Welcome to Chester!

You're proud to be in business in Chester so tell the world-

Advertise on the Chester Virtual Stroll!
Your company's logo and links directly to your website and email- advertising that works!

Wherever you are in the world, we warmly welcome you to...

What's new? If you've visited here before, hit the 'reload' button on your browser to see recent changes (if you're not sure where that is or have other questions about our site, just ask us!) Our new 'cover picture' above comes from a Great Western Railway poster, beautifully illustrated by Leonard Squirrel and published in 1938. Go here to learn more about its subject...

A gentle reminder... Our website has been growing for many years and is provided as a 'labour of love' for the enlightenment and entertainment of you, our valued readers. That does not mean that (for the moment, unnamed) local newspapers, development corporations and others should consider it ok to help themselves to its contents in order to further their own commercial interests. We've always been more than happy to assist anyone with their projects but please, please have the good manners to talk to us first!
Consider, instead, both publicising your business and helping us to keep our site online, up-to-date and growing by advertising to our thousands of regular visitors.

19th August 2010: I have a beautiful accoustic guitar for reluctant sale to a good home in order to keep this website going for a bit longer. It's a rare Eko El Dorado which dates from the 1970s and was made in Italy. It has a fantastic tone and is in absolutely perfect condition, virtually like it's never been used. Comes with a beautiful GoodHiding handmade strap and a soft case. Realistic offers to Steve 01244 345099 / 0775 1521 600 or email me.

2nd September 2010: A lot of new entries from the years 1818-20 have just been added to our Lost Pubs of Chester pages. A fascinating collection of photographs of the old Red Lion Inn in Lower Bridge Street have been added to the gallery. A new page has also been added about Ye Deva Hotel. A couple of photos of old Newtown pubs have been added here.

25th June 2010: Our Northgate Street pages have, regretfully, been updated with some details and pictures of another boil on Chester's beautiful face.

Whether resident or visitor- real or virtual- if you enjoy this online stroll around our beautiful city, consider joining us on one of our year-round real Chester Guided Walks. A new photo and testimonial from a happy client- and Chester resident- was added July 19th 2010...

"Having myself received training as a guide at a World Heritage site in Kingston, Canada, I was recently privileged to participate in a tour that I would have been proud to have delivered. It was an artful balance of informed historical narrative with humour infused in a charming delivery... We are anxious to return to Chester and share this experience with our friends and family. I am confident each new tour will take on its own unique character as it suits the interests of those who participate".
Caroline & Tom Worthy, Kingston, Ontario, Canada May 2009

Get what you deserve! 'GoodHiding'- fine leather products handmade in Chester.

What some of our visitors have said:

6th March 2010: "Congratulations! Your website has been selected and evaluated by a network of subject specialists and included in the Famous Websites resources by FamousWhy.com. It have also been granted with the Famous Website Award, especially for • originality, creativity and vision • fantastic design • excellent structure • user friendliness • professional appearance. More information about the 'Famous Website Award' is available here.

"I have visited your virtual stroll site on many occasions for years and the comprehensive detail is brilliant, there’s some work gone into the site... amazing".
Mark, Holding Lodge and Devonia Lodge Guest Houses, Hoole Road, Chester, December 2009

"Dear Sir, as a student of old London and the British Empire, I applaud your website! It far exceeds any I have seen, and I pour over it constantly. If I am not careful, hours will dwindle away until something interrupts me!
As a entertainer, I have plenty of time to explore your site, and I wanted to take the time to "Thank You" for all your hard work and let you know how much I enjoy it! BRAVO Sir and keep up the great work!
Best Regards,
Dan Rocco, Chicago USA, 8th April 2009 www.DanRoccoMusic.com/new_landing.htm

"Your site is truly wonderful. You do the marvelous old city of Chester full justice with your telling of her tale. Thank you for all that!"
Eric Hall, Philadelphia USA (formerly of Liverpool), February 2007

"My very sincere congratulations on the development and presentation of your fantastically outstanding web site. For the last four hours, tears have stung my eyes at the sight of old familiar places that rekindled half forgotten emotions and memories both sad and happy. I have felt anger too at the vandalism of the developers, aided and abetted by councillors apparently, that have destroyed forever irreplaceable history in the name of progress and the accumulation of wealth. But I mustn’t get political; I really just wish to thank you for a most memorable afternoon, a time that I will no doubt repeat again and again in the future.
It has been thirty seven years since I said goodbye to Blighty, looking back from thirty thousand feet over the English Channel, and strangely since Christmas I have been tentatively formulating plans to return for a short holiday later this year. Deciding on doing a little research I logged onto Chester City Council and I discovered your truly great web site. Thank you".
Allan J Rimmer, Victoria Australia, 5th March 2006

