Chester is a city in Cheshire, in the heart of the UK about 197 Miles from London. It lies on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales. Chester has a number of medieval buildings, but some of the black-and-white buildings within the city centre are actually Victorian restorations. Chester is one of the best preserved walled cities in the British Isles. Apart from a 100-metre (330 ft) section, the listed Grade I walls are almost complete.

Activities of Interest

From the Cathedral to a River Cruise to Chester Zoo, there are a wealth of activities to keep visitors to Chester occupied. The zoo is home to thousands of rare and exotic species from all over the world, including elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers and monkeys. Take a cruise along the River Dee, an historic tour with a Roman soldier or a culinary journey through 2000 years of local produce. The Grosvenor Shopping Centre and the Chester Market Hall offer something for shoppers and the many bars and restaurants cater for all tastes and budgets.

Getting to Chester

By Road: Chester is linked directly to the national motorway system via the M53 and London and all the major regions of the UK are easily accessible from the City. It is 188 mile from London.

By Rail: Chester is well served by the British Rail Intercity network and enjoys fast frequent rail links to London (just under 3 hours) and major cities in the UK.

By Coach: All National Express services in Chester now depart from Chester Visitor Centre by the Roman Amphitheatre. Chester Visitor Centre is the main ticket agency for National Express in Chester. Main Ticket line 08705 808080

By Air: Chester is well served by airports with Liverpool (30 minutes) and Manchester (40 minutes) from Chester providing both national and international flights.

Chester was founded as a "castrum" or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix in the year 79AD by the Roman Legio II Adiutrix during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian. Chester's four main roads, Eastgate, Northgate, Watergate and Bridge, follow routes laid out at this time – almost 2,000 years ago. One of the three main Roman army bases, Deva later became a major settlement in the Roman province of Britannia. After the Romans left in the 5th century, the Saxons fortified the town against the Danes and gave Chester its name. The patron saint of Chester, Werburgh, is buried in Chester Cathedral.

Chester was one of the last towns in England to fall to the Normans in the Norman conquest of England. William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle, to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border. In 1071 he created Hugh d'Avranches, the 1st Earl of Chester.

Chester: the university

It is one of the oldest English higher education establishments of any kind, pre-dating all but Oxford, Cambridge, London and Durham, and its original buildings in the ancient city of Chester were the first in the country to be purpose-built for the professional training of teachers. Education degrees are now just a small part of the 130 course combinations on offer.

Notable Alumni:

Alan Bleasdale, screenwriter, international rugby union players, John Carleton and Jon Sleightholme, Jon Clarke, international rugby league player, George Courtney, MBE, international football referee, Duffy, singer, Jo Fletcher, international footballers Matt Greenhalgh and Dick Howard, film director and screenwriter, Roderick Hunt MBE, children's author, Helen Jones MP, politician, J. Thomas Looney, devised the Oxfordian theory, James Moore, rugby union player, Tracey Neville, international netball player, Sir Walter Winterbottom, footballer and first manager of the England football team, Rob Wotton, television and radio presenter.