A Chester Adventure: The Blessington Dolls Storybook Trail

Chester is a Roman-walled wonderland, where every corner has a captivating tale to tell. On this walking tour through its cobbled streets, you’ll discover the real history behind the places in the story of The Blessington Dolls.

On this fun-filled walking tour through my home-sweet-home, I’ll show you a few of Chester’s most famous landmarks and tell you all about how stories are made. But also get ready for some wacky, wonderful stories you won’t hear anywhere else! Whether you’re a kid with a wild imagination or an adult who’s young at heart, this enchanting journey is designed for all ages to enjoy.

Your amazing adventure begins at the Chester Visitor Information Centre where you can grab a souvenir, like a copy of Smelly Stories of Giants, Goblins, and Nincompoops, a fun-filled book packed with tales of Chester’s wacky past. After that, it's off to the Chester High Cross, which has been standing in front of St Peter’s Church since its restoration in 1975, close to its original 14th-century location. Who knows what secrets it might reveal?

Here are some of the adventures you can look forward to along the way:

• Exploring 53 Lower Bridge Street, the former Dollectable Antique Doll shop—a genuine doll shop which closed its doors in 2024, reminiscent of the one depicted in The Blessington Dolls, and hearing the magical story of a clever dollmaker who made dancing dolls which accidentally brought their owners lots of money
• Seeing the Three Old Arches on Bridge Street, the oldest shop front in the whole country
• Pondering the mystery of the 700-year-old half-timbered shopping galleries known as ‘The Rows’
• Listening to the smashing tale of how Chester High Cross got wrecked during a big fight called the Civil War in 1646
• Visiting a real haunted pub, Ye Olde Kings Head Chester, home to one of the UK’s spookiest items
• Imagining a dapper Duke who made gloves and owned loads of land walking down the cobbled streets, his pockets jingling with coins
• Crossing snazzy and ancient bridges that are older than your grandma’s grandma, like Bridgegate, a medieval gateway to the city that was part of Chester’s Roman walls
• Spotting the magical goddess, Minerva, who’s been guarding the old Roman road to the fortress of Deva for centuries!
• Learning the secret to having a never-ending well of story ideas, and turning real history into a magical adventure of your own

Our walk ends at The Groves, an enchanting riverside walkway nestled between the Old Dee Bridge and Grosvenor Park. Here, at the bandstand, we reach the grand finale of our story, where Victorian folks tapping their toes to the tunes of yesteryear couldn’t feel more real! Get ready to dance, laugh, and have loads of fun!

By the end of this 90-minute journey, you’ll have discovered the wild, wacky, and wonderful stories that make Chester unlike anywhere else – and some of its quirky history. You’ll also be even more skilled at telling creative stories.

There are cafes, restaurants, and pubs galore along the way, so whether you want a quick snack or a marathon meal, we’ve got you covered.