Chester: A City Through Time and Space

It is said that Chester is the richest city in Britain in terms of archaeological and architectural treasures. It is one of the best strategic outposts of the Roman Empire and one of the few walled cities in Britain today. Rachel Lindsay showed us around her hometown.

Every time I go back to my hometown Chester, which is located on the border between England and Wales, I will find myself back to the magnificent sandstone ring road of Rome, the semi-wooden buildings in the city center and the quiet old Di Bridge. Dihe

I brushed my hand on a shabby stone in the Roman garden, and I was immediately taken back to the warm bathroom composed of this pillar in the 1 century. Standing in the gravel pit of the Colosseum in Rome, I could hear the roar of the crowd urging their gladiators to fight to the death. Staring at the east gate clock, I want to know who has done this before me.

Although it is disguised as a beautiful residential town near the border between England and Wales, Chester has the ability to accompany me through the most brilliant and difficult days in its fascinating 2000-year history.

Chester began to live in the late 1970s. It is one of the three most powerful barracks in Roman Britannia. The Romans are sweeping Britain or the "tin country", building barracks and expanding the empire. From the first time they arrived at Kent Beach, they pushed northward and needed to build a base in the northwest of Britannia, preferably near the river, so that they could transport goods to and from the base.

Therefore, they built the largest fortress of all the fortresses built at that time, which was located next to the Dihe River. They named it Deva Victrix-Deva, after the English name of the river along the fortress. And Victrix, behind Diva's "Legio XX Valeria Victrix" camp. Diva Victrix later became the Chester I called home.

The patron saint of Chester is Fort Saintville, who played an important role in the monastery reform in England.

Walking on the well-preserved Roman wall and standing in the amazing Roman amphitheater, you can best understand Chester's Roman origin.

Visit the flowing Di River, stroll through its mottled and ruins of Bailey Castle, or stroll in rows, and you will understand its importance as a medieval city. In order to appreciate the large-scale restoration and construction work carried out in the Victorian era, there is no better example than Chester Cathedral and its elegant East Gate Clock. However, let's start walking around the wall.

wall

The Roman wall around the center of Chester is still one of the most striking features of the city, forming a sandstone circle nearly two miles long. Throughout the ages, Roman centurions, Saxon soldiers and medieval archers have been guarding these walls. Since the runway was used as an entertainment place in the 0/8th century, famous figures such as samuel johnson and John Wesley began to stroll along the walled walkway.

When I returned to the city wall today, every sandstone brick was telling the story of the former residents of Chester-and, of course, their enemies, except recalling the days when I ran the wall in the school running club.

When the Romans built the fortress of Tipo, it was protected by an earth embankment with a wooden fence and a door on each side. It is hard to imagine how spectacular the three-meter-high wall of this fortress will be in the eyes of passers-by. But military fortresses soon attracted civilian settlements living in the shadow of powerful fortresses, which may be due to the attraction of trading with the Romans. With the passage of time, the fortress has become more threatening, because the city walls and fences are rebuilt with locally mined sandstone, forming a solid protective wall.

By AD 4 10, the Roman army had abandoned their bathrooms, houses and amphitheaters in Wavyk, which was part of the process of marking the end of Roman rule in Britain. Nevertheless, Roman-British civilian settlements (probably composed of some former Roman soldiers and their families) still exist, using the strong sandstone walls of the fortress to resist local attacks.

In the Middle Ages, the Saxons began to repair, strengthen and expand the existing Roman walls. They did a good job, and the reconstructed part still constitutes most of today's city walls.

/kloc-in the 0/7th century, the civil war swept through England, and the whole country was caught in the struggle between the democracy of parliamentary election and the absolute monarchy of royalists. The king's eldest son is the Earl of Chester, so Chester naturally supported King Charles and royalists during the Civil War.

However, due to Chester's strategic position as the gateway to Wales and an important trade center, members of parliament very much hope to control it. Another improvement project began on the Roman wall, and watchtowers were added to warn the approaching parliamentary troops.

But despite these improvements, the walls of Chester were demolished many times in the attacks of parliament in the next three years. Legend has it that once, the women in Chester were asked to repair the gap in the city wall all night because the men were exhausted in the daytime battle.

In the peaceful period after the difficult civil war, the city wall no longer needed defense. In AD 1707, it was decided to build a re-marked sidewalk around the city wall for citizens to drive around the city. Today, the city wall constitutes the most complete Roman and medieval city wall system in Britain, and almost every city wall is under first-class protection.

Colosseum open-air arena

The Colosseum in Chester is one of the greatest contributions of the Romans to Britain. It was built in the late 1 century and is the largest amphitheater in Britain. It is located outside the wall rail, and now it is a semi-circular gravel sweeping floor, surrounded by crumbling sandstone and dense green grass. Every time I set foot on this website, I feel awe of its architecture, and I feel a little scared when I think about what happened on its booth more than 2000 years ago.

Contrary to popular belief, this amphitheater is not a space for military training, but a civil amphitheater, which is most likely to be used for cockfighting, bullfighting and fighting. More than 7,000 spectators will gather on the stone platform of this open-air venue to chat with neighbors and buy souvenirs to prepare for a heavily armed gladiator war. Once the bloody battle is over, only one person will win.

