Thomas Hughes

“ Situate on the northern banks of the River Dee, the deified stream of the Ancient Britons,—built upon, or, as we ought rather to say, built into the solid rock, for the principal streets within the Walls are almost wholly excavations of several feet in depth—the city of Chester stands forth before the world certainly the most curious city in the British Isles, second to none of its fellows in martial strength or historic importance, and as a faithful and enduring relic of the past, “peerless and alone!” ”

“ From this Room we pass through a handsome doorway into the Ante-Dining-Room, a smaller and much plainer apartment, the walls painted a beautiful arabesque of white and gold on a green ground, producing an extremely rich and pleasing effect. The inlaid oak-floor, the delicate ceiling, and the stained glass portraits of three of the Norman Earls of Chester, which ornament the windows, all merit our attention; but we must hurry away, and by a doorway opposite, pass into the Saloon. ”

“ The smell of sanctity yet fresh upon us, let us now continue, as best we may, our peregrinations northward.
Yonder, at the lower end of this Street, we catch a glimpse of the Walls; and, turning ourselves about, take a rapid look at Abbey Square (the only Square old Chester can boast!) with its Deanery and Bishop’s Palace,—the former occupying the site of the ancient Chapel of St. Thomas, nay, resting indeed on the foundations of that sacred edifice. ”

“ In what good stead they availed the city during the trying period of the great Civil War, a former chapter has sufficiently declared; and, though we cannot but rejoice that those days of anarchy and confusion have passed away, yet are we sure, should the direful necessity again arise, the hearts of the men of Chester will still beat as loyally, and their stalwart arms emulate as nobly, the glorious deeds of their forefathers of yore! ”

“ To our left is the suburb of Newtown, a creation of the present century,—the modest little spire of Christ Church pointing to the thoughtful wayfarer another and a better world. Yonder, just visible above the intervening buildings, the noble façade of the Railway Station arrests the eye. Farther to the right, the Lead Works’ Shot Tower again presents itself; while beneath us, at a depth of about forty feet, the sleepy Canal flows languidly along, scarce a ripple distracting its glassy surface. ”

“ Surrounded by Walls, which for almost their entire length rest upon Roman foundations,—nay, which still exhibit to the naked eye of truth and time the evident impress of their mechanical genius,—we fancy, while we look thereon, that we see the sturdy warriors pacing to and fro, keeping watch against the enemy; while, within the city, the soldiers and inhabitants are plying the pickaxe, trowel, and spade,—here piling stone upon stone in the erection of a forum, and there planning and building the tesselated floors, the baths, and the sudatories of domestic life. ”

“ The neatly panelled roof, resting upon shafted cross-beams tastefully ornamented, gives to the Chester Music Hall a richness and elegance wholly unapproached by any similar room in the city. The Hall is, in every respect, a credit alike to the architect and to the city; and it is not too much to add that Mr. J. D. Williams, the builder and decorator of the structure, has done his part of the work faithfully and well. One man only was killed during the progress of the works, by an accidental fall from the ceiling of the Hall. ”

“ During the Siege of Chester, a battery was planted on the summit of this tower, and from its commanding position, surrounded by earthworks, successfully kept the besiegers at bay. Let us mount to the top, and survey the diversified prospect before us. See yonder Elizabethan building at the northwest extremity of the city, beautifully placed on a hill, and separated from us by those fine, dark, evergreen trees, through which you can see the bright sunshine, as it were, smiling approvingly upon it. ”

“ This is the business retreat of our publisher, and by the same token the oldest book establishment in the city. Here are procurable, in almost endless variety, Guides to Chester and North Wales, local prints, books of views, &c. to suit every imaginable taste and requirement. Perhaps no city in the empire has been so fully and faithfully illustrated as Chester,—Prout, Cuitt, Pickering, Sumners, and others equally celebrated in the walks of art, have plied their pencils in its honour, while the genius of the engraver and the enterprise of the publisher have given permanence to their works. ”

