stevelyon

Chester has always seemed me to have been a poor relation of York. I spent three years living in York and loved the place – it’s a place I frequently return to. For many years, Chester has been way down on my list of places to return to and so it was a surprise when on my recent two visits there I have fallen in love with the place.
Chester is nearer than York from where I live and rail fares are cheap from Manchester. Parking is more expensive in Chester itself although the hotel we stayed at offered parking. The reception staff said you can sometimes get parking in with the prices if you book direct.
We stayed at the Mill Hotel which is handy for all the sights. We chose it because it was on the canal, it was affordable, and the reviews were most good. We were not disappointed, although, as with most hotels, it has minor faults. I have published a review of it.
Our weekend in Chester was focused on walking and here Chester is as good as York, if not slightly better. The Canal runs through Chester and is delightful in both directions. On Day 1 we walked to a lovely historic village of Christleton. Its not a long walk to Christleton and well worth it. We stopped there for a drink in the Ring ‘O Bells.
We got the bus back to Chester and found a lovely chippy on Frodsham street called Chesters and all the food is fresh and freshly cooked and the fish was one of the best I had eaten, for a long while.
There are plenty of places to eat in Chester and chose a wonderful Thai restaurant that had great service and food.
On Day 2, we walked the canal in the opposite direction towards Ellesmere. It is a very atmospheric walk especially as the canal has been chiselled through the rock that Chester is built on. There are plenty of historic features to keep you interested on the route and you can return to Chester via the walls that surround Chester.
The walls around Chester are as interesting as those of York. Every so often you come across a well described part of the wall – they have done an excellent job of erecting billboards with various historic facts about the wall, to read.
All in all a great place and one that isn’t on many peoples travel lists but deserves to be.

Chester Cathedral

The gorgeous Shropshire Canal

On the way to Ellesmere

KayF

Thanks for sharing this. I spent some time last year in York and really enjoyed it. I can add Chester to my list now but there are way too many great places to visit and not enough time 😁

Trophywife007

We visited Chester ages ago, 1997 I believe, and it was charming but definitely not on anyone's radar at that time. Pre-internet, someone in our group asked, "Why Chester? It's not in my guidebook." We found a lovely walled (as I recall) town and we enjoyed wandering around it immensely. Now you make me eager to go back. It takes nothing away from York. We visited it on that same trip and the Minster with the excavations were fascinating. One does not replace or over-shadow the other, imo.

Thank you for sharing about your trip.

janisj

Thanks for the report. I haven't been to Chester in many years but I really like the place. Back when I lived in England we went to/through that general area 3 or 4 times a year -- sometimes en route to North Wales and sometimes to stay in Chester itself.

stevelyon

Thanks for the feedback. I am always keen to turn a spotlight on not much loved places - people tend to focus on the usual suspects and might miss out on equally attractive places. On a recent trip to Hawaii - we stopped over for a week in New York (not on my "To Do List") and I fell in love with it - more than Hawaii! The strangest thing about the New York visit is the area I fell in love with would never make the guide books - and moreover, I can not explain the attraction myself!

hetismij2

I love Chester, and it has a special place in my heart as an ancestor did some of the wood carving in the cathedral choir.

geetika

When in Liverpool some years back we took the train to Chester for the day. Loved the place and promised myself I’d go back in 2020. But then Covid happened and my UK trip is still pending… In the meantime, greatly enjoying this thread and the pictures, thanks stevelyon!

AnselmAdorne

I'd like to add my thanks for this report. My brother-in-law, who lives in Cambridge, suggested Chester as a place where we could meet after we walked in the Lake District, but we couldn't make it happen.

The canal walking caught my eye; as our legs get older, level walking is starting to turn our heads.

geetika

Yes, the canal walking is something I’d like to do. My sister and I planned a walking vacation in the Cotswolds two years running, in 2020 with my sister and in 2021 with a school friend, but both times the trip never happened!

stevelyon

Thanks for the feedback. Canal walking is one of our weekend activities. There are some good canal walking books published by Collins "Waterway Guides". They are a bit dated but I like them because they include a description of the local areas, and more important, identify real ale pubs en route. There is also a good walking book produced by the Canal and River Trust. I have done many of the canals "up" North so can recommend the more attractive ones.