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Grosvenor Museum

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Peter Bressan (1663 - 1731) was a noted woodwind instrument maker of whose work several examples exist in museums and private collections.

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71-772: Grosvenor Museum is a museum in Chester , Cheshire , in the United Kingdom. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building . Its full title is The Grosvenor Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, with Schools of Science and Art, for Chester, Cheshire and North Wales . It takes its name from the family name of the Dukes of Westminster , who are major landowners in Cheshire. The museum opened in 1886, it

142-517: A crypt -like vault . Those on the first floor are entered behind a continuous walkway, often with a sloping shelf between the walkway and the railings overlooking the street. Much of the architecture of central Chester looks medieval and some of it is, but by far the greater part of it, including most of the black-and-white buildings, is Victorian , a result of what Pevsner termed the " black-and-white revival " pioneered by architects John Douglas and T.M. Lockwood . The most prominent buildings in

213-648: A rain shadow effect caused by the Welsh Mountains. Over 1mm of rain is reported on 135.5 days. The Chester Urban Area is an urban area surrounding the city of Chester. The urban area includes the town of Saltney in Flintshire , North Wales and the outlying suburbs of Bache , Blacon , Boughton , Curzon Park , Great Boughton , Handbridge , Huntington , Hoole , Kingsway, Lache , Moston , Newton , Newtown , Queens Park , Upton , Vicars Cross , and Westminster Park . Areas just outside

284-489: A 100-metre (330 ft) section, the walls are almost complete. It has several medieval buildings. However, many of the black-and-white buildings within the city centre are Victorian restorations, originating from the Black-and-white Revival movement. The Industrial Revolution brought railways, canals, and new roads to the city, which saw substantial expansion and development; Chester Town Hall and

355-550: A Grade II listed building. The county police headquarters has since moved again, in 1967, to Nuns Road before leaving the city in 2003 for Clemonds Hey, Winsford . According to the 2011 census, Chester had a large White British proportion of around 110,000 or 90.9% of the population. 1.0% described themselves as Irish. 3.6% as Other White . 2.2% described themselves as Asian. 1.3% described themselves as Mixed Race . 0.6% described themselves as Black or Black British and 0.3% are classed as other. Cheshire West and Chester also has

426-645: A YouTube video. The recorder player Frans Brüggen had a collection of historical instruments amongst which are a number of original Bressans, including the voice flute. The instruments are finely made usually in boxwood or fruitwood and decorated with ivory rings. Three surviving bass recorders, found in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Grosvenor museum, Chester and St Peter Hungate, Norwich are described with their measurements and compared to those of lost bass recorder by Bressan described by James Talbot in

497-403: A collection of Roman tombstones. It also owns 23 paintings by Louise Rayner , which is the largest number in any public collection. The museum also holds six recorders made by Peter Bressan ; four of these form the only complete set of Bressan recorders in the country. A programme of temporary exhibitions is arranged by the museum. The museum is open on most days of the year, and admission

568-525: A large number of Christians at 76.4%. 14% have no religion, and 8.2% are not stated. 0.7% are Muslim. 0.1% are Sikhs. 0.1% are Jewish. 0.2% are Buddhists. The population was forecast to grow by 5% from 2005 to 2021. The resident population for Chester District in the 2001 Census was 118,200. This represents 17.5% of the Cheshire County total (1.8% of the North West population). The city

639-713: A matched set always kept together as a recorder consort or quartet consisting of a soprano in F4 of 20 inches, an alto in D4 of 24 inches, a tenor in C4 of 26¾ inches and a bass in F3 of 42½ inches. This quartet belonged to the Cholmondeley family of Cheshire and was found in an attic around 1845. It was given to the Chester and North Wales Archaeological Society whose collections later passed into

710-647: A reconstructed Roman street. One of the blocks in the forecourt of the Castle houses the Cheshire Military Museum. The major public park in Chester is Grosvenor Park . On the south side of the River Dee, in Handbridge , is Edgar's Field, another public park, which contains Minerva's Shrine , a Roman shrine to the goddess Minerva . A war memorial to those who died in the world wars is in

781-616: A spur leading to the Water Tower , and Thimbleby's Tower . On Eastgate is Eastgate Clock , which is said to be the most photographed clock face in England after those that share the tower with Big Ben . The Rows are unique in Britain. They consist of buildings with shops or dwellings on the lowest two storeys. The shops or dwellings on the ground floor are often lower than the street and are entered by steps, which sometimes lead to