“ And now for our proposed Walk round these celebrated Walls.
The steps we have just ascended give us but poor “first impressions” of the Walls, the view being blocked up on either side by most unpicturesque buildings. But when we have proceeded northward a few steps, a prospect of venerable magnificence suddenly reveals itself. To our left, and so close that we can hear the organ pealing forth its joyous hallelujahs, we have a splendid view of the Cathedral of St. Werburgh, seen here, perhaps, to greater advantage than from any other accessible point. ”

“ To our minds a quiet little “row up the Dee” has a charm superior far to them all! Yonder gaily-decked barge, adorned with the “red, white, and blue” of old England, is the craft of our choice. While, then, mine host is summoning the oarsmen, and arranging the cushions and seats for our reception, a word or so touching the source of the Dee, and its progress towards Chester, will not be out of place. ”

“ But what is this white conventicle-looking edifice which crowns its heights? Surely it is the refuge of some Mormon congregation—the temple, perchance, of some pagan fanaticism? Nay verily, good sirs,—assuage your indignation, for this is a Church of your own communion, a sort of Chapel of Ease to the parish of St. John. The architect was “abroad” when this building was designed; for one less becoming the outward character of a Church it is impossible to conceive. It is dedicated to St. Paul, and was opened for divine worship in 1830. ”

“ Since women are so fond of men,
With Speed she will fly up again!
Let us now pass on.
Leaving behind us the Abbey Gate and its bygone associations, we are once more in Northgate Street, and may stay to cast “one withering glance” at those melancholy-looking buildings on either side, the Fowl, Butter, and Butchers’ Markets of the city. Hideous as specimens of architectural taste, destitute of convenience or comfort in use, furthermore heavy and cheerless to look upon, these Markets have, of themselves, nothing to rivet the attention of the sightseer. ”

“ Notwithstanding the old structure overhead, and the well-worn flagging under foot, we notice the shop fronts are filled with plate-glass, and with all the brilliancy of the most modern art and taste. Turning, to make the contrast more striking, by looking at the little windows and rude carvings of the houses opposite, we see a banister or handrail separates the side-walk from the carriage way, and are astonished, in stepping out to it, to find the street is some ten feet below us. ”

“ A walk round the Walls of Chester! Now, then, for a choice tête-à-tête with the past! Away with the commonplace nineteenth century! Away with the mammon-loving world of to-day! The path we are now treading, high above the busy haunts of men, has a traditionary halo and interest peculiarly its own. ”

“ Eighteen hundred years have rolled away since Julius Agricola and his Legion held sway over the city, and yet ever since then, notwithstanding that they have long lain in the dust, scarce a year has passed without the encroachments of the builder, or the researches of the antiquary, bringing to light some long hidden, but valuable relic of this extraordinary people. Time and space alike forbid us to give anything like a summary of the records existing, under our very eyes, of Rome’s sojourn within these walls. ”

“ Yonder is the tower of Eccleston Church; and as we are now nearing the village, we may land, if we choose, and indulge in a hasty stroll of inspection. Eccleston is the pet village, and wholly the property of the Marquis of Westminster, whose elegant mansion, Eaton Hall, we are so soon about to visit. Every house in this village is a picture of itself, clothed in woodbine and choicest evergreen, and adorned with small, but sweetly smelling gardens. The Church is a modern structure of red sandstone, having taken the place of an older temple in 1810. ”

“ Stretching away on either side of us, as far as the eye can reach, we see the passengers’ arrival and departure sheds, booking offices, refreshment rooms, goods and carriage depots, waterworks, gasworks, and all the other facilities and conveniences which are the usual characteristics of the railway system; while beyond the limits of the Station, and indeed of the city itself, which here intrenches upon the township of Hoole, the busy hum of life is ceaselessly heard spreading itself in every direction, and rapidly transforming the region of the plough into the turmoil of the town. ”

“ The eye of the stranger, be he Englishman or foreigner, European or American, will here find an ample and luxuriant field for admiration: the man of taste, who may linger within its Walls, will not depart ungratified; nor will the antiquary search here in vain for some rich and profitable treasures of investigation: in short, such is the antiquity, the peculiarity of Chester, that the stranger who can pass through without bestowing on it some little share of attention, must have a dull and incurious eye indeed. ”

