Chester city walls
Encyclopedia
.
Chester city walls consist of a defensive structure built to protect the city of Chester
in Cheshire
, England. Their construction was started by the Romans
when they established the fortress
of Deva Victrix
between 70 and 80 AD
. It originated with a rampart of earth and turf surmounted by a wooden palisade
. From about 100 AD they were reconstructed using sandstone
, but were not completed until over 100 years later. Following the Roman occupation nothing is known about the condition of the walls until Æthelflæd refounded Chester as a burgh
in 907. The defences were improved, although the precise nature of the improvement is not known. After the Norman conquest
, the walls were extended to the west and the south to form a complete circuit of the medieval
city. The circuit was probably complete by the middle of the 12th century.
Maintenance of the structure of the walls was an ongoing concern. They were further fortified before the Civil War
, and were damaged during the war. Following this they ceased to have a defensive purpose, and were developed for leisure and recreation. The walls are now a major tourist attraction, and form an almost complete circuit of the former medieval city, providing a walkway of about 2 miles (3.2 km). Upkeep and repair of the walls continues to be a problem.
In about 74 or 75 AD the Roman legion
Legio II Adiutrix
established a fortress in Chester. The fortress was initially defended by an earth rampart surmounted by a wooden palisade and surrounded by a ditch with a sharp V-shaped profile. It is likely that the rampart was about 3 metres high on a base of about 6 metres. The earth for the rampart was obtained from digging the ditch. It was set on a base of logs and held together by branches and brushwood. At intervals of about 50 metres along the ramparts were wooden towers with a square base of about 4.5 metres; they were probably about 7.5 metres high. On each of the four sides was a main gate with timber towers. The gates on the north and east sides stood on the present sites of Northgate
and Eastgate. From about 90 AD Chester was occupied by Legio XX Valeria Victrix
, who started a programme of rebuilding, including the improvement of the walls. Starting in about 100 AD the earth walls were reconstructed using sandstone
. A wall of stone was added to the earth rampart. This consisted of large square blocks of stone built on a chamfer
ed plinth
up to a walkway about 4.9 metres above the base. It was surmounted by an elaborately carved cornice
, and a parapet
topped by capstones
. The gates and towers were also rebuilt in stone. It is thought that the north gate was a single arch, while the others had twin portals
. The east gate formed the main entry to the fortress, and was particularly impressive, possibly with three storeys. The stone was quarried locally from the immediate area of the fortress. Although started in about 100 AD, the rebuilding of the walls was abandoned in the early part of the 2nd century, perhaps with the walls incomplete, and was not finished until over 100 years later. The walls continued to be maintained throughout the Roman occupation, with major repairs undertaken during the 4th century.
Nothing is known about the condition of the walls between the end of the Roman occupation in the late 4th century and the refounding of Chester by Æthelflæd as a burgh in 907 as part of the reconquest of Mercia
by the Anglo-Saxons
. Parts of the Roman walls were still present, as they continue to stand today. The Anglo-Saxons certainly repaired the northern and eastern sections of the Roman walls. At some time Roman stones, including tombstones, were used in repairs, but it uncertain whether this was during this period or later. There is evidence, including the discovery of a Saxon U-shaped ditch, that the wall was extended from the southeast corner of the Roman wall to the river, forming an L-shaped defence, but whether this would have been a stone or an earth defence is unknown. There is a reference to repairing the walls in the Domesday Survey
. Following the Norman conquest
the army of William the Conqueror arrived in Chester in 1069–70, and the king ordered that a castle should be built. This was constructed outside the site of the Roman fortress, to the southwest in an elevated position overlooking the River Dee. This necessitated the extension of the walls to the west and south to incorporate the castle, leading to the circuit of the walls currently present. Three new gates were built, the Watergate
in the west wall, and the Shipgate and Bridgegate
. The latter two gates were certainly built by the 1120s, and it is thought that the medieval circuit of the walls was complete by 1162. They then consisted of the curtain wall
itself, gates, towers and a ditch. The Saxon ditch has been filled in, and the medieval ditches were dug further from the walls. The earlier ditch had been shallow, probably no more than 1 metre deep. However, following a siege of Chester Castle
in 1265, a larger ditch was dug, this one being over 2 metres deep.
The finance required for the upkeep of the walls was mainly by a series of murage
s granted by the king, duties levied on merchandise passing into and out of the city. The main gates were under the control of hereditary sergeants who collected tolls and organised watches on the walls. During the 15th century the granting of murages was delegated to the city authorities, but keeping up with the necessary repairs was a continuing problem. Breaches occurred in 1569, 1608 and 1629, and in both 1589 and in 1641 the walls were described as being "ruinous". In the expectation of the coming Civil War
, repairs were carried out in the early 1640s, and further fortifications were added to the walls and in the outer suburbs. The walls were heavily damaged during the siege of the city
by Parliamentarian forces in 1645, this included two major breaches.
. Notable people walking the walls in the early 18th century included John Wesley
and Samuel Johnson
. By this time the main gates were too narrow for the increasing traffic, so they were all rebuilt with gates wider arches. The gates had also prevented an unobstructed perambulation of the walls, and the opportunity was taken to carry the walkway over the new gates. Eastgate was replaced in 1768, Bridgegate in 1781, and Watergate in 1788. Other measures were taken to improve the accessibility for walkers; these included the building of Recorder's Steps in 1720 on the southern part of the walls, and the Wishing Steps in 1785 on a steeply inclined section to the east of the Recorder's Steps. Between 1808 and 1810 Northgate was rebuilt. This gate had contained the city gaol, and a new goal was built in the south of the city. The gaol yard extended southwards towards the river, and this necessitated removing Shipgate, and creating a permanent breach in the wall.
Improvements in transport in the 19th and 20th centuries have resulted in further alterations to the walls. Until the early 19th century, the only bridge over the Dee has been the Old Dee Bridge immediately to the south of Bridgegate. In the 1820s Grosvenor Bridge
was built, passing through the walls at the southwest corner. In 1846 the Chester and Holyhead Railway
was built, cutting the walls and passing through arches under the northeast corner. By the 1930s road traffic had increased and was causing severe congestion in the middle of the city, particularly at Chester Cross
. A new road was created to the south of the centre of the city, breaching the east wall to the west of the Amphitheatre
. Newgate
was built to allow the traffic to pass and to take the walkway over the road; this opened in 1938. Following the Second World War traffic increased further, and in the 1960s the Inner Ring Road was built to take traffic from Grosvenor Bridge to the west of the city centre. Where is breached the north wall, a concrete footbridge, named St Martin's Gate was built and opened in 1966.
Chester city walls are a major tourist attraction for visitors to the city. They form an almost complete circuit of the city as it was in the medieval era, and measure almost 2 miles (3.2 km) in circumference. The walk is approximately rectangular in plan, on a continuous elevated walkway, apart from a short section on the south of the city. It incorporates medieval structures, including Bonewaldesthorne's Tower
, attached to the Water Tower
at the northwest corner, Pemberton's Parlour
and Morgan's Mount
on the north section of the walls, Phoenix Tower
, Thimbleby's Tower
and Barnaby's Tower
on the east section of the walls, and the base of a drum tower on the south section. It crosses roads on the four major medieval gates to the city, Northgate
, Eastgate, Bridgegate
, and Watergate
, and more modern roads on Newgate
and St Martin's Gate. The walk also crosses Kaleyard Gate
on the eastern section of the walls, and passes the Recorder's Steps
on the south section.
The walls comprise the most complete Roman and medieval defensive town wall system in Britain. The entire circuit of the walls, together with the towers and gates are recognised as a Scheduled Monument. Almost every section of the walls has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, the only exception being the section of the walls between Bridgegate and the County Hall, which is listed at Grade II*. Upkeep and repair of the walls continue to cause problems. In 2008 a section of the wall collapsed and had to be repaired. It was reopened in 2010.
Chester city walls consist of a defensive structure built to protect the city of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England. Their construction was started by the Romans
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
when they established the fortress
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
of Deva Victrix
Deva Victrix
Deva Victrix, or simply Deva, was a legionary fortress and town in the Roman province of Britannia. The settlement evolved into Chester, the county town of Cheshire, England...
between 70 and 80 AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
. It originated with a rampart of earth and turf surmounted by a wooden palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
. From about 100 AD they were reconstructed using sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, but were not completed until over 100 years later. Following the Roman occupation nothing is known about the condition of the walls until Æthelflæd refounded Chester as a burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
in 907. The defences were improved, although the precise nature of the improvement is not known. After the Norman conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
, the walls were extended to the west and the south to form a complete circuit of the medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
city. The circuit was probably complete by the middle of the 12th century.
Maintenance of the structure of the walls was an ongoing concern. They were further fortified before the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, and were damaged during the war. Following this they ceased to have a defensive purpose, and were developed for leisure and recreation. The walls are now a major tourist attraction, and form an almost complete circuit of the former medieval city, providing a walkway of about 2 miles (3.2 km). Upkeep and repair of the walls continues to be a problem.
Military use
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
Legio II Adiutrix
Legio II Adiutrix
Legio secunda Adiutrix , was a Roman legion levied by emperor Vespasian in 70, from Roman navy marines of the classis Ravennatis. There are still records of II Adiutrix in the Rhine border in the beginning of the 4th century...
established a fortress in Chester. The fortress was initially defended by an earth rampart surmounted by a wooden palisade and surrounded by a ditch with a sharp V-shaped profile. It is likely that the rampart was about 3 metres high on a base of about 6 metres. The earth for the rampart was obtained from digging the ditch. It was set on a base of logs and held together by branches and brushwood. At intervals of about 50 metres along the ramparts were wooden towers with a square base of about 4.5 metres; they were probably about 7.5 metres high. On each of the four sides was a main gate with timber towers. The gates on the north and east sides stood on the present sites of Northgate
Northgate, Chester
The Northgate is in Chester, Cheshire, England, where it carries the city walls footpath over Northgate Street . It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.-History:...
and Eastgate. From about 90 AD Chester was occupied by Legio XX Valeria Victrix
Legio XX Valeria Victrix
Legio vigesima Valeria Victrix was a Roman legion, probably raised by Augustus some time after 31 BC. It served in Hispania, Illyricum, and Germania before participating in the invasion of Britannia in 43 AD, where it remained and was active until at least the beginning of the 4th century...
, who started a programme of rebuilding, including the improvement of the walls. Starting in about 100 AD the earth walls were reconstructed using sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. A wall of stone was added to the earth rampart. This consisted of large square blocks of stone built on a chamfer
Chamfer
A chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be symmetrical at 45 degrees. A fillet is the rounding off of an interior corner. A rounding of an exterior corner is called a "round" or a "radius"."Chamfer" is a term commonly...
ed plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
up to a walkway about 4.9 metres above the base. It was surmounted by an elaborately carved cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
, and a parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
topped by capstones
Coping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
. The gates and towers were also rebuilt in stone. It is thought that the north gate was a single arch, while the others had twin portals
Portal (architecture)
Portal is a general term describing an opening in the walls of a building, gate or fortification, and especially a grand entrance to an important structure. Doors, metal gates or portcullis in the opening can be used to control entry or exit. The surface surrounding the opening may be made of...
. The east gate formed the main entry to the fortress, and was particularly impressive, possibly with three storeys. The stone was quarried locally from the immediate area of the fortress. Although started in about 100 AD, the rebuilding of the walls was abandoned in the early part of the 2nd century, perhaps with the walls incomplete, and was not finished until over 100 years later. The walls continued to be maintained throughout the Roman occupation, with major repairs undertaken during the 4th century.
Nothing is known about the condition of the walls between the end of the Roman occupation in the late 4th century and the refounding of Chester by Æthelflæd as a burgh in 907 as part of the reconquest of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
by the Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
. Parts of the Roman walls were still present, as they continue to stand today. The Anglo-Saxons certainly repaired the northern and eastern sections of the Roman walls. At some time Roman stones, including tombstones, were used in repairs, but it uncertain whether this was during this period or later. There is evidence, including the discovery of a Saxon U-shaped ditch, that the wall was extended from the southeast corner of the Roman wall to the river, forming an L-shaped defence, but whether this would have been a stone or an earth defence is unknown. There is a reference to repairing the walls in the Domesday Survey
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. Following the Norman conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
the army of William the Conqueror arrived in Chester in 1069–70, and the king ordered that a castle should be built. This was constructed outside the site of the Roman fortress, to the southwest in an elevated position overlooking the River Dee. This necessitated the extension of the walls to the west and south to incorporate the castle, leading to the circuit of the walls currently present. Three new gates were built, the Watergate
Watergate, Chester
The Watergate is in Chester, Cheshire, England and spans the A548 road between Watergate Street and New Crane Street . It forms part of the city walls and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building....
in the west wall, and the Shipgate and Bridgegate
Bridgegate, Chester
The Bridgegate is in Chester, Cheshire, England. It forms part of the city walls and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.-History:...
