Chester, often referred to as ‘the walled city’, offers the most complete circuit of city walls anywhere in the UK. The current structure is only broken at the entrance site of Cheshire County Council’s car park, and where the road approaches the Grovesnor Bridge.
Spanning a length of 2 miles (3 kilometres) are protected and cared for by Cheshire County Council, with much of the wall being Grade I listed. Also, being designated as a scheduled ancient monument denotes the walls as significant of ‘national importance’ in our country’s history.
Dating back to AD79, the walls were put up to defend the newly built Roman fortress against the Welsh. The earth and wood structure, which enclosed a rectangular area typical of Roman cities, was rebuilt with more defensive stone walls as early as the 1st century, and through to the 3rd. The new walls were more solid in structure; with the inclusion of gates to enter the city by.
After the demise of the Roman Empire, around AD400, the walls were largely left to deteriorate. Only the threat of invasion by the Vikings, around AD907, encouraged Queen Ethelfleda to order the Saxons to extend the walls further down the River Dee; and to ensure the renewed fortification of the City.
The walls were further extended, around AD1070, after Chester Cathedral had been built. This addition was designed to protect the, then called, Roodee; which was a shipping port, and is now the site of the Chester Racecourse.
Thereafter, it was the Norman’s who were responsible for completing the walls to encircle the entire city. During this time towers and more decorative gateways were added, although many are no longer present.
The Chester walls failed to protect the city during the attacks on the Royalists and King Charles I, by t
he Parliamentarians, during the English Civil War. The city walls were badly damaged during the successful invasion. After King Charles had fled; the city had no choice but to surrender.
During the Georgian period, many of the towers and gates placed by the Normans were removed and the extensive breaches made by the Cromwell’s men were repaired and restored. The Georgians added many of the stylish arches and made the walls into the promenade around which we walk today.
The Victorians made their own mark to the city walls, most famously with the addition of the Eastgate clock, in 1899. This clock, which commemorates the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, is often pictured on postcards of Chester, and is an ideal place to start your walk around the city walls. From Eastgate, you can look right down Eastgate to see the black and white buildings and the vitality of the city below.
Walking around the city walls of Chester will take around an hour and a half, and will take you through some enchanting attractions. Some areas can be a little difficult to pass, though there are access/exit points all along the walk.
The walls will take you past the Cathedral and the relatively new Addleshaw Bell Tower; built in 1975, as the Cathedral’s tower was no longer strong enough to support the bells.
Other sites you will see include: Kaleyards Gate, Deanery Fields, Phoenix Tower (also known as King Charles; this is the tower from which King Charles watched the attacks on the city before fleeing), Shropshire Union Canal, remains of the original Roman Wall, Northgate, St.Martin’s Gate, Watergate, Chester Castle, Bridgegate, Watchtower, Newgate, Wolfgate, Roman Amphitheatre and Thimbley’sTower.