Heritage Chester

03/11/2026

✨ Rowvember Building of the Day 3 ✨

📍 Location: The Boot (17 Eastgate Street, 9 Eastgate Row North)
👉 Listed: Grade II*
👉 Date: Medieval stone undercroft, mid 17th century townhouse above (1643)

Why it matters:
Now an iconic Rows venue, The Boot has evolved through centuries of hospitality! Before becoming a pub in the mid 19th century, it was a well-known dining room recorded since at least the 1740s. The pub originally occupied only the rear part of the building, accessed via an alleyway that's now incorporated into the bar area.

What to look for:
The great decorative frontage and the medieval stone undercroft below. The main bar area was built as a townhouse in 1643 - the same year the Civil War Siege of Chester began. Imagine this building rising during one of Chester's most turbulent periods!

The plot twist:
From Civil War townhouse to Georgian dining room to Victorian pub - The Boot has been feeding and watering Chester for centuries! What started as a back-alley establishment accessed through a passage has expanded to take over the entire grand townhouse.

Image: stuartrobinson.photography

Find out more about 👉 https://buff.ly/b3a4d0g

02/11/2026

🏺 Archaeology and Life in the Rows 🔍

Who lived and worked in Chester’s Rows over the centuries - and what did they leave behind?

As the Rows sit at the heart of Chester’s Area of Archaeological Importance and Conservation Area, very little excavation happens there today. But digs carried out in the past have uncovered a wealth of evidence about everyday life in these remarkable buildings.

Join Julie Edwards, Archaeology Officer at West Cheshire Museums, as she reveals what those excavations tell us about the people who made their homes and livelihoods in the Rows between the 16th and 19th centuries. 🕯️

📅 Tue 24th November, 6:30pm - 8pm
📍 Ye Olde Boot Inn, Eastgate Row
🎟️ Places are limited - book now! 👉 https://buff.ly/1Eq3ALv

The talk starts promptly at 6:30pm, so arrive a little early to grab a drink from the bar and find your seat. 🍺

02/11/2026

✏️ Calling all sketchers! 🎨

Next week, Chester Urban Sketchers are dedicating their monthly meet-up to the Rows - and everyone is welcome to join in.

Whether you’re a seasoned sketcher or haven’t picked up a pencil in years, there’s no better subject than Chester’s one-of-a-kind Rows. With their sheltered galleries, timber details and endless nooks and crannies, there’s inspiration around every corner - whatever the November weather! 🌧️

The morning ends with a “throw down” at St Peter’s Church, where everyone shares what they’ve created - with a lovely café on hand for a well-earned cuppa. ☕

📅 Tue 10th November, 10:30am - 12:30pm
📍 Meet at the Cross
🖍️ Bring your own drawing materials - and a folding stool or chair is recommended
🎨 All abilities welcome!
👉 https://buff.ly/wuLM91j

02/11/2026

✨ Rowvember Building of the Day 2 ✨

📍 Location: 10 Watergate Street (8 Watergate Row North)
👉 Listed: Grade II*
👉 Date: 14th century undercroft, 17th century timber frame behind an early 19th century brick front

Why it matters:
A place for a drink for nearly 400 years! This building has been a licensed premises since the 17th century, known over the years as The Moon, The Albion, The Deva Hotel and Amber Lounge - and today it's Kahiki tiki bar. A board listing the landlords back to 1634 once hung in the bar, but nobody knows where it is today.

What to look for:
Down at street level, the 14th century undercroft is now home to Loake shoemakers, where you can still see painted beams and curved supports. Up on the Row, three cast-iron columns stand in front of an impressive black-painted door, and the neat brick front above hides a much older timber frame.

The plot twist:
For more than 40 years the D**e family of women ran the Deva Hotel. Landlady Agnes Lloyd D**e is remembered in a stained-glass window by Trena Cox in nearby St Peter's Church, commissioned by her three daughters - one of whom, Estelle, became the first female chair of the Chester Archaeological Society.

Researched by: Katie Crowther, Heritage Chester volunteer and Green Badge Guide

Find out more about 👉 https://buff.ly/b3a4d0g

02/11/2026

We have had three last minute tickets come available for this event on Wednesday at Chapters Book Bar!

If you would like to join us, grab them quick before they're gone!

🎟👉 https://buff.ly/e2t6llq

🕯️ An Evening of Midwinter Gothic 🕯️

As the nights draw in, join three of Chester’s finest storytellers for an intimate evening of dark history and ghostly tales at Chapters Book Bar, hidden away on the Rows.