In 2005, the Colosseum in Chester was one of the largest archaeological excavations in Britain, where it was found that the Colosseum was not only a two-story building similar to that found along the Mediterranean coast (for example, El Djem in Tunisia), but was actually based on the second and earlier theaters. Little is known about this early building, except that it is simpler than the first one. It may be traced back to Legio II Adiutrix, which was released to this area in the late 1970s.

These discoveries changed historians' view of the amphitheater until 2005. The recent improvement project has changed the venue of the amphitheater, making it easier to imagine its past glory.

The huge mural by British artist Gary droste depicts a complete amphitheater. Now, a new footbridge forms the background of the venue, and visitors can enter from the perspective of a powerful but possibly quite nervous Roman gladiator.

river

On sunny days, residents of Chester flock to the river bank to enjoy the gorgeous sunset reflected on the water and make full use of seasonal attractions. These include local brass musicians serenading on the stage, pedal boats that can sail back and forth on the river, and kiosks selling popular 99 ice cream.

Today, the importance of this river to leisure is in sharp contrast with its previous vitality as an economic vein, inland trade and shipping route. This economic purpose can be traced back to the day when the Saxon king of Wessex rebuilt Chester.

We know little about the period between the Roman evacuation and the 9th century, but Chester regained its prestige in the late Anglo-Saxon era and became a prosperous city or autonomous town, thanks to its location on the banks of the Dee River. Sandy means that residents of Chester can import wine, food and livestock from Wales, France and Spain and export leather, the main industry of Chester at that time. Located on the river bank, this town is booming.

This river also has industrial uses. 1093, Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, commissioned the construction of a sandstone weir on the upper reaches of Laodi Bridge to store water for his corn mill. This later provided inspiration for traditional folk songs, which told the story of a miller who was satisfied with his machine:

I live in my mill, God bless her! She is a relative, a child and a wife;

I will never change my situation for anyone in my life;

No lawyer, surgeon or doctor can get any benefit from me;

If nobody cares about me, I don't care about anyone.

However, this weir caused the Dihe River to be silted up, and with the development of a new port with the function of Liverpool trade on mersey river, Chester decreased. Today, Rudy Racecourse is the oldest racetrack in this country. It was once part of the Roman port and river of Chester. Today, the only curious reminder of its sailing history is the stone cross stump in the middle of the wide and bright green runway, which shows the traces of water ripples on its stem.

castle

Today's Chester Castle complex is located on a hill overlooking the Dee River, which has undergone great changes compared with the original Mott-Bailey structure. But it still provides an excellent perspective for rivers and racetracks. Every time I visit, I close my eyes and imagine myself as a prisoner in a stone wall.

After the Norman Conquest, Count Hugh Lupus built the typical Fort Mott and Fort Bailey with wood, and later replaced them with stones. This castle enhanced Chester's reputation as an army and became the base of North Wales expeditions in the12nd century and13rd century.

Gruffudd ap Cynan, the unfortunate Welsh leader, was arrested and imprisoned in the castle for several years, during which Earl Hugh occupied Wales and built castles in Bangor, Carnarvon and Onoge, Arberry. Gruf udd was finally dragged out of his castle prison and tied to the market, so that all the residents of Chester could see it. When the story happened, the tall Cynwrig seized the opportunity to rescue gruf udd and enabled him to flee to Ireland. After Gruffard escaped, the basement of the castle continued to serve as a useful prison for important prisoners during wars of the roses, such as Richard II and john neville York.

Today, you can visit the crumbling remains of the original castle in the neoclassical architecture developed by Thomas Harrison around the original structure in the late18th century. It's really like going back in time, passing through the magnificent Doric Arch, influenced by classicism, and entering the Stone agricola Tower, the original entrance of this castle, which still retains exquisite religious murals around 1240.

My favorite is the mural of a man bending over and hugging his lover. Although it is cracked and blurred now, it gives people the feeling that these walls used to be so magical and gorgeous. The Cheshire Military Museum records the life of British legions related to the county, and is also located in a typical neoclassical light symmetrical building in the complex, which was once used as a military camp.

line

When I was growing up, I believed that every city had its own "line". This is a series of black-and-white buildings with semi-wood structure, which connect the underground with long galleries, residential shops and cafes on the first floor or "gallery" floor. Of course, I soon learned that this arrangement of high-rise shops, cafes and offices entering through the small stairs between the bottom shops is very unique in Chester-in fact, the scale of Chester's line is incomparable elsewhere. This world.

Chester Line was built in the Middle Ages. At that time, these guilds extended from shop rooms to the living quarters of craftsmen and their families. These shops used to be busy workshops, with signboards hanging outside to show images of handicrafts created internally, because few people could read at that time. Their exact origin is not clear, but some historians think they may have been built on the ruins of Roman buildings or even on Roman tombstones for maintenance.

Before the civil war came to Britain in the17th century, most of these rows were continuous on the whole street, which meant that the gallery on the first floor had no rest time to prevent pedestrians from passing through the whole workshop freely.