. The latter two gates were certainly built by the 1120s, and it is thought that the medieval circuit of the walls was complete by 1162. They then consisted of the curtain wall
Curtain wall (fortification)
A curtain wall is a defensive wall between two bastions of a castle or fortress.In earlier designs of castle the curtain walls were often built to a considerable height and were fronted by a ditch or moat to make assault difficult....
itself, gates, towers and a ditch. The Saxon ditch has been filled in, and the medieval ditches were dug further from the walls. The earlier ditch had been shallow, probably no more than 1 metre deep. However, following a siege of Chester Castle
Chester Castle
Chester Castle is in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. It is sited at the southwest extremity of the area bounded by the city walls . The castle stands on an eminence overlooking the River Dee. In the castle complex are the remaining parts of the medieval castle together with the...
in 1265, a larger ditch was dug, this one being over 2 metres deep.
The finance required for the upkeep of the walls was mainly by a series of murage
Murage
Murage was a medieval toll for the building or repair of town walls in England and Wales.This was granted by the king by letters patent for a limited term, but the walls were frequently not completed within the term, so that the grant was periodically renewed....
s granted by the king, duties levied on merchandise passing into and out of the city. The main gates were under the control of hereditary sergeants who collected tolls and organised watches on the walls. During the 15th century the granting of murages was delegated to the city authorities, but keeping up with the necessary repairs was a continuing problem. Breaches occurred in 1569, 1608 and 1629, and in both 1589 and in 1641 the walls were described as being "ruinous". In the expectation of the coming Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, repairs were carried out in the early 1640s, and further fortifications were added to the walls and in the outer suburbs. The walls were heavily damaged during the siege of the city
Siege of Chester
The Siege of Chester was a siege of the First English Civil War, between February 1645 and January 1646, with an intermission during the summer of 1645....
by Parliamentarian forces in 1645, this included two major breaches.
Recreational use
After the end of the Civil War, the walls ceased to have any military or defensive function, and increasingly became used for recreational purposes. In 1707 the City Assembly made a grant of £1,000 (£ as of ) to repair and re-flag the walls to make a walkway with an unfortified parapetParapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
. Notable people walking the walls in the early 18th century included John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
and Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
. By this time the main gates were too narrow for the increasing traffic, so they were all rebuilt with gates wider arches. The gates had also prevented an unobstructed perambulation of the walls, and the opportunity was taken to carry the walkway over the new gates. Eastgate was replaced in 1768, Bridgegate in 1781, and Watergate in 1788. Other measures were taken to improve the accessibility for walkers; these included the building of Recorder's Steps in 1720 on the southern part of the walls, and the Wishing Steps in 1785 on a steeply inclined section to the east of the Recorder's Steps. Between 1808 and 1810 Northgate was rebuilt. This gate had contained the city gaol, and a new goal was built in the south of the city. The gaol yard extended southwards towards the river, and this necessitated removing Shipgate, and creating a permanent breach in the wall.
Improvements in transport in the 19th and 20th centuries have resulted in further alterations to the walls. Until the early 19th century, the only bridge over the Dee has been the Old Dee Bridge immediately to the south of Bridgegate. In the 1820s Grosvenor Bridge
Grosvenor Bridge (Chester)
The Grosvenor Bridge is a single-span arch road bridge constructed from stone. It crosses the River Dee at Chester in England. The bridge is located on the A483 Grosvenor Road . Views upriver from the bridge include Chester Castle and Handbridge. The view downstream from the bridge encompasses the...
was built, passing through the walls at the southwest corner. In 1846 the Chester and Holyhead Railway
Chester and Holyhead Railway
The Chester and Holyhead Railway was incorporated out of a proposal to link Holyhead, the traditional port for the Irish Mail, with London by way of the existing Chester and Crewe Railway, and what is now the West Coast Main Line...
was built, cutting the walls and passing through arches under the northeast corner. By the 1930s road traffic had increased and was causing severe congestion in the middle of the city, particularly at Chester Cross
Chester Cross (junction)
Chester Cross is a junction of streets at the centre of the city of Chester, Cheshire, England .The streets meeting at the junction are Watergate Street, Eastgate Street, Bridge Street and Northgate Street. The junction consists of a staggered crossroads, with Watergate Street in continuity with...
