The city of Chester is situated in Cheshire County near the border with Wales on the River Dee. Around 75 AD, the Roman military built a fortress, Deva Victrix, in what is now Chester. At the turn of the first century, the Romans began to build a wall around the city, and those walls are credited with Being the oldest and the longest in all of Britain.

A settlement grew around the fort, and soldiers established a market which served the civilians, and craftsmen including bakers, butchers, potters, carpenters, and blacksmiths arrived, expanding the market. Imports and exports all found themselves in Chester’s port.

In the 4th century, as the Roman Empire began to crumble, the last of the Roman soldiers left Britain entirely in 410. Once the Roman military was gone, the Saxons invaded eastern England and moved westward toward Chester. Around 617, the Welsh and the Saxons fought at Chester, with the Saxons winning both the battle and Chester. During the 9th century, the Vikings took Chester for a while, losing to Alfred the Great.

In 1069, northern England rebelled against William the Conqueror, who retaliated by invading the north using a scorched earth policy, burning entire villages and slaughtering those who lived there. During the 16th and 17th centuries were boom years for the leather and wool industries.

Today, many of the tourist attractions are from the days when it was part of the Roman Empire. The walls, Roman Garden, and the Amphitheatre are all still standing.

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