Life is still incredibly hectic even when you are retired!
When you first retire you often sit and ponder how you are going to fill your time but once you are fully in the swing of things you start asking yourself “How on earth did I have time to go to work?”
I’m starting to love retirement particularly when I get to spend time with family and friends or even on my own doing the things I enjoy.
Our Journey:
Last weekend I headed off for three nights with my closest friends -Andrea, Debbie and Janette, who I’ve known for at least seventeen years. As a foursome we try and meet up twice a year which always includes a weekend near Christmas. Due to family commitments this year we had to go a little earlier than usual which meant the cottage we rented wasn’t yet dressed in its Christmas splendour.
Our journey began at 8.30 on Friday morning as the three of us who live down here in the West Country hit the road to travel north. Debbie and I take it in turns these days to drive so we piled all our food and luggage into Conan (my Mitsubishi Barbarian). Those who were around in 1982, which is actually before Andrea was born, will perhaps get the reference as to why I christened him Conan!
A coffee stop was taken as usual, when we are travelling north, at Keele Services on the M6 which has a Starbucks and a Waitrose, what more could us ladies want?
Our first destination was Delamere Train station in Cheshire to pick up Andrea who was travelling down by train from Lancashire.
Delamere Station is probably one of the quaintest railway stations I’ve come across in the UK to date. Opened on 22 June 1870 this station serves both the village of Delamere and also the wonderful Delamere Forest and lies 9.5 miles east of the city of Chester with hourly trains operating both to Chester and in the opposite direction to Manchester. All the facilities of Delamere Forest are only a short distance away.
Unlike many British stations, the original stone buildings still exist next to the platform, though they are privately owned and have been adapted for use as the ‘Station House’ cafe. We wandered through and were all pleasantly surprised at the menu on offer but as we had plans to have lunch together at our next stopping point we merely availed ourselves of the super clean toilet facilities.
The train rolled into the station on time and we all eagerly hugged on the platform pleased that Andrea had completed her journey without any hitches. Piling back into Conan we headed for Tarporley just under six miles up the road.
Tarporley:
Tarporley can be found in rural Cheshire and, as I had read in advance, the village is considered to be one of the county’s most attractive villages. It is actually located near the site of a prehistoric settlement and was listed in the Domesday Book as “Toepelei”, which has been interpreted from Old English as meaning “a pear wood near a hill”.
Our first priority on arrival was to locate the Ginger and Pickles tea room and cafe. We drove past it on the High Street but parking, I have to say, was an absolute nightmare. We had to drive through the main village, check out two different car parks which were both full, before locating a spot on the main road with no parking restrictions. We then walked ten minutes back to the cafe in the hope of having lunch. I’d chosen this particular venue having researched places to eat beforehand on Tripadvisor. Whilst it wasn’t at the top of places to eat in the village it catered for all of us regardless of our dietary choices. We did have to wait for a table but were soon ensconced in the window overlooking the street.
When it came to pay the bill I was astonished to find that the lady taking my card payment actually came from the village I live in Gloucestershire, taking great pleasure in telling me her Mum and brother still live there! Wow! What a small world.
Following lunch we ambled the length of the High Street exploring all the shops that took our fancy. Both Andrea and Debbie managed to find a couple of Christmas presents to cross off their list. I took the photo below because unusually I have been struggling to get into the Christmas spirit this year and this actually made me feel quite warm and fuzzy inside.
A notice up in the village advertising their Festive Fayre beckoned us to return on the Sunday Morning to explore a little further.
Chester:
Within our friendship group we all have our favoured roles which have grown up over time. Since Andrea moved up north from Plymouth five years ago we tend to try and stay somewhere in between our two counties. One of my roles tends to be researching in advance the accommodation, travelling and places to visit once we are there. I then send out the options and we choose somewhere as a group. On this occasion we rented a house about three miles outside Tarporley in Rushton.
Weather permitting we had decided on the Saturday we would venture into Chester itself to explore the city and visit the Christmas Market that was opening that weekend.
I have visited Chester twice before, both with hubby. The first time we had stayed at a hotel and spa outside of the city in celebration of hubby’s birthday and had explored the city using the GPSmyCity app which has been a frequent companion of ours when travelling. On this occasion we had walked around the eleven key sites it lists in its City Introduction Walk.
The second time we visited we were on a tour of the North West and stopped in an Air BnB and having walked into the city we again used the same app but on this occasion to explore the thirteen sights along the City Walls.
Arriving into Chester on what was suggested to be a drizzly and chilly Saturday morning we parked in the New Market multi storey and exited straight into the Chester Market. Opened in 2022 this wasn’t here on my last visit but as it says on their website it now offers “a vibrant selection of produce and goods together with a fantastic choice of authentic global foods all under one roof.” Hubby and I love a market whether it is offering locally produced meat, fish, vegetables and fruit to purchase or an array of food and drink outlets such as this. It allows you to secure a table and then individually pick what you fancy to eat. The girls all agreed that this was where we would come back later for lunch.
History of Chester:
The cathedral city of Chester sits on the River Dee, close to the England-Wales border. It was founded in 79 AD as a Roman fort with the name of Deva Victrix during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. Deva later became a major civilian settlement and one of the main army camps in Roman Britain. I still find it amazing when I wander around towns and cities founded during this era, the idea that I am walking where Romans once trod just astounds me.
In 689, King Ethelred of Mercia founded the Minster Church of West Mercia, which later became Chester’s first cathedral. Chester was one of the last cities in England to fall during the Norman Conquest and it was William the Conqueror who ordered the construction of a castle to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border. Granted city status in 1541, the city walls are some of the best-preserved in the country and have Grade I listed status. The walls are still almost complete with only a 100-metre section missing.
