Saturday, 3rd May
We’re off to Chester today. The City Walls, the Cathedral, a Boat Trip and the Roman Amphitheatre are on the list. However, the biting wind was to make the day feel a lot chillier than the above chart suggests and so we limited our explorations!
9.35am: We left just after 9.30 and drove the short distance to Upton Park ‘n’ Ride (next door to Chester Zoo) aka ‘PR3’ and were soon parting with our £2.50 each to get us into the City. Again, like yesterday in Bromborough, car-parking was free! 🙂
A Wander around the Shopping area…
10.40am: It was only about 15 minutes by Bus and we were soon getting our bearings, having last visited here in 2010. More pedestrianisation, more buses and more people – that’s a good sign, surely!?
It was good to see a shopping area thriving! Yes, OK, it was a Bank Holiday and maybe that was a factor, but all the shops seemed to be enjoying plenty of business! 👍. The death of the high street has been greatly exaggerated (well, at least here in Chester!).
Chester Cathedral…
11.10am: Opened in 1541, Chester Cathedral is formerly the Abbey Church of a Benedictine Monastery, so it’s seen a lot of religion in its near 500-year existence. Currently, entry was free, but as is the way these days, there were plenty of people on hand to encourage a minimum donation (£5, at the time of writing). Structurally, it’s a mix of Gothic architecture, Romanesque architecture and English Gothic architecture and was once Roman catholic but has now ‘changed ends’ and is now C of E.
Inside, it was very Tardis-like and felt much bigger, extending in every direction. It was colourful too, with subtle use of decorative lighting to emphasise certain features.
Perhaps what else made the interior unusual were the large mosaic panels along one wall. They depict the telling of pivotal Bible stories and were designed by J. R. Clayton of Clayton and Bell, dating from 1883 to 1886.
11.20am: Even the Café was massive compared with most Cathedrals! (Well, it would have been rude not to test it out!) 🙂
11.25am: Back outside in the fresh air, the weather had failed to get any warmer, and so we called off the wander around the City Walls and the threatened promised Boat Trip. Both for another day, when it’s at least 10 degrees warmer. As a substitute, we headed for Chester’s famous Roman Amphitheatre. Phew! 😉
Roman Amphitheatre
11.45am: There have been TWO Amphitheatres on this site. The first dates back to AD80 whilst the second, larger affair, was constructed during the 3rd Century. Currently, what remains is the largest in Britain and is looked after by English Heritage. It’s free to look around, but in truth, there’s not much to see here. 🤔
1.22pm: The weather was cooling down further with the now familiar, biting wind. We wandered back to the bus-stop that would take us back to the Park ‘n’ Ride and then the Hotel.
It had been a slightly shorter day than we planned due mostly to the slightly disappointing weather, but I think we made the most of it.
Tomorrow…
We’re off to see Nephew, Oli, playing in concert at the Tung Auditorium in Liverpool as a member of the University of Liverpool Symphony Orchestra.
I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!
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