However, Sir Richard grosvenor, the descendant of the first Earl of Chester, moved his family from his country estate to the townhouse during the siege of Chester in 1643, and began the trend of gathering troops.

Sir Richard wants to expand the area of his house, because the siege means that he must spend all his time there. Therefore, he got permission to close this row and prevent passers-by from entering the upper gallery in his row, which means that the residents of Chester must descend in order and then ascend before they can visit the surrounding shops. As an influential figure at that time, Sir Richard's decision had an impact on his neighbors' planning decisions, and they also began to close some of their lines or build brand-new houses that did not include the surrounding lines.

Although some residents of Chester had ways to improve their homes at the beginning of the siege, the three-year fierce attack by the parliament on Chester, a royalist stronghold, began to cause losses. Without a stable food supply and the means to make money from trade, people have suffered greatly-not only that, but also because what little money they have is used to collect taxes and repair the city walls.

After lawmakers blocked the single food supply route to the city, hungry residents in Chester began to eat dogs, cats and even mice in a desperate attempt to avoid hunger. Still, many people died of hunger.

In 10, the governor of Byron Chester handed over the city to members of parliament on the condition that the ancient and religious relics of the city must be preserved. But MPs turned a deaf ear to this agreement and destroyed Chester's high cross church, castle, houses and workshops and several churches. Once they finished, Chester lay in the ruins.

After these difficult days, people in Chester began to rebuild their city. Many semi-wooden buildings that can be seen in Chester today originated from this reconstruction period. Oaks are painted with black tar to protect them from wind and rain, and thorns and lime are painted with white.

However, not every row of semi-wooden buildings in Chester today comes from Tudor times: some are Victorian "simulated Tudor" buildings. The first example includes Tudor Mansion in Xia Qiao Street, Bear and Billet Bar in South Gate and Stanley Palace Haunted House in Watergate Street.

Until today, black and white rows are still a unique part of Chester's life, and interesting shops and restaurants are at the perfect level for people to watch.

cathedral

The medieval sandstone building of Chester Cathedral stands proudly in the inner circle of the city wall. This is a very British architectural style, from the northern cross section of Normandy to the exquisite window decoration of Gothic windows and the pleasant gorgeous choir pavilion, which can be traced back to the late14th century. This is a peaceful place, and its history is intertwined with the history of this city.

Some people think that the origin of Chester Cathedral can be traced back to the late Rome, when some Romans began to convert to Christianity and build Christian cathedrals. Whether the Romans built such a cathedral in Chester or not, we all know that by the 10 century, the remains of Fort Saintville had been enshrined in a church in Chester and became an important pilgrimage site for Christians in the Middle Ages. The building was later razed to the ground. Unfortunately, there is no trace left today.

With the help of Saint Anselm and other monks from Normandy, France, Chesterwell and Hugh Lupus, Earl of Castle, donated a Benedictine monastery on the site of the present cathedral. This medieval monastery existed for 500 years before Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the English monastery. This time, however, according to the order of King Henry VIII himself, these buildings survived and became the cathedral of the Church of England.

Since it became a cathedral, the building has undergone great restoration work for centuries, which is why so many architectural styles can be found on its walls. Red sandstone brick provides warm light for the believers in the cathedral, but it is a delicate material, which is easy to rot in the weather in Britain.

George Gilbert Scott, a Victorian restorer, carried out the most extensive restoration work. He replaced the interior accessories destroyed during the Civil War, such as the gorgeous choir screen. He also used the red sandstone of nearby Longkorn to keep the appearance of the cathedral consistent.

One of the quietest places in Chester today is the Cathedral Garden, where there is a Cheshire Legion monument and the first independent bell tower built in England since the Reformation.

clock

The East Gate Clock is grandly located at the top of the arched sandstone structure of the East Gate, at the original entrance of the Roman fortress. When I was a teenager, "let's meet at the clock" was a common phrase, because the pedestrian area under the colorful wrought iron and copper structure was a perfect gathering place. Walking along the city wall, you can also have a bird's eye view of Dongmen Street below.

This clock, together with many of the most famous and well-preserved buildings in Chester, was built in Victorian times. In A.D. 1848, the Italian-style Chester General Railway Station, built of white bricks, was opened and preserved, becoming one of only 22 listed railway stations in England. The city hall was also built during this period, and it is still a model of gothic revival architecture in Ruschia at that time.

There is another famous Chester clock in the city hall building, which shows a missing three-sided bell tower facing Wales. It is said that "Chester will not give Wales a day". The East Gate Clock was built in A.D. 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. It is said that this is the second clock shot in Britain after Big Ben in London.

And my home.

Every time I go back to Chester, I will think of its fascinating story again and everything it experienced today. These stories are told not only through the impressive Roman artifacts in the military archives of grosvenor Museum or Cheshire Military Museum, but also in the living Chester City that still exists today.

When I jog on the track of the Roman wall, I can almost feel the terror of criminals. When I caught up with an old friend in a row of cafes, I was taken back to a lively medieval studio. The magic of Chester is that its history exists not only in dusty documents, but also in well-preserved buildings, monuments and public spaces, and it is still used and enjoyed by Chester citizens.