United Kingdom and Wales

September 2018

Chester

Chester is a walled cathedral city in Cheshire, England, located on the River Dee close to the English-Welsh border.
Chester was founded in 79 AD as a Roman fort. In 689, King Æthelred of Mercia (for fans of “The Last Kingdom” on Netflix) founded the Minster Church of West Mercia, which later became Chester's first cathedral. During that time city walls were strengthened and extended to protect the city against the Danes.
Chester was one of the last cities in England to fall to the Normans, and William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border.
The city walls of Chester are some of the best-preserved in the country. It has a number of medieval buildings, but many of the black-and-white buildings within the city center are Victorian restorations, including the City Hall.