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Can you help? We want your visit to our site to be the best we can make it. However, over the last few days, we seem to be experiencing difficulties with the way pictures are displaying- some images seem to only half load and others don't appear at all. Strangely, some of our visitors are reporting problems such as these while others are experiencing none at all. Unsurprisingly, our domain host and ISP deny any responsibility. If you are experiencing any sort of difficulty viewing our site, such as strange image behaviour or slow loading of pages- or even if everything seems fine- we'd be very grateful if you'd let us know. Many thanks!

6th February 2010: Our popular and ever-growing project, The Lost Pubs of Chester has been greatly expanded from four pages to eight and many more old pubs and their licencees listed. New images have also been added to the lost pubs gallery (and again, 25/2/10). In addition, a new gallery of photographs of the old Northgate Brewery has been added here...
A new gallery has been added: Chester in the Snow and some new pictures have also been added to our main Chester Gallery.

12th January 2010: Calling Chester artists! If you're a serious painter, photographer, sculptor, printmaker- whatever- and are interesting in participating in an exciting new project to get your work seen and really show what our city's creative community is capable of- contact me now! If you're not an artist yourself but would be interested in learning about and supporting such a scheme, I'd love to hear from you too! Call me: Steve Howe, 01244 345099 / 0775 1521 600 / knowhowe@bwpics.co.uk

11th December 2009: Yes, friends, welcome to the city that fancies itself as a 'Capital of Culture' but doesn't even have a theatre or cinema! It's just embarrassing. And once again, planning permission is being sought by Brook Leisure in far-away Doncaster to rip out the interior of Chester's beloved- but outrageously closed- Art Deco, Grade II-listed Odeon Cinema and turn it into yet another nightclub. If, like us, you are sick to death of the hand-wringing, foolishness and philistinism, it is of vital importance that you spare a few minutes to write to the planners (just a few lines will suffice) to say so: Nial Casselden, Development Control, Chester Area Office, Cheshire West & Chester Council, The Forum, Chester CH1 2HS. Or email: nial.casselden@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk. It is important that you quote applications 09/11740/FUL and 11741/LBC.

Some links: our brief illustrated History of the Odeon | Join this campaigning Facebook group which already boasts hundreds of members: The Picture House- Music, Media and Arts Centre for Chester? | Chester's MP, Christine Russell, is leading a campaign to transform the Odeon into what we all want. Contact her here to offer your support: House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA Email: russellcm@parliament.uk | Nag your councillor, write to the local press, do what you can to save the Odeon from the barbarians!

But then, in February 2010, a couple of interesting events occured. Brannigan's night club, housed for the last fifteeen years in another closed-down cinema, closed its doors for the last time, citing increased competition, more late night pub opening and the decline in spending. A complete surprise to almost everyone, this event was doubtlessly noticed with concern by Brook Leisure as, on the 10th February, their application to turn the Odeon into a club was withdrawn. What will all this mean, both for the Odeon and for the ABC, Brannigan's old home? Watch this space...

September 2009: Save Chester History & Heritage! Plenty of money, it seems, for posh new council offices but none, we're told, for one of our city's greatest ambassadors and educators. Don't let the philistines and penny-pinchers close it- kick up a fuss NOW! Some news and opinions regarding the controversial sale of County Hall to the University of Chester and the council's proposed move to the new HQ building is here. This will be expanded upon as time and events allow...

Whether resident or visitor- real or virtual- if you enjoy this online stroll around our beautiful city, consider joining us on one of our year-round real Chester Guided Walks..

"Having myself received training as a guide at a World Heritage site in Kingston, Canada, I was recently privileged to participate in a tour that I would have been proud to have delivered. It was an artful balance of informed historical narrative with humour infused in a charming delivery... We are anxious to return to Chester and share this experience with our friends and family. I am confident each new tour will take on its own unique character as it suits the interests of those who participate".
Caroline & Tom Worthy, Kingston, Ontario, Canada May 2009

In business in Chester? Help support us and do yourself a favour at the same time: advertise to the world on this website!

Get what you deserve! 'GoodHiding'- fine leather products handmade in Chester.

