Cheshire’s thriving center is Chester, it has many more black-and-white half-timber buildings (some built in Georgian and Victorian times), and its medieval walls still stand. History seems more tangible in Chester than in many other ancient cities, and modern buildings haven’t been allowed to intrude. A negative result of this perfection is that Chester has become a favorite bus-tour destination, with gift shops, noise, and crowds. Nose around the superb stores and you'll find vaulted crypts and galleries with painted plasterwork. The city's most evocative Roman sight is a complete underfloor heating system, across the street beneath a cafe.
Chester has been a prominent city since the late 1st century, when the Roman Empire expanded north to the banks of the River Dee. The original Roman town plan is still evident: the principal streets, Eastgate, Northgate, Watergate, and Bridge Street, lead out from the Cross — the site of the central area of the Roman fortress to the four city gates. The partly excavated remains of what is thought to have been the country’s largest Roman amphitheater lie to the south of Chester’s medieval castle. Along the city's four main streets run The Rows, a striking two-tiered arrangement of stores with a covered mall, fronted by lofty, black and white timbered facades.