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852-477: A summer music festival and a literature festival . There is a Tourist Information Centre at the town hall. The Cheshire Police Constabulary was historically based in the city from its foundation in 1857. Originally on Seller Street, its headquarters moved to Egerton Street (both since redeveloped), and then from 1870 to 113 Foregate Street, where Parker's Buildings now stand. In 1883, the police headquarters moved to 142 Foregate Street, Chester , now preserved as

923-412: A temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or higher. Given the correctly aligned breezy conditions, a föhn effect will operate, meaning local temperatures are somewhat higher than the surrounding area. The absolute minimum temperature recorded was −18.2 °C (−0.8 °F) during January 1982. Annually, an average of 42.2 air frosts should be recorded. Annual rainfall is barely over 700mm due to

994-580: Is Cair Legion (" Fort " or " City of the Legion"); this later developed into Caerlleon and then the modern Welsh Caer . (The town's importance is noted by its taking the simpler form in each case, while Isca Augusta in Monmouthshire , another important legionary base, was known first as Caerleon on the Usk , and now as Caerleon ). King Arthur is said to have fought his ninth battle at

1065-464: Is a heritage centre , St Mary-on-the-Hill is an educational centre, and Holy Trinity now acts as the Guildhall. Other notable buildings include the preserved shot tower , the highest structure in Chester, and St Thomas of Canterbury Church . Roman remains can still be found in the city, particularly in the basements of some of the buildings and in the lower parts of the northern section of

1136-523: Is free. Citations Sources Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire , England, on the River Dee , close to the England-Wales border . With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement of Cheshire West and Chester (which had a population of 357,150 in 2021). It is also the historic county town of Cheshire and

1207-530: Is home to the University of Chester . Formerly a teacher training college, it gained full university status in 2005 and is the county's main provider of tertiary education. The University of Law also has a campus in nearby Christleton . Cheshire College – South & West is a vocational college with campuses in Handbridge as well as Ellesmere Port and Crewe. The King's School , a private school ,

1278-698: Is owned by The 7th Duke of Westminster who owns an estate, Eaton Hall , near the village of Eccleston . He also has London properties in Mayfair . Grosvenor is the Duke's family name, which explains such features in the city as the Grosvenor Bridge , the Grosvenor Hotel , and Grosvenor Park. Much of Chester's architecture dates from the Victorian era , many of the buildings being modelled on

1349-721: Is the largest known military amphitheatre in Britain, and is also a Scheduled Monument . The Minerva Shrine in the Roman quarry is the only rock-cut Roman shrine still in situ in Britain. The fortress was garrisoned by the legion until at least the late 4th century. Although the army had abandoned the fortress by 410 when the Romans retreated from Britannia , the Romano-British civilian settlement continued (probably with some Roman veterans staying behind with their wives and children) and its occupants probably continued to use

1420-656: The Angles extended and strengthened the walls to protect the city against the Danes . Chester was one of the last cities in England to fall to the Normans , and William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border. Chester was granted city status in 1541. The city walls of Chester are some of the best-preserved in the country and have Grade I listed status. Apart from

1491-463: The City of Chester is Samantha Dixon ( Labour ), who has held the seat since a by-election in 2022 . Chester was an ancient borough , with its earliest known charters dating from the twelfth century. It was given the right to appoint its own sheriffs in 1506, making it a county corporate , administratively separate from the rest of Cheshire. The borough gained city status in 1541 on the creation of

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1562-569: The Diocese of Chester . The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , which standardised the way many boroughs operated across the country. When elected county councils were created in 1889, Chester was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services. So it was made a county borough , independent from Cheshire County Council . The county borough

1633-482: The Grosvenor Museum are examples of Victorian architecture from this period. Tourism, the retail industry, public administration, and financial services are important to the modern economy. Chester signs itself as Chester International Heritage City on road signs on the main roads entering the city. Charles Leigh concluded in 1701 that there was probably a British city called Genuina (or Gunia) before

1704-598: The Jacobean half-timbered style and designed by John Douglas , who was employed by the Duke as his principal architect. He had a trademark of twisted chimney stacks, many of which can be seen on the buildings in the city centre. Douglas designed, amongst other buildings, the Grosvenor Hotel and the City Baths . In 1911, Douglas' protégé and city architect James Strong designed the then-active fire station on

