Duke, King and Goddess

 

 

 

A Gift from a Duke

Edgar's Field was laid out as a public park by the first Duke of Westminster, Hugh Lupus Grosvenor. He presented it to the City of Chester in 1892 as one of the family's many philanthropic activities. The long established name of the area was Kettle's Croft but this was changed to Edgar's Field.

 

 

 

 

 

Named after a King

Tradition has it that the field was the site of King Edgar's palace. Edgar, the great-grandson of Alfred the Great, was King of Wessex and all England. He was crowned in Bath in 973 although he had ascended the throne in 959. Shortly after his coronation he brought his fleet to Chester, then an important port. It is thought that he was rowed up the River Dee by eight British princes to attend a service in St John's Church. This act symbolised their recognition of Edgar as their overlord. It is unlikely that Edgar had a palace here but it may have been the spot from which he was rowed to St John's.

 

Home to a Goddess

In the Park is a Roman shrine to the goddess Minerva. She is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Athena. Minerva was the goddess of wisdom, arts and crafts, and (defensive) war.  She is here because the site was once a Roman quarry and Minerva would have been the patron goddess of those working there. In the Roman world, Minerva was the daughter of Jupiter. One day Jupiter had a headache and his head was split open to relieve the pain. Out jumped Minerva as an adult in armour with her shield and spear.