Heritage Trails

Chester has a number of fascinating walks and tours.  Here are some self guided trails which help explain the city's heritage. It is intended that more trails will be added to this page. Click on the links below to enter the trail.

• Chester City Walls Trail
• Riverside Promenade Trail
• Canal Towpath Trail
• Discover Edgar's Field
• Chester Millennium Trail
• The Public Art Trail

 

Heritage Open Days (HODs) 2008

This year Heritage Open Days takes place 11th to 14th September.

In Chester it celebrates ‘40 Years of Conservation’. In 1968, conservation architect Donald Insall produced a groundbreaking report ‘Chester a Study in Conservation’. This set out the importance of reconciling the city's architectural heritage with the demands of the 20th century and the way forward for the care and protection of Chester's historic and distinctive city centre. One result was the creation of a conservation area covering the city centre together with action areas to restore streetscapes and buildings such as in Lower Bridge Street.

Heritage Open Days celebrates our architecture and culture by allowing free access to interesting properties, as well as a series of free tours, events, and other activities. It is organised by Chester City Council in association with the Chester Civic Trust and Tarvin Civic Trust, and a large number of building owners and volunteers.

The buildings that you will see this weekend are a testament to the Insall Report. It opened our eyes to what makes Chester truly distinctive – to be valued by residents and visitors alike. Without it Chester would have been a very different place today.

For more information on open buildings, guided tours and other events visit  Chester's Heritage Open Days 2008

Chester Heritage Briefings

These heritage briefings (in PDF format) are documents which have been produced by Chester City Council from time-to-time for certain sites in Chester that have been, or are, subject to regeneration or similar projects.

These notes may, for example, be of use if you are a student studying the history of the city or otherwise have an interest in Chester's local history and its natural heritage.

• Chester Lead Works
• George Street Pocket Park

For further information on Chester history and heritage why not explore the various heritage trails or visit Chester History and Heritage or the Grosvenor Museum.

There is also a range of Sightseeing Tours where you will be taken around the city with an official guide. To find out more about the different guided walks and how to book click on the link below.