Exploring Chesters Roman Ruins

Since both of my boys have sparked an interest in Roman history we have made a few different trips to various parts of the UK to explore the remains of the Roman Empire in the UK, from the Roman Baths in Bath, the impressive Amphitheatre in Caerleon, Wales and the Wroxeter Roman City with the largest piece of free-standing Roman wall in the country, so it made sense to plan a mini-break to Chester which is rich in Roman history as well as many other medieval buildings.

So we packed a small overnight bag and headed from Cardiff on a more scenic route up through Mid and  North Wales to Chester. Just over the halfway point of our road trip, we decided to stop and explore Montgomery Castle, this beautiful cliffside castle ruin is located in the quaint village of Montgomery and is well worth a visit if you're in the area, plus it's completely free to explore.

After an hour or so rambling around the castle ruins we headed back on the road up to Chester and arrived in the afternoon and checked into the Travelodge Chester Central which as the name describes is very central, right in the heart of the city and near parking. We have stayed at many Travelodge's but this was the first time trying out of the SuperRooms which offer a few new perks such as a Lavazza coffee machine and rainshower. Once we spent a little time decompressing from the drive we headed into Chester for a bite to eat before an early night as we wanted to pack a lot into the next day.

For those who don't know the picturesque city of Chester was founded as a Roman fort named Deva Victrix in 79AD and ended up being a major settlement and elements of that can still be seen today including one of the best-preserved city walls which were built during the Roman times. A few other major features of Roman Chester that still partially remain is the Roman Amphitheatre which is the largest known military amphitheatre in Britain as well as a small part of the remaining Roman baths and columns which can be found in the Roman Gardens near the Amphitheatre.

There is also a very impressive Cathedral in Chester which is well worth popping into and even the kids appreciated the beauty of this huge grade 1 listed building with its intricate designs and breathtaking stained glass windows. For £1 you can also purchase a lego piece to be added to the Chester Cathedral in lego display and the fund's goe towards the Chester Cathedral Education trust which works with schools across Cheshire and further afield.

What also attracted us to Chester was the fact they run interactive Roman Tours and with my youngest dressing up as a Roman Centurian on a daily basis, having a tour with a legionary guide in full outfit was a must-do for us. The Roman tours are award-wining and very family-friendly, I had come across them online along with plenty of positive reviews. Throughout the tour, we learnt so much about Roman history but in kids-friendly sized portions and my boys were engaged throughout.

After the tour we spent more time wandering the beautiful high street of Chester and taking in all the stunning buildings. There is another Roman attraction called the Dewa Roman Experience but unfortunately, it was undergoing maintenance while we were there and was shut bit gives us more excuse to go back and visit it at another point. We really enjoyed our mini-break to Chester and checking out another Roman historical hub in the UK.