One of the main draws for me is the beautiful black and white timber framed buildings which speak of Medieval times but alas even though some of it’s buildings do stem from the Tudor period several are actually Victorian restorations, originating from the Black and White revival movement!
Despite strolling the cobbled streets in the drizzly rain this wonderful city didn’t lose it’s charm for me. Here are some of the highlights of our walk:-
Chester Town Hall:
Located on Northgate Street in the centre of the city the Town Hall was officially opened on 15 October 1869 by HRH The Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, later King Edward VII.
Designed by the architect Williams Henry Lynn of Belfast, it took over 4 years to complete the building which is made from pink and buff sandstone in the Gothic Revival architectural style. The tower which rises to 160 feet was finally completed in 1869.
Designated as a Grade II listed building the Town Hall remains the centre of activity for the Lord Mayor and Sheriff of Chester with many civic events hosted here throughout the year.
Chester Cathedral:
I have been fortunate to have visited many of the UK’s famous cathedrals, mainly whilst on a UK road trip a couple of years ago. Chester, I have to say doesn’t quite match up to Wells or Canterbury or York but it still is worth visiting in it’s own right.
There has been a church of some type on the present site of Chester Cathedral since the eighth century although human occupation of the space extends to the first century AD when it was part of the fortress of the Roman city.
The present Cathedral is the result of building that commenced around the mid-thirteenth century and continued on and off until the Dissolution in 1540 with the first Bishop of Chester taking his seat in 1541.
Architecturally the church is mainly Romanesque and Gothic although elements of English medieval Norman and Perpendicular are also featured. One of the most attractive parts of the interior of this cathedral for me is the beautiful, ornately carved Quire Stalls alongside the misericords. When you look at these up close it is hard to imagine how they had the immense skill to produce something so elaborate.
The cloister walks are also worth visiting and were some of the final elements to be built, with stone vaults added to replace wooden ones. This covered walkway that runs along the walls of the cathedral enclosing the garden was being set up when we were there ready for the annual Christmas Tree Festival. With over 80 trees decorated in this year’s theme of Discover Christmas: What Christmas means to you, it must add a real element of Christmas spirit when it opens towards the end of November for the Christmas season.
Eastgate Clock:
The Eastgate arch above which stands the Eastgate clock is the site of the original entrance gate to the Roman fortress of Deva Victrix. The current Eastgate dates back to 1768 with the clock being added in 1899 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. It features a face on all four sides along with the year 1897 and the initials VR appearing above and below each clock face.
Both the gate and the clock were given Grade I status in 1955.
Chester Rows:
This is the main shopping area within the city of Chester, completely pedestrianised, often with delightful cobbled streets, and dating back to records kept in 1293. Originally shops with living areas, some have weathered the test of time but others have been replaced with restaurants and offices. Only about twenty of the original Rows are still standing.
Chester does seem to have it all with undercover shopping centres and an abundance of fashion boutiques, independent shops and also High Street favourites. The city claims to have something for every age group, style and budget.
Chester Roman Gardens and Amphitheatre:
The Chester Roman Gardens sits close to the Roman Amphitheatre above the River Dee. The gardens were built in 1949 for the sole purpose of displaying the ruins of the fortress Deva Vitrix. Most notable amongst these artefacts are original columns with the largest on display coming from the Roman Assembly Hall.
Turning right out of the gardens and further along Pepper Street is the site of the Roman amphitheatre, the largest to be uncovered in Great Britain in 1929. The Romans are thought to have built the original theatre between 70 and 80 AD and it remained in active use throughout their occupation.
The ruins show that this theatre was similar to those found in continental Europe. Unfortunately only the northern half of the theatre is exposed as the southern part is still covered by buildings. When we visited a large mill like building to the south was falling into disrepair so maybe Chester will one day rediscover the rest of this arena.
Even with what you can see currently, if you stand with your back close to the street, you can still imagine the chariots and gladiators pouring out of the labyrinth of rooms, hallways and cages into the arena ready for their turn to perform. This is such an important part of our country’s history.
The River Dee:
Towards the end of our walk we wandered down through Grosvenor Park to the banks of the River Dee. This river runs a total length of 70 miles, rising in the Welsh hills of Snowdonia, flowing through Chester and ending its journey to the sea in Liverpool Bay. There is a lovely waterside and woodland trail which takes you along the River Dee and back through the woods south of Chester along rougher paths and paved roads. It’s a great walk to do to spot wildlife as well as enjoying views over the water.
As planned we had a late lunch at the Market Hall with it’s selection of food vendors before wandering around the Christmas Market stalls which by this time were lit up and buzzing with visitors. The sights, sounds and smells emanating from the stalls lifted my Christmas spirit and at times even tempted me to buy delicacies to take home.
We returned back to our accommodation and popped back into Tarporley on Sunday for their Christmas Market. Although obviously a lot smaller than Chester it was worth a browse around for an hour.
No Girls Christmas weekend is complete without Christmas dinner and this was duly delivered on Sunday Afternoon along with the exchanging of presents in the evening before making our way home on Monday morning.
I truly recommend a visit to the wonderful old city of Chester, it has a lot to offer both historically and for those who love to shop. I’m even thinking of returning myself next year for another walk around the famous walls and a spot of Christmas shopping ensuring of course that I come, next time, after the Christmas trees are lit in the cathedral!
A Midlife Adventure 