief.
- King Arthur is reputed to have taken part in a bloody battle within the city.