Chester

Chester
City
Clockwise from top: Eastgate Street, the town hall, castle, Roman amphitheatre and cathedral
Coat of arms
Chester Location within Cheshire
Population	92,760 (Built up area, 2021)[1] 138,875 (Official city, 2021)[2][3]
Demonym	Cestrian
OS grid reference	SJ405665
• London	165 mi (266 km)[4] SE
Unitary authority	Cheshire West and Chester
Ceremonial county	Cheshire
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Areas of the city	List Abbot's Meads Blacon Boughton Boughton Heath Caughall (Village) Christleton (Village) City Centre Curzon Park Great Boughton Handbridge Hoole Huntington Lache Moston (Village) Newton Piper's Ash Saltney (Town) (Part) Sealand (Village) (Part) The Dale Upton-by-Chester Upton Heath Vicars Cross Westminster Park
Post town	CHESTER
Postcode district	CH1–4
Dialling code	01244
Police	Cheshire
Fire	Cheshire
Ambulance	North West
UK Parliament	Chester North and Neston Chester South and Eddisbury
List of places UK England Cheshire 53°11′N 2°53′W / 53.19°N 2.89°W / 53.19; -2.89

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,^[1] it is the most populous settlement of Cheshire West and Chester (which had a population of 357,150 in 2021).^[5] It is also the historic county town of Cheshire and 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 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 a 100-metre (330 ft) section, the walls are almost complete.^[6] 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.^[7] The Industrial Revolution brought railways, canals, and new roads to the city, which saw substantial expansion and development; Chester Town Hall and 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.^[8]