Chester Castle

Chester Castle stands at the edge of the old city, on high ground above the River Dee. The medieval core sits beside later neoclassical buildings designed by Thomas Harrison between 1788 and 1813. Parts of the complex still serve as a Crown Court and a military museum open to visitors. The Agricola Tower contains the 12th-century chapel of St Mary de Castro with Norman carvings. Remains of the original motte-and-bailey and later stone gateways survive within the walls. The castle was begun in 1070 by Hugh d’Avranches, Earl of Chester, on or near a Saxon fort. In the 13th century Henry III and Edward I added baileys, a deep moat and royal chambers. Notable prisoners once held here included Richard II and Eleanor Cobham. The Great Hall was rebuilt in the late 16th century after damage during the Civil War. Nikolaus Pevsner called Harrison’s neoclassical work one of England’s most powerful Greek Revival monuments. Today the entrance is through the Grade I-listed Propylaeum with its Doric columns. The former Shire Hall now houses Crown Courts, while the barracks block contains the Cheshire Military Museum. The Agricola Tower preserves a 13th-century painted ceiling uncovered in the 1990s. Outside, curtain walls with the Flag Tower and Halfmoon Tower enclose a courtyard with a statue of Queen Victoria. The inner bailey is cared for by Cheshire West and Chester Council on behalf of English Heritage.