Roman History of Chester for Visitors

This City is One of the Top Tourist Destinations in the UK

Mar 23, 2009

Tourists come from all over the world to visit this historic gem. Chester was established by the Romans and has a wealth of history for visitors to explore.

Chester was originally known as Deva, and began as a fort during AD74-77. At this time Rome was ruled by Emperor Vespasian (AD69-79), a military leader whose building programme bought stability to the Empire. Emperor Claudius (AD41-54) had ordered the invasion of Britain in AD43 and the location at the River Dee was strategically useful: there were plans to sail from the Dee to invade nearby Ireland and North Wales. Indeed, it was considered to be as important as Londinium (now London) at the time. The 2nd Adiutrix Legion built a fortress at Deva. The legionary headquarters housed around sixty barrack blocks.

Roman remains in Chester today

The Romans constructed the city walls, now the most complete set of walls in the UK, and Roman stone can still be seen in some parts (it has a purple tone to it). The main streets still follow the original layout: Eastgate Street and Watergate Street were originally the Via Principalis (main street), Bridge Street the Via Praetoria (street from headquarters to front gate) and Northgate Street the Via Decumana (road linking gates).

The remains of the largest known Roman Amphitheatre in Britain can be found next to Grosvenor Park. It was originally a training ground and entertainment centre for the soldiers. Access is free and the amphitheatre can be visited at any reasonable time. A small shrine to Nemesis, Greek goddess of retribution, can be found at the North entrance. Further away, a shrine to Minerva, goddess of wisdom and soldiers, can be found opposite Chester Castle.

The Roman Garden, located outside the Newgate, is a collection of artifacts found in Chester – there is no evidence to suggest the Romans had a garden here. It includes columns from legionary baths and a reconstruction of a hypocaust (underfloor heating system) and mosaic.

In the late nineteenth century over one hundred and fifty tombstones, altarstones and centurial stones were discovered in the north wall of the city. A selection of these can be seen at the Grosvenor Museum (check this fact). There is still Roman stone in this wall.

Saturnalia Festival

Local residents are very proud of Chester’s Roman heritage and a Saturnalia parade is held every year in December, when a torchlit procession of Roman soldiers march through the city centre. The Romans themselves celebrated their god Saturn in a series of festivals which lasted over a week. Feasts were enjoyed and homes were decorated with greenery.

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