Chester Sightseeing Chauffeur for the Walls, Rows and Cathedral
Hiring a Chester sightseeing chauffeur is one of the easiest ways to see a city where Roman, medieval and Victorian history sit within a short walk of each other, without worrying about parking, timings or tired legs at the end of the day. Manner Borne offers a luxury chauffeur service that sets visitors down close to the main sights, waits while they explore on foot and links the city centre with the places just beyond it.
A day out with a Chester sightseeing chauffeur
Chester rewards walking. Much of the historic centre lies inside the city walls, and the best way to experience the Rows, the cathedral and the streets around the Cross is on foot. A car is most useful for the parts in between, such as reaching the walls from a hotel outside the centre, moving from the riverside to the amphitheatre after a long morning, or heading out to an outlet village or a theatre in the evening. The local team behind the chauffeur service Chester residents use knows where a car can stop and where it cannot, which is the key to a smooth day.
Where a car can and cannot set down
The main shopping streets of central Chester, including Bridge Street, Watergate Street, Eastgate Street and Northgate Street, are closed to through traffic for much of the day under Cheshire West and Chester Council’s pedestrianisation rules, with access limited to set loading times and certain permitted vehicles. Rising bollards on Bridge Street mark the edge of the pedestrian area. In practice this means the chauffeur sets passengers down on the edge of the core, close to a gate in the walls or to the street they want to reach, and agrees a collection point for later. For larger groups travelling by coach, the council directs coaches to the Little Roodee car park beside the river.
Walking the city walls
Chester’s walls are the obvious place to begin. Cheshire West and Chester Council describes them as about two miles long and notes that Chester is the only city of those once defended by walls to keep a complete circuit. There is no charge to walk them and they are open all year. A circuit takes in the cathedral, the racecourse and the River Dee, and visitors can step down at any gate, with the car waiting at an agreed point.
The Eastgate Clock and the Rows
The most photographed spot on the walls is the Eastgate, where the ornate clock sits above the gateway on Eastgate Street. It was built to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and officially opened in 1899, to a design by the Chester architect John Douglas. From the walkway above, visitors look straight down onto the Rows, the two-level galleries that run along Watergate Street, Bridge Street and Eastgate Street, as well as part of Northgate Street. Research suggests they date from around the end of the 13th century, and they combine a covered walkway at first-floor level with shops at street level.
Chester Cathedral
A few minutes from the Eastgate, Chester Cathedral is entered from St Werburgh Street. According to Chester Cathedral’s own history, the church of St Werburgh became a Benedictine abbey around 1092, and after the Dissolution of the Monasteries it was established as a cathedral in place of the abbey in 1541. Entry is free for most of the year, with a small charge at certain times, and the central tower can be visited only on a guided tower tour booked in advance.
The Roman Amphitheatre
Just outside the walls on Little St John Street, the Roman Amphitheatre is an English Heritage site, described by the charity as the largest Roman amphitheatre in Britain. It served the legion based at the fortress of Deva for entertainment and military training. The site is free to visit at any reasonable time in daylight, and it is easy for a car to reach, which makes it a natural mid-day collection point.
The Roodee, the River Dee and Grosvenor Park
On the western side of the city, the Roodee is home to Chester Racecourse. The racecourse states that racing began there in 1539 and describes it as the oldest racecourse still in operation in the world. A walk down to the River Dee leads to the riverside and on towards Grosvenor Park, which the council says opened in 1867 to a design by Edward Kemp, with buildings by John Douglas. In summer the park hosts an open air theatre season run by Storyhouse.
Adding Cheshire Oaks to the day
Many visitors combine the city with shopping. The designer outlet at Cheshire Oaks, on Kinsey Road in Ellesmere Port, has more than 150 stores, restaurants and cafés, and is a short drive north of the city. A chauffeured shopping trip to Cheshire Oaks means bags go straight into the car rather than onto a bus, and the morning in Chester and the afternoon at the outlet can be planned as one day.
An evening at Storyhouse
Storyhouse on Hunter Street opened in May 2017 inside the remodelled 1930s Odeon cinema, and it combines a theatre, cinema and library under one roof. Ending a sightseeing day with a performance there is easy to arrange, and the Chester Storyhouse Theatre chauffeur service covers set-down before the show and collection afterwards. For dinner as well as theatre, the Chester evening chauffeur service explains how evening plans are handled.
Arriving by train or from overseas
Visitors arriving by rail can be met on arrival through the Chester train station chauffeur service, which takes them to a hotel or straight to the first sight of the day. Guests travelling from abroad often want a slightly different day, with airport collection, a relaxed pace and time for the city’s landmarks, and the Chester chauffeur service for international visitors sets out how those trips work. For couples and small groups, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class chauffeur option gives a quiet, comfortable base between stops.
Booking your Chester sightseeing chauffeur
Share the places you want to see, the number of guests and any evening plans, and the team will put together a route that fits. Contact us on 01244 455 933 to speak to the Chester office.
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