The 20th Legion was charged with suppressed the uprising of the army led by the warrior queen, Boadicea. The Romans constructed high city walls and a massive harbour and the city became an important strategic outpost of the Roman Empire. The Roman walls remain intact and visitors can wall walk around the entire perimeter of the city.
By the Middle Ages, Chester had become an affluent and prosperous port. It was during this time that the most distinctive medieval feature of the city was built… The Rows. These are double-level walkways with a continuous line of balconies and with shops at street and first-floor levels.

By the 15th century, the Dee began to silt up and gradually, the seaborne trade died. Impoverished by this natural action the 1640s brought devastation during the English Civil War, with the city under siege for two years until starvation forced surrender.
Today, Chester is a thriving city and with the Rows, boasts a unique shopping centre in a genuine 'olde worlde' atmosphere of cobbled streets, taverns and inns.