We’d arranged to take a tour of Chester Cathedral but as this wasn’t scheduled to begin until 11.00 a.m. there was time for a short walk after breakfast. Just along Pepper Street from the Leonardo hotel lies the Roman Gardens which we’d viewed from the city walls but not yet explored.
The gardens were established in 1949 as the city’s contribution to the 1951 Festival of Britain. They contain a series of Roman artefacts discovered throughout the city, including fragments of stonework and murals. The columns from the exercise hall of the Roman bathhouse are on display along with a recreation of a hypocaust, an ancient Roman heating system. Useful information boards explain the significance of the artefacts and it was a tranquil spot for a morning stroll.
It was then just a short walk to Chester Cathedral. This impressive building is an example of several architectural styles. It began life as a Benedictine Abbey in 1093 where the monks built a church in the Norman style.
The Norman influence can still be seen today in the north transept, north tower and parts of the cloister. I always enjoy wandering through a cloister and the one at Chester is beautiful with its leaded glass windows overlooking a lawned inner courtyard. The cathedral was rebuilt from 1250 onwards in a much more dramatic gothic style.
The choir stalls found in the Quire have intricately carved misericords with all kinds of creatures including hounds, angels, dragons and maidens carefully woven into the woodwork.
Unlike many cathedrals up and down the country, Chester offers free admission although donations towards the upkeep of the building are obviously welcome. We did though comes across a very interesting fund raising project for the church. A huge 350,000 piece LEGO recreation of Chester Cathedral has been underway for quite some time and on payment of £1 visitors can add an additional brick to the model.
It was approaching 11.00 a.m. so we made our way back to the visitor desk as we were booked on the Cathedral at Height Tour (£10). I always enjoy taking ‘behind the scenes’ tours of buildings as from these hidden spaces one can learn more about the history of the place than from just the public areas.
There were 11 people on our tour and we followed our guide through a small oak door leading up a narrow winding stone staircase to the top of the cathedral tower. There are a total of 216 steps to the top but it was an easy climb as we stopped frequently to examine carvings and to look at how the church was constructed.
We accessed the former bell ringing room via three separate spiral stairways, narrow passageways and along stone balconies. We were all ready to sit down for a few minutes but my thoughts went to the bell ringers who, after their exertion of climbing the tower had then to pull on the ropes to peal the bells.
Prior to the 1970’s this central tower housed a 29 cwt ring of ten bells with the ringing room positioned directly beneath. However, with costly remedial work needed it was decided to build a separate bell tower in the grounds. This was a controversial decision but over time the tower has blended in with the existing building.
After our short rest, we continued out onto the rooftop 125ft high. The weather was favourable and we spent 10 minutes taking in the views from the summit. From this lookout point we were able to see across the border into Wales and the city centre below.
We took a slightly different route back down and from one of the stone balconies we had spectacular views of almost the entire church. The hour long tour had been very interesting with the time passing by quickly as our guide was clearly passionate about the cathedral and of sharing his knowledge with us.
Leaving there, we caught a bus to another of the city’s top attractions, the famous zoo. Getting there by public transport couldn’t have been easier as both the X1 and No.1 buses run a frequent service to the main entrance of the zoo taking around 15 minutes. If you are travelling by car then there is ample free parking available onsite.
Chester Zoo (standard admission £29.08) opened by George Mottershead and his family in 1931. It is one of the country’s largest zoos covering 125 acres and housing over 7,000 animals covering 500 species. The zoo has its own free smartphone app which includes an interactive map showing your location in the park along with a day planner of activities taking place which we found useful.
It was around 1.15 p.m. when we arrived so we decided to eat lunch first. The zoo has a variety of cafes, kiosks and street food stalls dotted around but The Oakfield a ten minute walk inside the entrance is something special as it is the historic family home of the Mottershead family. Over the years it has also served as the zoo’s head office and as a wedding venue.
This unique British pub is an absolute gem with dining in its old library, and drawing room adorned with family heirlooms and animal paintings. The pub serves a varied menu of high quality dishes using locally sourced produce wherever possible. Our mains of blade of beef and salmon pavé were very flavoursome and well presented. We’d been relatively good in not ordering starters but couldn’t resist the yummy desserts.
There were a good selection of beers on offer and with 50 different gins to choose from, I was well catered for too. Service was friendly and efficient with prices moderate. Attached to the original building is a bright and airy garden room with additional seating leading out onto the terrace for warmer days. It’s a great place to spend an hour or two relaxing over a meal in between viewing the animals.