1775-545: The Old Dee Bridge , dating from the 13th century, the Grosvenor Bridge of 1832, and Queen's Park suspension bridge (for pedestrians). To the southwest of the city, the River Dee curves towards the north. The area between the river and the city walls here is known as the Roodee and contains Chester Racecourse , which holds a series of horse races and other events. The first recorded race meet in England at Roodee Fields

1846-544: The second-largest settlement in Cheshire after Warrington . Chester was founded in 79 AD as a " castrum " or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix during the reign of Emperor Vespasian . One of the main army camps in Roman Britain , Deva later became a major civilian settlement. In 689, King Æthelred of Mercia founded the Minster Church of West Mercia, which later became Chester's first cathedral, and

1917-531: The "city of the legions" ( Caerlleon ) and later St Augustine came to the city to try to unite the church, and held his synod with the Welsh Bishops. In 616, Æthelfrith of Northumbria defeated a Welsh army at the brutal and decisive Battle of Chester and probably established the Anglo-Saxon position in the area from then on. The Northumbrian Anglo-Saxons used an Old English equivalent of

1988-466: The 1950s and early 1960s, producing, for instance, the suburb of Blacon . In 1964, a bypass was built through and around the city centre to combat traffic congestion. These new developments caused local concern as the physicality and, therefore, the feel of the city was being dramatically altered. In 1968, a report by Donald Insall, in collaboration with authorities and government, recommended that historic buildings be preserved in Chester. Consequently,

2059-590: The British name, Legacæstir , which was current until the 11th century, when, in a further parallel with Welsh usage, the first element fell out of use and the simple name Chester emerged. In 689, King Æthelred of Mercia founded the Minster Church of West Mercia on what is considered to be an early Christian site: it is known as the Minster of St John the Baptist, Chester (now St John's Church) which later became

2130-547: The Dee, or directly from the British name for the river. The 'victrix' part of the name was taken from the title of the Legio XX Valeria Victrix which was based at Deva. Central Chester's four main roads, Eastgate, Northgate, Watergate and Bridgegate, follow routes laid out at this time. A civilian settlement grew around the military base, which probably originated from trade with the fortress. The fortress

2201-632: The English to pronounce. His workshop and home was located in Dutchy House, in part of the old Savoy Palace in London. This part of London had a rich history and for many years had sheltered foreigners and especially French nationals. Bressan arrived in England in 1688, had made a fortune by the time of his marriage in 1703. He and his wife Mary Margaret had ten children but only four survived to adulthood. His trade had fallen off by 1713 perhaps due to

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2272-481: The Lord Mayor. Chester's city status is now formally held by the area of the charter trustees, comprising the 15 wards of Cheshire West and Chester which correspond to the area of the pre-2009 Chester City Council. The official city therefore includes rural areas beyond Chester's built-up area, and had a total population of 138,875 at the 2021 census, compared to 92,760 for the built-up area. Chester lies at

2343-658: The age of fifteen. It is not known where he learned his instrument making skills but it is surmised that he may have studied under the Hotteterres in Paris. In 1691 Pierre was recorded as having played the hautboy (oboe) for William III of England. Subsequently, there are a number of references to him by authors of the time and later as a maker and seller of musical instruments including recorders, voice flutes , flutes, oboes and bassoons. At some point he changed his surname to Bressan; possibly because 'Jaillard' proved hard for

2414-619: The area where boulder clay was absent. The eastern and northern parts of Chester consisted of heathland and forest. The western side towards the Dee Estuary was marsh and wetland habitats. Chester has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ), typical of the British Isles but more susceptible to cold than the extreme south. Despite its proximity to the Irish Sea , the temperature regime is similar to areas further inland, owing to

2485-580: The arrival of the Romans. The Roman Legio II Adiutrix during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian founded Chester in AD 79 as a " castrum " or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix . It was established in the land of the Celtic Cornovii , according to ancient cartographer Ptolemy , as a fortress during the Roman expansion northward, and was named Deva either after the goddess of

2556-527: The basement of 39 Bridge Street, which is open to the public. Of the original medieval city, the most important surviving structure is Chester Castle , particularly the Agricola Tower. Much of the rest of the castle has been replaced by the neoclassical county court and its entrance, the Propyleum. To the south of the city runs the River Dee, with its 11th-century weir . The river is crossed by