“ Even in these days of rocket-like travelling, a man might fly all over Great Britain and Ireland, with an extra ‘day ticket’ for Berwick-upon-Tweed, before he saw anything half so fine as the mouldering old walls and towers of that venerable city, or looked upon anything half so fair as the prospect of vale and mountain, wooded headland, and spire-pointed plain, that surrounds it.” Well said, friend Albert;—echoed, too, far and wide, by the thousands of visitors who are annually led to seek entertainment within its Walls! ”

“ The shop itself, which is one of the most chaste and elegant in the city, deserves something more than a mere passing notice, and is worthy the careful inspection of every true ‘lover of the beautiful.’ “This shop,” says the Chester Courant, “exhibits one of the most perfect and beautiful examples of the application of architectural and artistic skill and taste to the purposes of business, that we have lately witnessed. ”

“ There is a tide in the affairs of streets,
Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
but the tide for Watergate Street has ebbed away, and now flows in other and more favoured channels. Still, as we shall presently see, this Street is not behind any of its neighbours in absorbing interest. You will perceive that, like Eastgate Street, it has the Cestrian characteristic on either side,—its high-level Row. The one upon the right hand, adjoining St. Peter’s Church, is, perhaps, as good a specimen as we have now left to us of the “Rows” of the last century. ”

“ We were always told when a child, and we heartily believe it as a man, that whosoever shall stand at the foot of these steps, and wish for any mundane blessing—be it the gold of Ophir, aye, or even Paradise itself—and (mind this!) run up to the head, down to the bottom, and up again to the top of these steps, without taking breath, shall have his fondest wish fulfilled, though it were to the half of the kingdom! The secret is, that no one could possibly accomplish the feat without taking breath some half dozen times. ”

“ We have passed from Foregate into Eastgate Street, ever the via principalis of Chester, and still maintaining that ancient prerogative despite the revolutionary inroads of steam. It is the one great highway for all passengers and conveyances to and from the Station, and as a necessary consequence holds the proud distinction of being, for all business purposes, the main Street of the city.
This arcade on our left is the Royal Hotel Row, and the massive pile of buildings of which it forms a part, and from which it derives its name, is the Royal Hotel. ”

“ Continuing our course from the Cemetery, we come to what we who live in towns and travel only by rail, so seldom meet with—a turnpike-gate,—through which we see the Grosvenor Gateway, to be noticed more particularly hereafter. A road upon the left leads to Handbridge and Queen’s Park, and that upon the right to one of the most thriving suburbs of Chester, Hough Green, and Saltney. Now, we are not troubled with a superfluity of grey hairs, yet do we well remember Saltney when but two houses occupied the site of the present little town. ”

“ From the Drawing-Room we proceed, along the corridor, into the Library, a spacious apartment at the southern extremity of the Hall. This well-proportioned room measures sixty-two feet by fifty feet; a range of pillars on either side adding symmetry and strength to its richly groined ceiling. Three bold Gothic windows, facing south, east, and west, shed a fine flood of light into the room; the oaken bookcases of which are filled to overflowing with the richest and rarest works of ancient and modern literature. Upon the left we observe a fine organ, in a carved mahogany case. ”

“ Day after day for four months, the citizens of Chester, with a courage and determination that claim our admiration, refused the oft-repeated summons to surrender. But there was an enemy within the walls, far more formidable than the troops without. Famine proved more powerful than the sword. ”

“ Resuming now our walk, we approach a large and handsome brick building, on the city side of the Walls. This is the Chester Infirmary, and a most useful and valuable institution it is, having been founded in 1755 by Dr. Stratford, of Chester, and supported entirely by the contributions of the charitable in Cheshire and North Wales. The present structure was erected in 1761, and has accommodation under its roof for one hundred patients, besides spacious hot, cold, and vapour baths, and all the usual adjuncts of a first class hospital. ”