Chester is a city with quite a fascinating history. With so much culture and entertainment to be enjoyed, combined with a top class university and excellent job prospects, this city has plenty to offer students, young professionals and tourists alike. But just how much do you know about this noteworthy, ancient city?
1. The Famous Walled City
Chester is home to the best surviving Roman Fortress Wall in Northern Europe (near Northgate). Dating back to Roman times, it was founded as a fort in 79 AD, and apart from a small 100-metre section, the listed Grade I walls are all still standing today.
2. Chester’s Rows
The city is famous for its covered walkways at the first floor in each of the city’s four main streets, which allow for double level shopping. This rare architectural feature dates back to at least the 13th Century and is unique not only in Britain, but around the world.
3. Award-Winning Zoo
Chester zoo is the most visited wildlife attraction in the UK, with 1.9 million visiting every year. With 15,000 animals over 125 acres of award-winning zoological gardens, TripAdvisor named Chester Zoo the 7th best zoo in the entire world in 2015.
4. Birthplace of James Bond!
Well, ok not actually 007 himself, but the actor who currently plays Britain’s most famous MI5 agent, Daniel Craig, was born in Chester in 1968.
5. Top Sports Stars
Chester has also produced some of the UK’s best sportspeople, including professional snooker player Ricky Walden, Olympic medal-winning gymnast Beth Tweddle and top footballers Michael Owen, Danny Murphy and Tom Heaton.
6. Oldest Racecourse in Britain
Chester Racecourse, also known as the Roodee, has hosted horse racing events since 1539, making it not only the oldest racecourse in the country, but Britain’s oldest sporting venue in continual use!
7. Best Performing University in the North West of England for Employability
The University of Chester is such a successful university that 95.2% of its graduates go on to work or further study within six months of graduating. And with 2000 members of staff and a large number of its students staying in Chester to take up employment, the University contributes approximately £135 million to the local economy in financial terms alone. It was also awarded a Silver rating in the recent Teaching Excellence Framework ratings.
8. 5th Prettiest City in Europe!
In a 2013 poll by USA Today poll Chester was named the fifth prettiest city in Europe, beating picturesque tourist hotspots such as Prague, Budapest, Santorini, Venice and Bruges!
9. The Chester Renaissance
Over the past 10 years, Chester has seen a whopping £1.3billion of investment, designed to help the city become a “must see European destination”. This massive, exciting project has been nicknamed ‘Chester Renaissance’ and includes the Northgate Development, Delamere Street development and the £60million HQ development.
10. City Place
A new £120m regeneration of Chester’s central business district is planned to be completed by 2028. City Place will provide in excess of 500,000 sq. ft. of quality office accommodation, retail and leisure facilities, and includes 200 new residential units. This project is expected to create around 3,500 jobs.
Chester’s deep-rooted heritage, culture and strong economy make it an incredible place to live, work, visit or study in, and that in turn makes the city a top choice for property investors looking for the next ‘big’ city to invest in.
If you found this interesting, you might also find Why Invest in Chester and A Guide to Investing in Student Property in Chester useful.
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