2627-498: The bassets, most are scaled in total external length in an exact ratio to the treble: 4th flute 3/4, voice flute 6/5, and tenor flute 4/3. Two of his transverse flutes have an earlier style single centre joint and one with four joints is unusually decorated with silver piqué (possibly the work of Peter Simon, Bressan's brother-in-law, a silversmith). No examples of his oboes or bassoons are known to exist. The Grosvenor Museum in Chester has six of his recorders, four of which form

2698-471: The buildings were used in new and different ways instead of being demolished. The City Conservation Area was designated in 1969. Over the next twenty years, the emphasis was placed on saving historic buildings, such as The Falcon Inn , Dutch Houses , and Kings Buildings. On 13 January 2002, Chester was granted the first UK Fairtrade City status by the Fairtrade Foundation . In 2011 this

2769-543: The circuit is in the southwest section in front of County Hall . A footpath runs along the top of the walls, crossing roads by bridges over Eastgate, Northgate , St Martin's Gate, Watergate , Bridgegate , Newgate , and the Wolf Gate, and passing a series of structures, namely Phoenix Tower (or King Charles' Tower), Morgan's Mount , the Goblin Tower (or Pemberton's Parlour ), and Bonewaldesthorne's Tower with

2840-531: The city centre are the town hall and the cathedral . The town hall was opened in 1869. It is in Gothic Revival style and has a tower and a short spire. The cathedral was formerly the church of St Werburgh's Abbey . Its architecture dates back to the Norman era, with additions made most centuries since. A series of major restorations took place in the 19th century, and in 1975, a separate bell tower

2911-480: The city include: Christleton , Eccleston , Guilden Sutton , Littleton , Mickle Trafford , Mollington , Saughall and Waverton . The more unusual landmarks in the city are the city walls , the Rows and the black-and-white architecture. The walls encircle the bounds of the medieval city and constitute the most complete city walls in Britain, the full circuit measuring nearly 2 miles (3 km). The only break in

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2982-696: The city walls , and in St Werburgh's Roman Catholic church in Grosvenor Park Road. The Anglo-Saxons extended and strengthened the walls of Chester to protect the city against the Danes, who occupied it for a short time until Alfred seized all the cattle and laid waste on the surrounding land to drive them out. It was Alfred's daughter Æthelflæd , Lady of the Mercians, that built the new Anglo-Saxon burh . A new Church dedicated to St Peter alone

3053-476: The city walls. The most important Roman feature is the amphitheatre just outside the walls, which underwent archaeological investigation in the early 21st century. Roman artefacts are on display in the Roman Gardens which run parallel to the city walls from Newgate to the River Dee, where there's also a reconstructed hypocaust system . An original hypocaust system discovered in the 1720s can be seen in

3124-757: The decline in popularity of the recorder. His substantial fortune was diminished by litigation, by the extravagance of his wife, and especially by their involvement in the financial crash of the South Sea Bubble in 1720. He became naturalised in 1723. Bressan died in 1731 while living alone in Tournai , Belgium. His will shows him to have been relatively well off, as it includes paintings, busts and many musical instruments. Surviving instruments by Bressan include 51 recorders and 3 transverse flutes. The recorders comprise one descant, 27 trebles, 13 voice flutes, 12 tenors and six bassets, or bass recorders. Except for

3195-731: The first period room , the Victorian Parlour, which opened in 1955. Numismatist Elizabeth Pirie began her career there in 1955. A new art gallery was created in 1989. In 1990 a major reconstruction took place, refurbishing all the public galleries. The museum was re-opened in 1992 by the Prince of Wales . In 1993 the Webster Roman Stones Gallery won the North West Museum of the Year award, and in 1999

3266-637: The first cathedral. Much later, the body of Æthelred's niece, St Werburgh, was removed from Hanbury in Staffordshire in the 9th century and, to save it from desecration by Danish marauders was reburied in the Church of SS Peter & Paul – later to become the Abbey Church (the present cathedral). Her name is still remembered in St Werburgh's Street, which passes alongside the cathedral, and near