After our delicious lunch we needed to walk off some calories and what better way than by exploring the zoo on foot. It was a bitterly cold afternoon with a stiff breeze but we were nice and snug with our duvet coats tightly buttoned up. It was fun wandering around and our highlights included viewing the Asian elephants and learning that Chester was in fact the first zoo to breed elephants in the U.K.
The Butterfly House was beautiful with its large and varied collection of butterflies fluttering around. I tried numerous times to take a photo of some of them but they always closed their wings or disappeared just as I pressed the shutter.
The penguin enclosure was very popular and it was fun to watch the endangered Humboldt penguins waddling around on the surface and darting around extremely quickly under water. I was surprised to read that using their flippers they can reach speeds of up to 25 mph.
The zoo is attractively laid out in a landscaped parkland setting with clearly marked paths and slopes that are accessible to all. We viewed so many animals that I couldn’t possibly include them all here but there’s much to interest the entire family from giraffes and lions to chimpanzees, some of which have lived at the zoo for over 30 years.
This brought our weekend in Chester to a close and what a time we’d had from walking along the city walls, taking a leisurely river boat trip, climbing to the top of the cathedral tower and visiting the zoo. It had all be very enjoyable and coupled with a good hotel and some first class places to eat it had turned out to be a perfect city break. After reading this series of posts, I hope I might have inspired some of you to think of visiting Chester too, as I’m certain you would enjoy it just as much as us.
During our stay we were guests of Visit Chester and the Leonardo Hotel and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.
If you have enjoyed reading this post you may also like:
The Lion Salt Works & Anderton Boat Lift, Northwich Cheshire
Port Sunlight & The Ness Gardens, The Wirral
If you use Pinterest please consider sharing and pinning the image below:
Love Travelling Blog 
I never knew Chester had a zoo, looks like a good one too. The cathedral looks beautiful too and a tour would be great to see it looks like a huge cathedral
LikeLiked by 2 people
Chester is a wonderful city to visit for a short break with its city walks, cathedral and impressive zoo. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Going to the zoo is so much fun! It’s been a very long time since I’ve visited one. And I very much love Chester Cathedral, such a stunning building! Thanks so much for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
LikeLiked by 2 people
At Chester, all the animals are well cared for with plenty of space to roam and we enjoyed our visit. Chester Cathedral is stunning and I recommend visiting and taking the tower top tour when you are in the area. Have a good weekend. Marion x
LikeLiked by 2 people
🥰🥰🥰
LikeLiked by 1 person
❤️❤️❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a cathedral!! Thanks for showing me that.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Chester Cathedral is stunning Coral. Hope you get to visit the city sonetime!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Roman Gardens appeal to me as well, Marion as a lovely peaceful place for a morning stroll. I like the way they managed to display the city’s Roman heritage al fresco, and the recreation of a hypocaust is really interesting. The impressive cathedral is a treasure trove of fascinating history, the tour must have been immensely enjoyable. Love the desserts and always prioritise them over appetisers. Thanks for a lovely and insightful presentation of Chester.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you for your welcome thoughts Leighton. The outdoor park setting beside the city walls displaying Chester’s Roman heritage is impressive as is the cathedral. It was a lovely weekend break and I’d happily return to Chester anytime.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow the Chester Cathedral looks magnificent!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Chester cathedral is stunning Allie and taking the tower top tour so interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh the architecture, be still my heart! The cathedral is just an incredible work of art. I love your photo of the cloister with those beautiful windows. And whoever thought to recreate the building in legos deserves an award for that kind of detail and ingenuity! Another wonderful part of Chester to follow along with 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much for your kind words Meg. Visiting Chester Cathedral was beautiful and climbing to the tower top extra special. Recreating the building out of Lego is such a great idea as it not only raises much needed funds for the church upkeep but it’s irresistible to add a piece to the structure! A lovely weekend away in north west England!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like you had a wonderful time in Chester. The Cathedral is gorgeous and how nice that they offer a tour to see some of the hidden spaces and to learn more about the history of the place. I’ve always enjoyed climbing church towers as it’s a great way to get a nice view of the surrounding area.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Linda for you welcome thoughts. It’s well worth the extra cost to take cathedral tower top tours as they lead to fascinating spaces usually hidden from view.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those photos of the cathedral are spectacular and it looks a fun afternoon at the zoo.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The cathedral is spectacular Gwen and the afternoon at the zoo was fun. It’s unusual to find a smart dining pub restaurant in a zoo but it works well there and we enjoyed our lunch!
