Through out my travels I have developed an appreciation for the unique architecture of each country and sometimes even of a specific city. I associate English architecture with castles and very narrow terrace houses so I was quite surprised with what greeted me in Chester. Chester, is a city in Cheshire, England, lying on the River Dee.
It is the perfect place to spend the day exploring and learn more about the rich English history. As we arrived in Chester early morning the first thing we searched for was a little place to warm up and have a cup of coffee. The very crooked Tudor House caught our fancy and even offered up some comedy. I know that I am quite short and that most of my friends are taller than me but I don’t like that fact rubbed into my face. Before we reached our small coffee table Yvonne nearly be-headed herself on the low ceiling while I hardly had to look down.
In the centre of the city we found Chester Rows which consist of covered walkways at the first floor behind which are entrances to shops and other premises. At street level is another set of shops and other premises, many of which are entered by going down a few steps. The Rows, found in each of the four main streets of the city of Chester, are unique; nothing precisely similar exists anywhere else in the world.
At street level the shops and other premises are similar to those found in other towns and cities, although many of the premises are entered by going down a few steps. On the first floor level are more shops and other premises, set back from the street, in front of which is a continuous walkway. The storey above this overlaps the walkway, which makes it a covered walkway, and this constitutes what is known as the “Row”.
Dating from the medieval era, the Rows may have been built on top of rubble remaining from the ruins of Roman buildings, but their origin is still subject to speculation. In some places the continuity of the Rows has been blocked by enclosure or by new buildings, but in others modern buildings have retained the Rows in their designs. Undercrofts or “crypts” were constructed beneath the buildings in the Rows. The undercrofts were in stone while most of the buildings in the Rows were in timber.Today about 20 of the stone undercrofts still exist, but at the level of the Rows very little medieval fabric remains.
The premises on the street and Row levels are used for a variety of purposes; most are shops, but there are also offices, restaurants, cafés, and meeting rooms. Chester Rows are one of the city’s main tourist attractions and we had a lovely time walking through it.
Janaline's world journey 
Rich’s great grandfather once ran a cobblers shop in the Rows.
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Wow, he worked in such a beautiful place! These little shops are full of character and history.
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The exterior looks like something you would find in Southern Germany. Thanks for sharing your photos.
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That sounds beautiful! I havent been to Southern Germany yet but do plan on exploring all the beautiful gothic castles of Germany someday….
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Is jou van dalk VERMAAK hier in SA moet ons maar werk.Kyk elke oggend dus PRAGTIG ons toer saam.Liefde Noël en Alta
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Baie dankie!! Ek is so bly julle kan deel in my avonture! Baie liefde!
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These are fascinating buildings! It’s a beautiful town to stroll around. Thanks for these beautiful photos, Janaline!
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Thanks for joining me on this adventure Amy. It is definitely a fabulous city to explore and spend the day.
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Chester is a beautiful city. I had a walking tour around the centre years ago and we were told that a lot of the buildings there now are Victorian decorated, generally they’re the more elaborate ones as the Victorians were like that. The older ones would be less fancy and with lower doors and ceilings as people back then weren’t as tall. You found that out!
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It made me smile to realize that people back then might have been as short as me, if not shorter!!
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I absolutely love Chester – I included it in my post on underrated cities in Europe. The architecture is beautiful, and it’s a great place to wonder around for the day. Did you see the partially uncovered amphitheatre?
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You are right it is a great place to spend the day. Yes, we did see the ampitheatre and had loads of fun speculating what they actually did in there.
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So beautiful!
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It is definitely one of the most beautiful places in England that I have had the opp[ortunity to explore.
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This is really interesting! It really makes me aware how little I know, to read about something like this that I never imagined existed.
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I am glad you joined my journey!
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Gorgeous pics. I love the styling of these old houses.Your pics really captured the beauty of this lovely architecture.
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Thanks for that lovely compliment! These old places are very interesting and beautiful, so ful of detail.
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Ah, The Rows! Beautiful architecture, I haven’t been for years, thanks for the memory trip… 🙂
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It is beautiful Sue. This was my first visit and I just couldnt take enough photos!
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Definitely want to watch the ‘noggin’ in those low spots. Beautiful architecture.
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It could be quite a surprise if you werent paying attention while walking to your table.
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Love this architecture, and what a great idea for a post! Thanks for sharing since I don’t know if I’ll ever get there or not. Also, I love the sign that said, “Mind your head”! Could be taken several ways, I suppose!
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That sign is quite funny and I believe quite useful for tall people but was a bit lost on short me!
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