3337-557: The fortress and its defences as protection from raiders from the Irish Sea . After the Roman troops withdrew, the Romano-British established several petty kingdoms. Chester is thought to have become part of Powys . Deverdoeu was a Welsh name for Chester as late as the 12th century (cf Dyfrdwy , Welsh for the river Dee). Another, attested in the 9th-century History of the Britons traditionally attributed to Nennius ,

3408-433: The great Minster Church of St John the Baptist by six (the monk Henry Bradshaw records he was rowed by eight kings) tributary kings called reguli . In 1071, King William the Conqueror made Hugh d'Avranches , who built Chester Castle , the first Earl of Chester (second creation) . From the 14th to the 18th century, the city's prominent position in North West England meant it was commonly known as Westchester. This name

3479-471: The monasteries , and ruins of the former east end remain outside the church. Much of the interior is in Norman style and this is considered to be the best example of 11th–12th-century church architecture in Cheshire. At the intersection of the former Roman roads is Chester Cross , to the north of which is the small church of St Peter's , which is in use as an ecumenical centre. Other churches are now redundant and have other uses: St Michael's in Bridge Street

3550-420: The museum was awarded £300,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to make improvements on accessibility and to create a new shop. This was re-opened in 2000, giving full ground-floor access to all visitors. The museum has over 100,000 visitors each year. The Education Service is housed on the top floor of the museum and gives opportunities for children to learn about the history of the city. The museum contains

3621-438: The ownership of the Grosvenor Museum. The Dayton Miller collection of flutes and other wind instruments in the Library of Congress , Washington , has 5 recorders by Bressan, illustrated in high definition photographs on their website. The Bate Collection in Oxford has a well known example of an alto recorder on which a number of modern copies have been based, as well as a bass recorder which can be heard playing together on

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3692-413: The right to appoint a Lord Mayor . Chester City Council was abolished in 2009 when local government across Cheshire was reorganised; Cheshire County Council was also abolished, and the three districts of Chester, Ellesmere Port and Neston and Vale Royal merged to form a unitary authority called Cheshire West and Chester. Charter trustees were established to maintain Chester's city status and appoint

3763-466: The shelter provided by the Pennines to the northeast and the Welsh Mountains to the southwest. The nearest official weather station is at Hawarden Airport , about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the city centre. The absolute maximum temperature recorded was 37.1 °C (98.8 °F) on 18 July 2022, the highest temperature reported in Wales. In an average year, the warmest day should reach 29.3 °C (84.7 °F), and 12.0 days in total should attain

3834-408: The southern end of a 2-mile (3.2 km) Triassic sandstone ridge that rises to a height of 42 m within a natural S-bend in the River Dee (before the course was altered in the 18th century). The bedrock, also known as the Chester Pebble Beds, is noticeable because of the many small stones trapped within its strata. Retreating glacial sheet ice also deposited quantities of sand and marl across

3905-407: The supporters of the Grosvenor arms . In the entrance hall are four columns made from Shap granite , and a mosaic which features the city arms , which was made by the firm of Ludwig Oppenheimer . In 1947 Graham Webster took over as curator and devised the Newstead Gallery, named after his predecessor, which opened in 1953. Webster saved 20 Castle Street from demolition and created in it

3976-405: The town hall and it contains the names of all Chester servicemen who died in the First World War. There are cruises on the River Dee and the Shropshire Union Canal, as well as guided open-air bus tours. The river cruises and bus tours start from a riverside area known as the Groves, which contains seating and a bandstand . A series of festivals is organised in the city, including mystery plays ,

4047-410: The two Chester railway stations, Chester General and Chester Northgate Station , meant that Newtown with its cattle market and canal , and Hoole with its railways were responsible for providing the vast majority of workers and in turn, the vast amount of Chester's wealth production throughout the Industrial Revolution. The population was 23,115 by 1841. A considerable amount of land in Chester

4118-410: The west side of Northgate Street. Another feature of all buildings belonging to the estate of Westminster is the 'Grey Diamonds' – a weaving pattern of grey bricks in the red brickwork laid out in a diamond formation. Towards the end of World War II , a lack of affordable housing meant many problems for Chester. Large areas of farmland on the city's outskirts were developed as residential areas in

4189-439: Was 20% larger than other fortresses in the Roman province of Britannia built around the same time at York ( Eboracum ) and Caerleon ( Isca Augusta ); this has led to the suggestion that the fortress, rather than London ( Londinium ), was intended to become the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Superior . The civilian amphitheatre , which was built in the 1st century, could seat between 8,000 and 10,000 people. It