"Hello, I'd just like to congratulate you on being the owner and author of the most wonderful site about Chester which I have encountered. It's bursting with information, images and enthusiasm and is incredibly detailed - fascinating and very useful!
I am a Chester resident myself- in Newton- and have long had an abiding affection for the city. Almost all my holidays have been (voluntarily!) taken within the UK and yet I always return to Chester. Your website reminds me why. It is a valuable resource - I've seen many Chester sites but none have come close.
Kate Fletcher, 29/3/05

"Hello to all who created this page and to those who visit it. Today I was feeling melancholic thinking about the time I spent in Chester, so I decided to find something about it in the web and which was my surprise that I found you. I love Chester even more than my own city, I spent lovely moments there, every winter I was anxiously waiting for summer to come to go to Chester; its roman walls, its fantastic walks all along the river, its roads, its pubs, its parks, its shops, its cinemas where I saw many films, the Cathedral so beautiful, its castle, The Northgate Arena swimming pool, The zoo the best in Europe, its history and architecture, its people…Chester is always busy, many visitors enjoy it during the year. I loved to walk around town and look at everyone while I was waiting for the bus. To those who are going to visit it I assure you l will enjoy it. It is a very beautiful romantic, historic and shopping place.
Thanks for the site, it is a perfect work,
Lola, Madrid, Spain, July 2003.

"Thank you! I studied the Virtual Stroll pages while flying across the Atlantic and you can only imagine how much your information helped me enjoy my first visit to Chester. Walking the wall made a wonderful afternoon primarily because of the history you shared. Really, there were MANY things in your papers that I appreciated. I can't imagine walking the wall without those tips. Thank you again!
Geoff Gould, El Dorado Hills, California USA, June 2002

"I'd like to thank you for your wonderful web site. I discovered it last year while preparing to visit Chester. I actually printed up your guide to the walk around the wall and brought it with me! I am looking forward to revisiting Chester- and spending more time there- with my wife and son at the end of July. Thank you again for your efforts on behalf of your beautiful city and thank you for your wonderful, informative web site!"
John Schulze, San Antonio, Texas USA 6th June 2000

"Our editors have selected your site as one of the best on the Internet when reviewed for quality, accuracy of content, presentation and usability... We know quality is always difficult to accomplish and maintain. Congratulations on being a selected member of the Britannica Internet Guide.
A virtual tour of the Roman and medieval city walls of Chester, England. Offers a detailed history, a description, drawings and photographs of the walls as well as of the buildings and sights of Chester that can be viewed from the walls. Highlights of the tour include the Cathedral, the Castle, the Roman Amphitheatre, and all the wall's gates. Designed for the armchair traveller or for the tourist who is planning a visit to Chester, A Virtual Stroll provides an elegant and engaging history of the city dating from Roman times to the present"
Encyclopaedia Britannica: February 2000

"Your website is wonderful. I have used it to answer various questions and just for interesting facts about the city. I and my colleagues have found it invaluable, very well organised and very easy to find information on it".
Chester Reference Library, Northgate Street Chester, May 2007

"An absolutely brilliant site about Chester and a sterling almost single-handed effort. Well deserving of funding (cos this is the sort of thing that attracts tourists, business etc)"
Review on the Chester Wiki

"This virtual strolling tour around the walls is beautifully photographed, the narration is detailed and interesting, and it doesn't shy away from some of Chester's darker sides. You will be hard pressed to find a more informative, or enjoyable, guide to the city and it's history."
Review on Chester City Council's 'Chester Portal'

Read what other visitors have had to say- some of our most recent letters are here...

Enter Chester: A Virtual Stroll Around the Walls

The above is a 'contents' page to help you find you way around and plan your route. If you're looking for something specific, visiting our index (a work in progress!) first may help- or use Google at the bottom of this page to search either this just site or the entire internet. New material is constantly being added- if you're a regular visitor, you may be viewing a page stored in your browser's cache, so it's worth occasionally hitting the 'reload' button...

Our site relies upon your contributions, corrections and constructive criticism to keep growing and to stay lively, informative and up-to-date. Your comments and questions are very welcome and will always receive a reply- as well as perhaps appearing on our lively reader's letters pages.

We have always provided the site freely, as a gift to our city and our readers. We are, however, finding it increasingly difficult to both feed the kids, pay the bills and find the time to keep the Virtual Stroll and its associated galleries anywhere near as up to date as we'd like (we're thigh-deep in new material waiting to go online even now!) So if you are in a position to offer donations or sponsorship or would like to advertise your business on this, we think the finest of Chester's websites, go here for details. Our Heroes Page is where we list our advertisers and donors!

All of the original photographs- and many of the older ones- on the site are available to purchase as beautiful, handmade prints- far superior to the online images- in a variety of sizes, framed and ready to hang- the perfect gift! We're always happy to undertake commissions too. Call (01244 345099 / 0775 1521 600) or email for details. Visit some of our galleries: Chester | Liverpool | People | Miscellaneous