Information AboutChester |
: ''For the larger local government district, see Chester (district) .'' Chester is the County Town of Cheshire , England . Situated on the River Dee , on the border with Wales , Chester is one of the best-preserved Walled Cities in the United Kingdom . It is the main settlement of the wider Chester District , and has a total population of 80,121. Its name in Welsh is Caer. Chester is perhaps most notable for its successive historic uses and occupations, and the subsequent variety of architectural monuments found within the settlement. The Patron Saint of Chester is Saint Werburgh . The city's motto is 'Antiqui Colant Antiquum Dierum', which translates as 'Let the Ancients worship the Ancient of Days'. The adjective associated with the City is Cestrian. GEOGRAPHY AND ADMINISTRATION The resident population for Chester District in the 2001 Census was 118,210, which represents 17.5% of the Cheshire County total, 1.8% of the North West population. Chester District Council Website. Retrieval Date: 17 July 2007. 77,040 lived in the Greater Chester urban area (65% of the total of Chester District). Population is forecast to grow by 5% in the period of time from 2005 to 2021). Cheshire County Council. Retrieval Date: 17 July 2007. HISTORY See Also: History of Chester The history of Chester extends back nearly two millennia, covering all periods of British history in between then and the present day. The city of Chester was founded as a fort, known as Deva, by the Romans in AD 79, and named after the goddess of the River Dee.Salway, P. (1993) ''The Oxford Illustrated History of Roman Britain''. ISBN: CN 1634 The city was the scene of battles between warring Welsh and Saxon kingdoms throughout the post-Roman years until the Saxons strengthened the fort against raiding Danes. Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, Chester came under the Earl of Chester. It became a centre of the defence against Welsh raiders and a launch point for raids on Ireland. The city grew as a trading port until the power of the Port of Liverpool and "silting up" of the river overtook it. However the city did not decline and during the Georgian and Victorian periods was seen as a place of escape from the more industrial cities of Manchester and Liverpool. Chester City Walls See Also: Chester city walls Chester is renowned in the United Kingdom as the "Walled City". It has the most complete city walls within the UK and they are a Grade I listed building. The first walls date from the Roman times, but they have been replaced, enlarged and repared at various times since then. Chester District Council Website. Retrieval Date: 17 July 2007. PRESENT DAY A considerable amount of land in Chester is owned by . as seen from the famous Grosvenor Bridge spanning the River Dee. ]] In the late 1960s the City authorities realised that new developments were radically altering the look of the City centre. In 1968 Donald Insall published a report in collaboration with the City authorities and central government, which recommended preserving historic buildings and finding new uses for them, rather than simply tearing them down. In 1969 the City Conservation Area was designated. Over the next 20 years the emphasis was placed on saving historic buildings, such as The Falcon Inn, Dutch Houses and Kings Buildings. On January 13 , 2002 , Chester was granted Fairtrade City status. This status was renewed by the Fairtrade Foundation on August 20 , 2003 . Cestrians are often perceived (partly-jokingly) as being 'anti-Welsh' (although many have Welsh ancestors). This is exemplified by the fact that the Town Hall clock does not face west towards Wales (so as not to give the Welsh the "time of day"), and an archaic law which states any Cestrian may shoot a Welshman with a longbow if he loiters within the Walls after sunset when the curfew bell chimes (although this law no-longer offers legal protection against prosecution for murder). However, many Cestrians work and shop in Wales, and Chester shares a radio station with Wrexham , Wales. CHESTER RENAISSANCE In 2007 Chester Council announced a 10 year plan to see Chester become a "must see European destination". At a cost of £1.3 billion it has been nicknamed Chester Renaissance. Chester Renaissance. Retrieval Date: 10 July 2007. There are currently four major developments occurring in Chester. In 2007, the Northgate Development project began. At a cost of £400 million, Chester City Council and developers ING, hope to create a new quarter for Chester. The development will see the demolition of the current market hall, bus station, theatre and NCP car park and the local Northgate Arena leisure centre. In its place will be a new multi-storey car park, bus exchange, performing arts centre, homes, retail space and a flagship department store and a hotel. Northgate Development News. Retrieval Date: 10 July 2007. CULTURE Chester is twinned with the French town of Sens , Loerrach in Germany , Lakewood , Colorado in the United States and Senigallia , Italy . Shopping The city is a popular shopping centre, with its unique 'Rows' or galleries (basically two levels of shops) which date from Medieval times. The city is heavily populated by chain stores both in the centre and on retail parks to the west, and also features two indoor shopping centres, an indoor market and a department store, Browns Of Chester , now absorbed by the Debenhams chain. There are two main indoor shopping centres: The Grosvenor Mall and the Forum (a reference to the City's Roman past). The Forum, which houses stores and the Chester Market, will be demolished in the Northgate Development scheme to make way for new shopping streets, a new indoor market, an enlarged library, a car park and bus station, and a performing arts centre. Arts & Sport In 2007, Chester's cultural