LikeLiked by 1 person
All sorts of animals get hungry and appreciate gourmet food suitable to their species 🙂 x Gwen
LikeLiked by 1 person
Chester is full of surprises, what a great destination for a short break. Especially for a family like mine with a mix of ages and interests, I’m sure we could find something for all. The tour at the Cathedral looks fabulous, I do think it’s worth paying for a good guide and a peek behind the scenes.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m sure you would all find something of interest to see and do in Chester Helen. It’s a charming, compact city and not so crowded as places like York.
LikeLike
I’d never considered Chester for a city break but wow, that cathedral sold it for me alone! So funny to think of a bell ringer being late for work and having to run up the stairs and straight into pulling the bells lol!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m sure you would enjoy a short break in Chester Becks. It’s a city with so much to offer with its an ancient city walls and Tudor architecture. Thanks for taking the time to comment, it’s much appreciated.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve heard good things about Chester, but I never realized how much of a modest gem it was. Especially Chester Cathedral, wow! Inside and outside, both are absolutely stunning! I also never thought that fine dining and zoos went together, but apparently they do at Chester zoo (that rhymed, haha)! Glad you got to enjoy the tranquility of exploring the zoo (and especially to see penguins, my favorite)!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I do hope you get over to explore Hester for yourself one of these days Rebecca and to take a tour of the cathedral is a must. I’d never associated fine dining with zoos either but it definitely happens at Chester. I thought of you when I went to see the penguins!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Modest gem is a great description! I’d heard of Chester as a day trip destination but didn’t realise how much the place had to offer.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Beautiful historic Cathedral Marion and very interesting sites see. And amazing trees blooming.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Anita. It’s a beautiful city and everywhere looked gorgeous with the spring blooms.
LikeLike
The Lego cathedral is very impressive! I like doing tours of buildings, I find I learn so much more from listening to someone on a tour than if I read plaques and explore on my own.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love taking walking tours and also tours of buildings as they are not a bit boring and I agree with you that so much can be learnt from them. The LEGO construction is such a fun way to raise money for the Cathedral and I’m surprised that I haven’t seen something like it elsewhere. Thanks for commenting Lyssy, it really means a lot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a beautiful cathedral Marion. We always like the tours that take you up to towers or domes for the history and the views. As to appie or dessert, I am with you….dessert every time. Thanks for sharing Marion. Have a great Monday. Allan
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for taking an interest in this post Allan. Climbing to the top of the Chester Cathedral tower was so interesting and helped to walk off our over indulgence at the breakfast buffet. Glad to read that you have a sweet tooth too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
beautiful zoo
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you.
LikeLike
The northwest of England is full of beautiful towns with a lot of history. I need to go to Chester.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for taking an interest in this post. Chester is a lovely town and I hope you get a chance to visit before too long.
LikeLike
Once again, I love that photo of the Cathedral with the trees in full bloom in the foreground! It’s amazing how old the Cathedral is, but still looks so beautifully inside … and what a lovely view from the rooftop (wow, a view al the way into Wales)! Lunch looked great – oh, those desserts – yummy! Marion, did you say 50 different gins … I would probably spent half a day just in this lovely restaurant 😉. And you had some really nice views of BIG animals – elephants, lions, giraffes … lovely to see them and that they are well taken care of.
Thank you for a great tour through Chester – you certainly has put Chester on the map with your great posts and photo’s.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I always find Cathedral rooftop tours interesting as they introduce visitors to so much more of the church, it’s construction and the views. The pub/restaurant in the zoo was unique and not what you might expect to find somewhere like that. Viewing the big animals was fun and hopefully at some point I will be able to see them in their natural habitats. Hope your week goes well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting “behind the scenes” in the cathedral.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s surprising how much more there is to see on these church tower towers and to learn about the construction of the building. Not to mention the splendid views. Thank you for your ever welcome thoughts Sheree, they are much appreciated.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a pleasure. I can see why you get so many invites to visit places.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, I am very lucky indeed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would have loved to go on the cathedral tour. What a lovely place it was to visit. I wonder what the reason was to put such artwork as dragons in a church.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The cathedral behind the scenes tour was splendid Ian. I don’t know the significance of the choir stall carvings but they were very intricate Ian.
LikeLiked by 1 person