|
Chester is situated in the north-west of England, close to the border with Wales. It has one of the best preserved city walls in England and has a rich historic background. It dates back 2000 years to Roman times when it was known as Deva or Castra Devana. At the time it was the principal city in England and was used as a defence against the Welsh Celts. Some remnants of that era remain, including the weir, made to keep water levels high. 300 years later the Saxons extended the city walls to defend against the Danes.
After the Norman invasion in 1066, Chester castle and cathedral were built and still stand today.
In the Georgian era, Chester was a centre of affluence. A trend which continued with the Industrial revolution. During this time the Chester canal was built, which became known as 'England's first unsuccessful canal', after its failure to bring heavy industry to Chester. The Victorians built Chester's Gothic Town Hall and has only three clock faces, because the Wales facing clock face is bear. The rreason for this is that the inhabitants of Chester “won’t give the Welsh the time of day”.
Much of the land in modern day Chester is owned by the Duke of Westminster who lives in the nearby village of Eccleston. Chester currently has a popular shopping centre, with its unique 'Rows' or galleries (basically two levels of shops) which date from medieval times.
|