4260-405: Was abolished in 1974, merging with the former Chester Rural District and Tarvin Rural District which covered the surrounding rural areas to create a new Chester district , which was a district-level authority with Cheshire County Council providing county-level services. Chester's city status was extended to cover the whole of the district created in 1974. In 1992, Chester City Council was given

4331-405: Was appointed as architect. The foundation stone was laid on 3 February 1885 by the Duke, and the museum was officially opened by him on 9 August 1886. A major extension was built in 1894. The first curator was Robert Newstead, who served in this position from 1886 to 1913 and again from 1922 to 1947. Newstead later became Professor Emeritus of Entomology at Liverpool University and

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4402-409: Was at that time a canon of Chester Cathedral . In 1873 it joined forces with the Chester Archaeological Society and the Schools of Science and Art to raise money to build the museum. A sum of £11,000 (£1.23 million in 2024) was raised, which included a donation of £4,000 (£450,000 in 2024) from the First Duke of Westminster . The Duke also gave a plot of land in Grosvenor Street. Thomas Lockwood

4473-412: Was established by King Henry VIII in 1541. The girls-only Queen's School , another independent school, was founded in 1878. Peter Bressan Peter Bressan was born as Pierre Jaillard in Bourg-en-Bresse , France, May 27, 1663 and died April 21,1732 in Tournai , Belgium. Pierre was probably educated at the College in Bourg until he was apprenticed for two years to Jean Boysser a master turner at

4544-438: Was extended in 1894, and major refurbishments took place between 1989 and 1999. Its contents include archaeological items from the Roman period, paintings, musical instruments, and a room arranged as a Victorian parlour . Grosvenor Museum was founded in 1885, largely due to the inspiration and work of the Chester Society for Natural Science, Literature and Art. This society had been founded in 1871 by Charles Kingsley , who

4615-451: Was extended to the entire borough. There is one main tier of local government covering Chester, at unitary authority level, being Cheshire West and Chester Council . Much of the Chester urban area is an unparished area , but some of the suburbs are included in civil parishes such as Great Boughton and Upton-by-Chester and there is also a small parish in the centre of the city called Chester Castle . The Member of Parliament for

4686-417: Was founded in AD 907 by the Lady Æthelfleda at what was to become the Cross. In 973, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that, two years after his coronation at Bath, King Edgar of England came to Chester where he held his court in a palace in a place now known as Edgar's Field near the old Dee bridge in Handbridge. Taking the helm of a barge, he was rowed the short distance up the River Dee from Edgar's Field to

4757-433: Was made a freeman of Chester. In 1915 the City of Chester took over the administration of the museum, and in 1938 the authority took full control of the collections and displays. The museum is in Ruabon red brick with sandstone dressings, and it has a red tile roof in free Renaissance style. Above the door are spandrels with carvings representing Science and Art. The Dutch gables are carved with peacocks flanked by

4828-411: Was on 9 February 1540. The Shropshire Union Canal runs to the north of the city and a branch leads from it to the River Dee. The major museum in Chester is the Grosvenor Museum, which includes a collection of Roman tombstones and an art gallery . Associated with the museum is 20 Castle Street, which has rooms furnished in different historical styles. The Deva Roman Experience has hands-on exhibits and

4899-407: Was opened. The elaborately carved canopies of the choir stalls are considered to be among the finest in the country. Also in the cathedral is the shrine of St Werburgh . The former monastic buildings are north of the cathedral. The oldest church in the city is St John's , which is outside the city walls and was at one time the cathedral church. The church was shortened after the dissolution of

4970-414: Was ordered to surrender Dee Mills: they were to be demolished, and new mills built on city land. Chester played a significant part in the Industrial Revolution , which began in the North West of England in the late 18th century. The city village of Newtown, located northeast of the city and bounded by the Shropshire Union Canal , was at the very heart of this industry. The large Chester Cattle Market and

5041-407: Was used by Celia Fiennes when she visited the city in 1698. and is also used in Moll Flanders . In the English Civil War, Chester sided with the royalist cause of King Charles I but was subdued by the Parliamentarians in 1643. The Mayor of Chester, Charles Walley, was removed from office and replaced by Alderman William Edwards. Another alderman, Francis Gamull , a royalist MP and former Mayor,

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