💥 Martin Webb - The Great Puppet Show Disaster, told on the very street where it happened
👻 Maria Barnard - Ghosts of Browns, from someone who knew the store’s hidden corners for 19 years
😈 David Atkinson - Dark Chester, 2,000 years of the city’s darker side

Grab a drink from the bar, browse the shelves at the interval and pick up an exclusive signed copy of David’s book, available on the night only.

📅 Wed 4th November, 7pm - 9:15pm
📍 , Watergate Row South

🎟️ Tickets are already very limited, so if you’re thinking about coming along, don’t wait too long!
👉 https://buff.ly/e2t6llq

01/11/2026

👑 Chester Rows: Parliament, Power & Civil War ⚔️

Who had the right to rule - and who had the right to challenge them?

As part of UK Parliament Week 2026, step back to the 1640s with your guide in full period costume for a special walking tour through the streets and Rows of Chester.
Discover what happened when local power, Parliament and the Crown collided, how the English Civil War played out in the city, and how the conflict changed the relationship between Parliament, the Crown and ordinary people forever. 🏛️

A fascinating journey into a turbulent chapter of Chester’s past - and the questions about power and representation that still matter today.

📅 Two dates to choose from:
🗓️ Fri 27th November, 11:30am - 12:45pm 👉 https://buff.ly/JDM1W6O
🗓️ Sat 28th November, 11:30am - 12:45pm 👉 https://buff.ly/bOGHnX9
📍 Meet at Chester Visitor Information Centre, Town Hall
🎟️ Places are limited - book now!

01/11/2026

✨ Rowvember Building of the Day 1 ✨

📍 Location: Cowper House, 12 Bridge Street (10 Bridge Street Row)
👉 Listed: Grade I
👉 Date: 13th century stone undercroft, mid 17th century timber-framed townhouse above

Why it matters:
The upper part is a mid 17th century timber-framed townhouse built by Thomas Cowper, mayor of Chester in 1641/42. A carved beam on the front reads "TC 1664" - a signature in wood from the builder himself.

What to look for:
The vaulted stone undercroft at the rear of the ground floor was rediscovered in 1839 after being lost to history. It has a window in its west end - a clue that ground levels behind Bridge Street were once lower than they are today.

The plot twist:
That undercroft window reveals Chester's hidden history! It shows ground levels have risen over centuries, burying what was once above-ground architecture. The city has literally grown upwards, layer by layer, swallowing its own past.

Image: stuartrobinson.photography

Find out more about 👉 https://buff.ly/b3a4d0g

01/11/2026

🎉 Happy first day of Rowvember! 🏛️

It’s here! For the whole of November, we’re celebrating Chester’s one-of-a-kind Rows with a month of walks, talks, workshops and more.

Thank you to everyone who has already booked - the response has been incredible, and lots of our events are now fully booked!

Missed out? Don’t worry:
🚶 Some events are drop-in - no booking needed, just turn up and join in
🔔 Keep an eye on our socials - we’ll share any places that become available through cancellations
🆕 More events are still to be announced - so there’s plenty more to come this month
🏛️ Building of the Day starts today - follow along every day in November for a glimpse into the remarkable buildings on the Rows

Here’s to a month of discovering the Rows in a whole new light! ✨
👉 https://buff.ly/mJGvi34

31/10/2026

🎭 Rowments: Moments on the Rows 🎭

Every corner of the Rows has a story to tell - and this Rowvember, they’re being brought to life!

First and second year Acting students from the University of Chester present Rowments, a series of short stories inspired by Chester and its remarkable Rows.

✨ See it live - watch a 15-minute performance imagining times gone by and some of Chester’s most famous moments, beginning at the Cross

🎧 Listen anywhere - the stories have also been recorded as audio tales, released on the evening of the performance. Best enjoyed while wandering the Rows themselves!

📅 Tue 10th November
⏰ Performances at 6:30pm, 6:50pm and 7:10pm
📍 Starting at the Cross
👉 https://buff.ly/9XQCnzj

31/10/2026

🍻 Heritage Pub Club 🏛️

Calling all heritage enthusiasts! Whether you work in a museum, volunteer at a historic site, dig into the past as an archaeologist or simply love Chester’s history, this one’s for you.

Join us at B**r Heroes for a relaxed evening of networking and conversation with others who share a passion for heritage, history, archaeology and museums in and around Chester.

Swap stories, share ideas, make new connections - or simply enjoy a good chat over a drink.

📅 Thu 19th November, from 5:30pm
📍 B**r Heroes, Watergate Street
🎟️ FREE - just pop in after work and stay as long as you like!
While you’re there, we’d warmly encourage you to support our wonderful local businesses by picking up a drink from the bar. 🍺

This event is for adults aged 18+.
👉 https://buff.ly/o19Zc4X