. A new road was created to the south of the centre of the city, breaching the east wall to the west of the Amphitheatre
Chester Roman Amphitheatre
Chester Amphitheatre is a Roman amphitheatre in Chester, Cheshire. The site is managed by English Heritage; it has been designated as a Grade I listed building, and a scheduled monument. The ruins currently exposed are those of a large stone amphitheatre, similar to those found in Continental...
. Newgate
Newgate, Chester
Newgate is an arch bridge carrying the walkway of the city walls over Pepper Street in Chester, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building. The bridge was built in 1938 to relieve traffic congestion in the city, especially at Chester Cross...
was built to allow the traffic to pass and to take the walkway over the road; this opened in 1938. Following the Second World War traffic increased further, and in the 1960s the Inner Ring Road was built to take traffic from Grosvenor Bridge to the west of the city centre. Where is breached the north wall, a concrete footbridge, named St Martin's Gate was built and opened in 1966.
Present day
Bonewaldesthorne's Tower
Bonewaldesthorne's Tower is a medieval structure on the northwest corner of the city walls of Chester, Cheshire, England; it is attached by a spur wall to the Water Tower. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building...
, attached to the Water Tower
Water Tower, Chester
The Water Tower is a 14th-century tower in Chester, Cheshire, England, which is attached by a spur wall to Bonewaldesthorne's Tower on the city walls. The tower, together with its spur wall, has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building...
at the northwest corner, Pemberton's Parlour
Pemberton's Parlour
Pemberton's Parlour is a structure on the northern part of the Chester city walls, and it was formerly known as the Goblin Tower. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.-History:...
and Morgan's Mount
Morgan's Mount
Morgan's Mount is a structure extending from the north site of the city walls of Chester, in Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.-History:...
on the north section of the walls, Phoenix Tower
Phoenix Tower, Chester
Phoenix Tower stands at the northeast corner of the city walls in Chester, England. The tower has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It has also been known as Newton Tower and King Charles' Tower.-History:...
, Thimbleby's Tower
Thimbleby's Tower
Thimbleby's Tower, formerly known as Wolf's Tower, is a structure in the city walls of Chester, Cheshire, England. It stands on the eastern section of the walls, between Eastgate and Newgate. The tower has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.-History:The tower...
and Barnaby's Tower
Barnaby's Tower
Barnaby's Tower stands at the southeast corner of the city walls of Chester, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building....
on the east section of the walls, and the base of a drum tower on the south section. It crosses roads on the four major medieval gates to the city, Northgate
Northgate, Chester
The Northgate is in Chester, Cheshire, England, where it carries the city walls footpath over Northgate Street . It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.-History:...
, Eastgate, Bridgegate
Bridgegate, Chester
The Bridgegate is in Chester, Cheshire, England. It forms part of the city walls and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.-History:...
, and Watergate
Watergate, Chester
The Watergate is in Chester, Cheshire, England and spans the A548 road between Watergate Street and New Crane Street . It forms part of the city walls and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building....
, and more modern roads on Newgate
Newgate, Chester
Newgate is an arch bridge carrying the walkway of the city walls over Pepper Street in Chester, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building. The bridge was built in 1938 to relieve traffic congestion in the city, especially at Chester Cross...
and St Martin's Gate. The walk also crosses Kaleyard Gate
Kaleyard Gate, Chester
Kaleyard Gate is a postern gate in Chester city walls, Cheshire, England . It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building....
on the eastern section of the walls, and passes the Recorder's Steps
Recorder's Steps
The Recorder's Steps consist of two flights of stone steps leading down from the outside of the city walls in Chester, Cheshire, England. They lead from the walkway at the top of the walls to a riverside area known as the Groves, and have been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I...
on the south section.
The walls comprise the most complete Roman and medieval defensive town wall system in Britain. The entire circuit of the walls, together with the towers and gates are recognised as a Scheduled Monument. Almost every section of the walls has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, the only exception being the section of the walls between Bridgegate and the County Hall, which is listed at Grade II*. Upkeep and repair of the walls continue to cause problems. In 2008 a section of the wall collapsed and had to be repaired. It was reopened in 2010.
See also
- List of sections of Chester city walls and associated structures
- List of Grade I listed buildings in Chester
- List of cities with defensive walls
- List of town walls in England and Wales