Chester Children's Tour: From Romans to Knights
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Have you ever wanted to time travel? On this walking tour through Chester, you’ll do just that. You’ll trace Chester’s rich history from Roman occupation to the medieval period, meeting some of its past inhabitants.
The tour starts in Handbridge, at the Goddess Minerva’s Shrine, before heading across the Old Dee Bridge to Chester’s Roman Amphitheatre, the largest of its kind in Britain.
You’ll wind your way past Queen Aethelflaed’s city walls and into Viking territory. From there, you’ll explore the former priory land that brought Chester its wealth, before finishing the tour by Chester High Cross.
Along the way, you’ll meet a second legion Roman soldier, a local slave, and a visiting gladiatrix at Castra Dewa, Chester’s old Roman fort. Then, join a Saxon queen and a Viking warlord who’s been warring in the burh of Legecaester (the defensive town of Chester). You’ll also encounter an abbess of St Mary’s Nunnery and a knight of Cestrie (Chester).
On this 90-minute Chester tour, you’ll have a chance to:
- Walk past ancient ruins in Chester Roman Gardens
- Hear Chester’s old residents talking about their city and their everyday lives, thanks to a range of voice actors
- See the largest collection of Roman tombstones in the UK at the Grosvenor Museum
- Discover the oldest shop frontage in England
- Get the inside scoop on how the city has evolved bit by bit over the centuries
- Time-travel through thirteen hundred years of history
- See the only surviving galleried medieval shops in Europe
Will you be able to get to grips with time travel software? More importantly, who can you trust to guide you safely through your journey? Look no further!
Join us on Chester’s first children’s audio tour and let the past come to life in an exciting new way. Love History? So do we!
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Live History
Live History offers immersive, interactive history for everyone, from day trippers to academics. In addition to Tudor school workshops and heritage fundraising events, our staff can be hired as researchers, writers, historical consultants, school workshop providers, tour guides, actors and event comperes. From Roman gladiators to Victorian pawnbrokers, people can meet historical characters on whistle stop Family Tours in Lancaster and Chester, which offer two thousand years in just sixty minutes. Explore Chester's architecture with Tudor bricklayer Myles Mason, Lancaster's entertainment with Georgian coachman Johnny Eccleston or...try one of our self-guided audio tours with Voice Map (downloadable from our website www.livehistory.co.uk). Experience the past with Live History!
Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 19
Southern Wall (Saxon/Viking) - Queen/Warlord
"Faeder ure, pu pe eart on heofonum, si pin nama gehalgod"
Me no speakey!
"Ingimundr, what brings you to Legecaestir's gates?"
"Gef oss I dag Legecaestir!"
Me no speakey!
"...For we wish to negotiate terms f... Read More
View locations and route
How VoiceMap Works
Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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Goddess Minerva's Shrine
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Edgar’s Field Park
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The Ship Inn
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River Dee Banks
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Old Dee Bridge
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The Cafe at The Walls
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City Walls
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The Groves
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Wishing Steps
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Chester Boat Hire
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Hickory's Smokehouse Chester
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Chester Roman Gardens
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The Newgate
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Pepper Street
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Chester Roman Amphitheatre
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Roman Amphitheatre
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Parish Church of St John the Baptist
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Little St John Street
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Off The Wall Chester
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Roman South East Corner Tower
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Newgate Street
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Chef's Table
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Sick To Death
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Lower Bridge Street
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Ye Olde King's Head Hotel
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The Chester Townhouse
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St Olave's Church
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Castle Street
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The Brewery Tap
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Kings Head Chester
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Golden Eagle Pub
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Grosvenor Roundabout
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Statue of Queen Victoria
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Chester Castle
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Grosvenor Road
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The Grosvenor Museum
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Roman Tours
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The Saddle Inn
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Grosvenor Place Guest House
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The Love Shack
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The Falcon
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White Friars
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Chester Model Centre
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Three Old Arches
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Breakout Chester
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Ancient World
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Pierpoint Lane
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Deva Roman Experience
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Rainbow Tea Rooms
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Commonhall Street
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Suzie K
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Lowe & Sons
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The York Roast Co.
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Bridge Street
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Chester Cross
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The Victoria
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Watergate Street
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The Cheese Wedge
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Katie's Tea Rooms
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Watergates Bar
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Moor Hall Antiques
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Bishop Lloyds Palace
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The Guild Chester
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Ye Old Custom House
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Upstairs At The Grill
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Stanley Palace
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St. Peter's Church At The Cross
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The Commercial Bar & Hotel
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start locationEdgar Pl, Handbridge, Chester CH4 7JY, UK
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Total distance2km
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Final location46 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LA, UK
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Distance back to start location681.88m
Directions to Starting Point
Start: Edgar Pl, Handbridge, Chester CH4 7JY, United Kingdom
The tour starts in front of the Minerva Shrine in Edgar's Field, Handbridge - a grade I listed monument that often gets missed in local tours.
Chester has a number of accessible council-owned car parks in the city centre or off-street parking if you don't mind the walk in.
We would advise parking in Chester, at somewhere such as the Little Roodee Car Park as opposed to in Handbridge as, despite starting there, the tour will end in Chester city centre.
From the Little Roodee Car Park, you can get to Handbridge by turning right out of the entrance, keeping the River Dee on your right and then turning right over the old Dee Bridge to get into Handbridge (you'll be coming back over this bridge during the course of the tour).
Show Directions
Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
Chester has a variety of cafes (Huxleys, Eastgate Street; Bridge Cafe & Bistro; Bridge Street or Katie's Tearooms, Watergate Street), pubs (The King's Head or The Brewery Tap, both on Lower Bridge Street) and restaurants (Hamayuu, Watergate Street or La Fattoria, Lower Bridge Street) to choose from if you need a break from the tour at any point. Storeyhouse is a great venue for stage shows but needs to be booked in advance. For those history-lovers, there is the Grosvenor Museum, Chester Cathedral and Chester Castle, however it is advised that you check individual opening days/times for particular tourist attractions in advance, which may change seasonally and in accordance with staffing. Other attractions also include the Dewa Discovery Centre and Sick To Death.
Best time of day
For those wishing to visit city museums then it is advised to check opening times in advance. Chester is generally quite well lit at night but, for access reasons (the Roman Gardens, for instance, are locked each evening), it is advised that this family-friendly tour is conducted during the day and always with the supervision of a parent/guardian.
Precautions
During winter, access to certain public spaces may be restricted. It is advised that you wear sensible footwear for walking and, be warned, that the city is uneven in places - take care if you struggle walking or if you are in a wheelchair (it is advised that those unable to access the walls take the alternative route round). There are also cobbles, uneven surfaces and some of the pathways are narrower than others so please take care as you walk. It is advised that you do this tour with family or as part of a large group, sticking to well-lit areas during the daytime.
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