Cheshire Tourist Guide - Articles
The County of Cheshire
There are places in the county of Cheshire that are very glamorous and great fun, but this is a county of real substance too. Its history – 2000 years of it – is real and evident. Amid the glamorous shops and daily bustle of life in the great heritage city of Chester, the Roman amphitheatre, the Norman cathedral, the Medieval streets and city walls stand as proud and cherished landmarks of our history, preserved with passion.
Take a look at the historic houses and gardens in their gorgeous country settings. The County of Cheshire is home to some of Britain's best gardens and they come in every conceivable shape and size. Explore the country villages and historic market towns of Cheshire's rich farmlands and discover the long tradition of rural like that still thrives. Take to the higher ground of the Peak District for some serious walking and you'll find a rugged and unpretentious charm – as well as a bird's eye view of Cheshire in all its glory, spread out across the Plain.
The county of Cheshire capital, Chester, is by far the most interesting place to visit, in a mixed bag of country side. The Wirral Peninsula with its estuary views is home to the prestigious Lady Lever Art Gallery and Ness Gardens. East of Chester, the plain may reveal hidden pleasures at snail’s pace on minor roads, Knutsford is a pleasant town amid a few attractions.
Chester, with its city walls, medieval Rows, Boat trips on the Dee and picturesquely crumbling cathedral, has been attracting visitors since the 18th century, when its medieval gates were demolished and replaced by ornamental stone bridges to create a promenade around the walls. Chester was a favourite of visiting Americans in the 19th Century, first stop after Liverpool. In November 1856, Herman Melville was taken around the walls by fellow-novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne, who describes their walk in his English notebooks in over-enthusiastic detail. Henry James visited in 1872, and was delighted by the ‘perfect feast of crookedness’ of the medieval town.
Cheshire, the region the Roman legionary fort 'Deva' controlled at the end of the 1st century AD when Deva was the biggest permanent legion of them all. The estuary of the Dee lapped the fort, so troops could be moved fast by sea, and Roam roads shot out south to London, north to York and east to the Wirral. In the Middle Ages much of the Roman fort and town remained in tack. All that is left now are four streets and one or two impressive chunks of masonry in the walls.
Take a look at the historic houses and gardens in their gorgeous country settings. The County of Cheshire is home to some of Britain's best gardens and they come in every conceivable shape and size. Explore the country villages and historic market towns of Cheshire's rich farmlands and discover the long tradition of rural like that still thrives. Take to the higher ground of the Peak District for some serious walking and you'll find a rugged and unpretentious charm – as well as a bird's eye view of Cheshire in all its glory, spread out across the Plain.
The county of Cheshire capital, Chester, is by far the most interesting place to visit, in a mixed bag of country side. The Wirral Peninsula with its estuary views is home to the prestigious Lady Lever Art Gallery and Ness Gardens. East of Chester, the plain may reveal hidden pleasures at snail’s pace on minor roads, Knutsford is a pleasant town amid a few attractions.
Chester, with its city walls, medieval Rows, Boat trips on the Dee and picturesquely crumbling cathedral, has been attracting visitors since the 18th century, when its medieval gates were demolished and replaced by ornamental stone bridges to create a promenade around the walls. Chester was a favourite of visiting Americans in the 19th Century, first stop after Liverpool. In November 1856, Herman Melville was taken around the walls by fellow-novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne, who describes their walk in his English notebooks in over-enthusiastic detail. Henry James visited in 1872, and was delighted by the ‘perfect feast of crookedness’ of the medieval town.
Cheshire, the region the Roman legionary fort 'Deva' controlled at the end of the 1st century AD when Deva was the biggest permanent legion of them all. The estuary of the Dee lapped the fort, so troops could be moved fast by sea, and Roam roads shot out south to London, north to York and east to the Wirral. In the Middle Ages much of the Roman fort and town remained in tack. All that is left now are four streets and one or two impressive chunks of masonry in the walls.