sector was going through a major transformation. The , the Chester Midsummer Watch Parade and the Chester Mystery Plays , the latter of which dates from medieval times. Numerous pubs and wine bars, some of which date from medieval times, populate the city. Chester also has some nightclubs, which are soon going to be added to by the development of two new clubs in the next eighteen months. Also to the east side of the city are the UK's largest Zoological Gardens , Chester Zoo . Chester has its own film society. The city features the Grosvenor Museum , which contains exhibitions about the city's Roman past as well as a reconstructed Georgian house. The Dewa Roman Experience, completely dedicated to the city's Roman heritage, is also based in the centre of the city, as is the Chester Heritage Centre and the Cheshire Military Museum. Chester also has it's own roman ghost tour The city has a football team, who play at the County Officers' Club on Plas Newton Lane, and also an American Football team, the Chester Romans , who are part of the British American Football League. The River Dee is also home to several rowing clubs, notably Grosvenor Rowing Club and Royal Chester Rowing Club, as well as two school clubs, 'King's Chester Rowing Club' and 'Queen's Park High Rowing Club'. The weir is regularly used by a number of local canoe and kayak clubs. Each July a charity raft race is held on the River Dee. Chester Golf Club can also be found near the banks of the Dee. Music Britpop band Mansun are probably the most famous band to come from Chester. Forming in 1995 and disbanding in 2003, their most recognised hit was 'Wide Open Space', which peaked at number 15 in the UK charts in 1996. Russ Morgan, a member of notable house music band K-Klass , also hails from Chester. Chester has a brass band that was formed in 1853. It was known as the Blue Coat Band and today as The City of Chester Band. City of Chester Band website. Retrieval Date: 10 July 2007 It is a thriving 3rd section brass band with an active training band and it still wears a blue-jacketed uniform with an image of the famous Eastgate clock on the breast pocket. Media Chester's newspapers are the daily and Chester Standard . Dee 106.3 is the city's own radio station, with Wrexham's Marcher Sound and BBC Radio Merseyside also broadcasting locally. Chester is the city where Channel 4 's soap-opera Hollyoaks is set (although most filming takes place around Liverpool). INDUSTRY The city's main industries are retail, tourism and financial services. Chester's main employer is frozen food company is based in nearby Deeside. Chester has its own University , the University Of Chester , and a major hospital, the Countess Of Chester Hospital , named after the late Diana, Princess Of Wales and Countess of Chester. TRANSPORT of central Chester]] Chester has a Railway Station to the North East of the city centre. Designed by Francis Thompson with an impressive Italianate frontage in 1848, the interior is currently somewhat dilapidated, having lost a roof in the Chester General Rail Crash . Trains go from here along the North Wales Coast Line , as well as to London Euston , Liverpool , Crewe , Manchester Piccadilly , Wrexham General and Shrewsbury . Chester Northgate station closed in 1969, was demolished and is now the site of the Northgate Arena leisure centre. Bus transport in the city is provided by First Group and Arriva , the council owned and operated ChesterBus (formerly Chester City Transport) having been sold to First Group in mid-2007. There are plans to build a new bus exchange in the city as well as a new coach station. The city is also a hub for major roads, including the M53 from Liverpool, the M56 towards Manchester, and the A55 which runs along the North Wales coast to Holyhead .and tha A483 to Wrexham During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Chester had an extensive tram network from Saltney in the west at the Welsh border to Chester General station, Tarvin Road and Great Boughton in the North West. This network featured the narrowest gauge trams (3'6) in mainland Britain, due to an act of Parliament which deemed that they must be "''The least obstructive possible''". The tramway was established in 1871 by Chester Tramways Corporation. At first, the tramway was horse-drawn, although this was replaced by overhead-wired electric in 1903. The tramway was closed like most others in the UK in February, 1930. The only remains are small areas of uncovered track inside the bus depot, a few tram wire supports attached to buildings on Eastgate/Foregate Street and a wire support. RECENT DISCOVERIES Between 14 May 2007 and 6th July 2007 excavations were carried out in Grosvernor Park. The main aim being to find Cholmondeley's lost Mansion, that was demolished in 1867. A number of interesting finds have come to light including : - Plaster work from the mansion ceiling. - Civil War musket balls - Clay Tobacco Pipes (17th - 18th Century) - Clay Tobacco Pipe waster clay from manufacture - A base of a small Roman Statue of Venus - A Roman votive offering in the form of a lead axe head.The Past Uncovered. ''Chester Archaeology Newsletter''. February 2007. ISSN 1364-324xThe Past Uncovered. ''Chester Archaeology Newsletter''. June 2007. ISSN 1364-324x Chester City Council News Item. Retrieval Date: 9 July 2007. CITY AREAS AND SURROUNDING VILLAGES
FAMOUS CESTRIANS
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Image:Curzon Park Chester3JPG
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Curzon_Park" class="copylinks">Curzon Park in Summer (2007) |
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Image:Curzon Park Chester4JPGView Of The
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Roodee" class="copylinks">Roodee and Curzon Park (2007) |
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