English Courses in Chester

City Walls
Chester’s City Walls follow the even older Roman walls, except where they extend to the river to include the Castle. The complete circuit is a nearly two-mile walk taking in the four main gates: Northgate, Eastgate, Bridgegate, and Watergate. They include a clock built in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, traces of Roman foundations and King Charles’ Tower, where in 1645 Charles I witnessed the defeat of his troops at Rowton Moor during the English Civil War. Other highlights include the towers of Morgan’s Mount, Pemberton’s Parlor, Bonewaldesthorne’s Tower, and the Water Tower built in 1325; Grosvenor Bridge, an ancient horse racing track and the famous Wishing Steps where anyone capable of running up and down twice without drawing a breath will supposedly see their wishes fulfilled.

Chester Rows
Galleried walkways which evolved from houses and shops built in the 14th century, in front of and on top of piles of rubble left from the Roman ruins. They are in all four of the town’s main streets and there are many shops running the length of the old stone and half-timbered buildings.

Watergate and Lower Bridge Streets
Watergate Street has several exceptional half-timbered houses, such as the God’s Providence House, built in 1652 and Bishop Lloyd’s House, with its beautiful carvings. Leche House (1579) has an elaborate half-timbering, as does richly-decorated Stanley Palace (1591).
Lower Bridge Street is well-known for its beautiful half-timbered houses as well, in particular Falcon House, the Tudor House, built in the 16th century and the oldest dwelling in the city, the Old King’s Head Hotel; and the Bear and Billet, a four storied half-timbered inn.

Chester Cathedral
Built on the site of a much older church dating from AD 958 and a later Benedictine abbey. The abbey in turn became a cathedral when a new diocese was created by Henry VIII in 1541. The Lady Chapel and Chapter House are Early Gothic (post 1240), most of the choir is High Gothic (1280-1315), and the tower, west front, and upper part of the nave are Late Gothic (1485-90). The three-aisle pillared nave of the Gothic basilica is splendid and the west end is notable for the baptistery, another relic of the Norman church, contains a 6th-century Venetian font, and the Consistory Court.

Chester Roman Amphitheatre
It remains the subject of continual excavation and discovery. As recently as 2005, excavations revealed two successive stone-built amphitheaters with wooden seating, one of them similar to that found in Pompeii. In Roman times, the site was used for entertainment and military training by the famed 20th Legion.

Dewa Roman Experience
A fascinating interactive reconstruction of the sights, sounds, and smells of life inside the 2,000-year-old Roman fortress buried beneath modern-day Chester. The adventure begins aboard a Roman galley, before moving into reconstructions of the granary, barracks, a bathhouse, and market stalls that would have formed part of the fortress that was home to the 5,000-strong 20th Legion.

St. John’s Church and St. Michael’s Church
Some of St. John’s Church dates from the late 19th century, along with part of an earlier 12th-century Norman church, including its impressive nave. The triforium is dates from around 1200. St. Michael’s Church is located on Bridge Street and it is now a heritage center containing numerous interesting features, including its fine stained glass windows and a 15th-century chancel.

Grosvenor Museum
The Grosvenor Museum boasts a collection of Roman antiquities, along with displays illustrating the life of the Roman legionary and the Roman fortification of Britain. Exhibits deal with matters of life and death during Roman times. At the rear of the museum is 20 Castle Street, the museum’s Period House, built around 1680, with a sequence of nine period rooms dating from 1680 to 1925.

Beeston and Peckforton Castles
Beeston Castle stretches back more than 4,000 years to its origins as a Bronze Age hill fort. The castle ruins are fun to explore and offer incredible views of the surrounding countryside, all the way to the Pennines and Wales. Nearby, there is also Peckforton Castle, a medieval-style castle built in 1850 and made famous as the set for Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood.

Cheshire Military Museum
The Cheshire Military Museum tells the story of the four famous regiments connected with the area from 1685 to the present day. Highlights include displays following the exploits of the Regiments of Cheshire, their travels across the world, and the wars in which they fought, with a fascinating exhibit focusing on life in the trenches during WWI.