Chester Parks and Gardens

(Chester, Cheshire, England, UK)

Chester and the surrounding area has a wealth of green spaces. The city's parks date, in the main, to an earlier era when public recreation was first seen as a good idea and an important element to any expanding city.

Today, they are just as widely appreciated as in days gone by. Local residents and visitors alike can enjoy a break from the busy city centre. At weekends, they also become popular places to have a picnic and socialise.

Especially notable is Grosvenor Park, which is to be found just a short distance from Chester city centre. This archetypal English Victorian town park is given over to large lawns, pretty flower beds and more formal tree-lined avenues.

Grosvenor Park

Address: Grosvenor Park Road, Chester, Cheshire, England, UK
Commissioned by the Second Duke of Westminster, Grosvenor Park was one of the first of its kind in the UK. Its aim was simple - to afford the citizens of Chester an opportunity for better health and recreation. Today, the park is enjoyed by both locals and visitors to the city. Other features include Bill Hobby's Well, with its ornamental canopy, a statue of the Duke himself and several stone arches that were brought here from other parts of Chester. Children will particularly enjoy the miniature railway that runs during the summer school holidays.
Open hours: daily - 07:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Alexander Park

Address: Canadian Avenue, Hoole, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 3NW, England, UK
Set up as a public parkland in 1904, Alexander Park is popular with both locals and visitors. The grounds offer crown green bowling and tennis facilities, as well as a children's play area.
Open hours: daily - 08:00 to sunset
Admission: free

Roman Gardens

Address: Pepper Street, Chester, Cheshire, England, UK
Chester's Roman Gardens were established in the 1950s on the site of a former clay pipe factory. They were created as a place where the public could stroll, away from the hustle and bustle of the city's streets. Among the gardens' trees and plants are a collection of ruined buildings that date back to Roman times and which were mostly discovered during 19th-century excavations of the city. They were later brought to the park to be put on display. Among the exhibits is a reconstructed hypocaust or Roman underfloor heating system.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Ness Botanic Gardens

Address: Neston Road, Ness, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 4AY, England, UK
Although not in Chester itself, it is worth paying a visit to these botanic gardens if you have time. They offer great views over the Dee Estuary, as well as an opportunity to view a fascinating collection of plants, some of which are rare. Species on display include the dog's tooth violet, the northern Japanese magnolia and the oddly-named yellow skunk cabbage. The gardens were the work of a Liverpool cotton merchant in the late 19th century. In 1948, they were presented to the University of Liverpool, with the condition that they be kept as botanic gardens with an area that is open to the public.
Open hours: February to October, daily - 10:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge