This post will share how to share 24 hours in Chester.
I took a day trip to Chester about a week ago to officially kick off my 2021 summer bucket list.
For those who are new here, I live in England, and we still have really tight travel restrictions.
So, for now, we can’t really take international trips because we have a minimal list of countries we can go to without quarantine.
After being on lockdown for over a year and almost losing my mind, I decided that I was going to take trips around England until we were able to travel again.
So, after spending my birthday in York about two weeks ago, I drew up a list of cities I could visit on day trips.
To begin with, the North of England. While I’ve been to Leeds, Blackpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Manchester, where I reside, I still want to cover a few places before the end of the Summer.
Getting To Chester from Manchester
The beauty of visiting neighbouring cities in the North of England is that they’re usually about an hour away.
In fact, that’s my primary motivation for staying around the North.
Anything more than two hours on a train exhausts me, so I hardly go to London except when necessary.
As I typically do with my day trips, I went to National Express and Trainline to compare prices and pick the cheapest option and shortest distance.
For less than £15, I got a return train ticket to Chester via Manchester Victoria.
The journey took about an hour, and before noon, I arrived at Chester Train Station ready to explore.
Here’s How To Spend 24 Hours In Chester
Like York, the city of Chester was founded by the Romans as a fort as early as AD 79.
According to Wikipedia, It was initially used as a battleground between warring Welsh and Saxon kingdoms throughout the post-Roman years.
The city also grew as a trading port until the Port of Liverpool overtook it.
Over time, it has become a place of escape from busy and industrious cities like Manchester and Liverpool. Read more about Chester’s history.
Like most cities in the UK, Chester has a lot of history.
So it’s helpful to trace it to better understand the city during exploration.
So, if you want to visit Chester for a day, here is a walking tour of mostly free things you can do.
Take photos by the iconic Eastgate Clock.
Once I arrived at Chester Train Station, I walked to the city centre while marvelling at the architecture and taking landscape photos.
Check out my Unsplash account for more images.
Even without checking my itinerary, I found the Eastgate Clock, the first attraction I visited.
It was in the middle of the city centre, completely unmissable.
Of course, I had to climb in and take photos.
Unfortunately, this was when I found out that I had left my phone mount at home.
Imagine bringing a tripod without a phone mount. I was so sad.
Plus, I couldn’t for the life of me find anyone to take photos of me, so I just kept moving.
Fun Fact: The Eastgate Clock was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee of 1897.
If you want to walk through the Chester City Walls, you can start from this point.
In fact, it is advisable to take the City Walls Trail and get it over and done with.
After missing out on York’s City Walls, there’s no way I would miss Chesters for anything.
Visit the Chester Cathedral
If you postpone the City Wall Trail a little longer and go through the Northgate like I did, you might tick some attractions off your itinerary.
The Chester Cathedral was built in 907 and rebuilt about three times during this time.
The current structure and design have been maintained since 1250.
I think there was a service going on when I got there.
Otherwise, you are entirely free to enter.
Stop by the Chester Town Hall.
There’s nothing I love more than iconic town halls with impressive architecture.
While this was closed due to COVID, it’s nice to appreciate the grey and red sandstone Gothic-style Town Hall with its tower and spire rising to 160 feet.
Don’t forget to grab a couple of souvenirs from the Chester Visitor Information Centre.
For some reason, there was a scarcity of roadside souvenir shops in Chester.
See a movie or relax at Storyhouse
Ideally, this should be your last stop before your train back.
This way, you can relax with a movie or meal or visit the library after a long day of walking around the city.
But because this post is a walking tour and Storyhouse is along the way, you cannot skip it without messing it up.
So remember that you can always go back or stop right there—whatever works for you.
Climb the Chester City Walls
This was quickly one of the highlights of my trip to Chester.
As I unknowingly forgot to climb the York City Walls, I somehow had to make up for it.
While the experience was exhilarating but slightly scary because I’m not great at heights.
Whenever I thought I would fall off, I had to remind myself how old those stone city walls were.
They might look crooked and disjointed in some areas, but that doesn’t detract from how resilient the walls are.
Remember, Chester was founded as a fort, so you can see the Norman defences, Roman fortifications/walls, Chester Castle, and the city gates.
These include the Pemberton’s Parlour, The Water Tower, Bonewaldesthorne’s Tower, North-West Angle Tower and King Charles Tower.
The best thing about this trail is the breathtaking city views. I had a lot of fun taking pictures.
Check out this virtual stroll around the city walls if you can’t reach Chester.
Watch a show at Grosvenor Park Open Theatre.
