Chester City Walls

The most complete Roman and medieval city walls in Britain — a 2-mile circuit

The city walls of Chester form a near-complete circuit of roughly two miles, making them the most intact Roman and medieval walls in Britain. The walk takes about an hour at a comfortable pace, passing through a complete cross-section of Chester's history: Roman towers, medieval gates, Victorian renovations, and — on the north and east sections — sweeping views over the racecourse and the River Dee.

Start at the Eastgate, where a Victorian clock arch spans the main road into the city, and walk in either direction. The Northgate section gives the best views and passes the corner tower (King Charles's Tower) from which, according to tradition, Charles I watched his army defeated at the Battle of Rowton Moor in 1645. The walls are free to walk at any time and are well maintained throughout.

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The walls were built by the Romans as the defences of Deva Victrix, their legionary fortress. They were substantially rebuilt in the medieval period but follow almost exactly the same line as the original Roman circuit — making Chester one of the few places in Britain where you can walk the route the Roman legionaries patrolled. The red sandstone from which most of the walls are built comes from local quarries and gives Chester its distinctive warm colour.

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