"Hello, I'd just like to congratulate you on being the owner and author of the most wonderful site about Chester which I have encountered. It's bursting with information, images and enthusiasm and is incredibly detailed - fascinating and very useful!
I am a Chester resident myself- in Newton- and have long had an abiding affection for the city. Almost all my holidays have been (voluntarily!) taken within the UK and yet I always return to Chester. Your website reminds me why. It is a valuable resource - I've seen many Chester sites but none have come close.
Kate Fletcher, 29/3/05

"Hello to all who created this page and to those who visit it. Today I was feeling melancholic thinking about the time I spent in Chester, so I decided to find something about it in the web and which was my surprise that I found you. I love Chester even more than my own city, I spent lovely moments there, every winter I was anxiously waiting for summer to come to go to Chester; its roman walls, its fantastic walks all along the river, its roads, its pubs, its parks, its shops, its cinemas where I saw many films, the Cathedral so beautiful, its castle, The Northgate Arena swimming pool, The zoo the best in Europe, its history and architecture, its people…Chester is always busy, many visitors enjoy it during the year. I loved to walk around town and look at everyone while I was waiting for the bus. To those who are going to visit it I assure you l will enjoy it. It is a very beautiful romantic, historic and shopping place.
Thanks for the site, it is a perfect work,
 Lola, Madrid, Spain, July 2003.

"Thank you! I studied the Virtual Stroll pages while flying across the Atlantic and you can only imagine how much your information helped me enjoy my first visit to Chester. Walking the wall made a wonderful afternoon primarily because of the history you shared. Really, there were MANY things in your papers that I appreciated. I can't imagine walking the wall without those tips. Thank you again!
Geoff Gould, El Dorado Hills, California USA, June 2002

"I'd like to thank you for your wonderful web site. I discovered it last year while preparing to visit Chester. I actually printed up your guide to the walk around the wall and brought it with me! I am looking forward to revisiting Chester- and spending more time there- with my wife and son at the end of July. Thank you again for your efforts on behalf of your beautiful city and thank you for your wonderful, informative web site!"
John Schulze, San Antonio, Texas USA 6th June 2000

"Our editors have selected your site as one of the best on the Internet when reviewed for quality, accuracy of content, presentation and usability... We know quality is always difficult to accomplish and maintain. Congratulations on being a selected member of the Britannica Internet Guide.
A virtual tour of the Roman and medieval city walls of Chester, England. Offers a detailed history, a description, drawings and photographs of the walls as well as of the buildings and sights of Chester that can be viewed from the walls. Highlights of the tour include the Cathedral, the Castle, the Roman Amphitheatre, and all the wall's gates. Designed for the armchair traveller or for the tourist who is planning a visit to Chester, A Virtual Stroll provides an elegant and engaging history of the city dating from Roman times to the present"
Encyclopaedia Britannica: February 2000

"Your website is wonderful. I have used it to answer various questions and just for interesting facts about the city. I and my colleagues have found it invaluable, very well organised and very easy to find information on it".
Chester Reference Library, Northgate Street Chester, May 2007

"An absolutely brilliant site about Chester and a sterling almost single-handed effort. Well deserving of funding (cos this is the sort of thing that attracts tourists, business etc)"
Review on the Chester Wiki

"This virtual strolling tour around the walls is beautifully photographed, the narration is detailed and interesting, and it doesn't shy away from some of Chester's darker sides. You will be hard pressed to find a more informative, or enjoyable, guide to the city and it's history."
Review on Chester City Council's 'Chester Portal'

Read what other visitors have had to say- some of our most recent letters are here...

The above is a 'contents' page to help you find you way around and plan your route. If you're looking for something specific, visiting our index (a work in progress!) first may help- or use Google at the bottom of this page to search either this just site or the entire internet. New material is constantly being added- if you're a regular visitor, you may be viewing a page stored in your browser's cache, so it's worth occasionally hitting the 'reload' button...

Our site relies upon your contributions, corrections and constructive criticism to keep growing and to stay lively, informative and up-to-date. Your comments and questions are very welcome and will always receive a reply- as well as perhaps appearing on our lively reader's letters pages.

We have always provided the site freely, as a gift to our city and our readers. We are, however, finding it increasingly difficult to both feed the kids, pay the bills and find the time to keep the Virtual Stroll and its associated galleries anywhere near as up to date as we'd like (we're thigh-deep in new material waiting to go online even now!) So if you are in a position to offer donations or sponsorship or would like to advertise your business on this, we think the finest of Chester's websites, go here for details. Our Heroes Page is where we list our advertisers and donors!

All of the original photographs- and many of the older ones- on the site are available to purchase as beautiful, handmade prints- far superior to the online images- in a variety of sizes, framed and ready to hang- the perfect gift! We're always happy to undertake commissions too. Call (01244 345099 / 0775 1521 600) or email for details. Visit some of our galleries: Chester | Liverpool | People | Miscellaneous