One of the great things about Summer in England is the events and festivals across the country.
If you want to catch an event at Grosvenor Park Open Theatre, plan your trip to fall on any of those dates.
Check their website for more details on Summer events,
Take a walk down the Queens Park Bridge
If you need a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, you’ll enjoy this peaceful walk down the Queens Park Bridge with scenic views.
This picturesque bridge, suspended across the River Dee, was built in 1852.
It’s the perfect spot to relax and enjoy the weather, especially during the Summer.
I honestly cannot wait to go back and take more pictures.
Take a Boat Ride via the Chester Boat
If walking through the Queens Park Bridge is not enough, you can hire a boat just by the shore.
Remember, the bridge is suspended above a river, so the best way to enjoy the scenic views thoroughly is to hire a boat.
For less than £10, you can sail across the River Dee for thirty minutes.
Yeah, I’m going back to Chester specifically for this boat ride. Make sure you book your tickets online, as they’re usually cheaper.
Stop by the Parish Cathedral Church of St. John the Baptist
If you have noticed, I haven’t listed any museums so far.
This is because they were all closed at the time I visited.
But for some reason, the cathedrals were open.
Unlike the York Minister, you don’t have to pre-book before entering.
You can just walk in and join a service if you want.
This is a sandstone Anglican church that dates back to the 11th century.
Explore the Roman Amphitheatre
Just opposite the Parish cathedral Church of St. John the Baptist are the iconic ruins of Britain’s largest Roman amphitheatre.
Built in the late first century AD, it was used both for entertainment and for practising troop manoeuvres and weapon training.
Read more about the history of the Roman Amphitheatre.
Although it was mostly ruins, as far as I know, it was open and free to the public.
You could clearly see a few people stopping by and marvelling at the history right in front of their eyes.
While a couple of people sat on the grass, many kids listened to a tour guide dressed in Roman attire, who was most likely narrating the amphitheatre’s history.
Talk about a walk around the Roman Gardens.
A stone’s throw from the Roman amphitheatre is the iconic Roman Gardens.
This is also another surprisingly free-to-enter park and garden.
It was constructed in 1949 by Graham Webster, then curator of the Grosvenor Museum, and Charles Greenwood to display building fragments from the Roman legionary fortress of Deva, including pieces from some of the most essential military buildings, the main baths, the legionary headquarters, and general artefacts found throughout the city.
Think of it as a garden-style outdoor museum. Read more about the history of the Roman Gardens.
Again, I’m suprised that it is free to the public.
You can just walk in, take a nice walk, have a snack, and enjoy the scenery.
I managed to get a few pictures taken by a stranger, but they were not my favourites.
Shop or Grab a Bite at the Grosvenor Shopping Centre
During a day trip, factoring in your meal breaks is essential.
It’s so easy to walk all day and forget to have a lunch break.
Sometimes, I do until I really get hungry, at which point I’m forced to stop and take a break.
If you’re a foodie, you can try out any restaurants that appeal to you.
Otherwise, fast food always works.
Don’t worry; you’ll probably burn off the calories from walking around the city.
The shops in this shopping centre are mostly clothing, accessories and electronic stores, with a few coffee shops.
Visit the Sick To Death
If you’re curious about the gory history of medicine and how we have survived various pandemics and plagues throughout history, you’ll find Sick to Death fascinating.
Unlike the rest of the attractions, you’ll have to book your slot for a self-guided tour for £6.
Pick a few things at Chester Market.
By the time I got to Chester Market at the end of the day, the stalls have all closed.
So I couldn’t really grab anything. If shopping is one of your goals on day trips, you have to prioritize it first.
Otherwise, by the time you’re done exploring the city and back, they would have closed.
This is England. These markets close at 5 p.m.
Funny enough, this is precisely the same thing that happened to me at the Shambles Market in York.
As a travel blogger, shopping isn’t my priority, so I’m not so bothered by whether I get anything.
My goal is to be able to visit and document as many attractions as possible.
In Conclusion,
Yes, I’m sure you noticed I didn’t bother going to the Chester Zoo.
That’s a trip for another day.
There’s no way I could have squeezed that in one day.
As you can see, Chester packs quite a punch. I love how lowkey it is.
This way, most attractions remain free for the public.
Obviously, the more popular a city is with tourists, the less free the attractions are.
I hope you have found this list of things to do when you spend 24 hours in Chester as applicable as I did.
A note of warning: there are quite a lot senior citizens in Chester.
You’ll find them everywhere particularly taking a nice walk along the Chester City Walls.
There’s nothing like ageing gracefully in a calm scene city.
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