The 11C Norman abbey church was replaced by the present red sandstone building between 1250 and 1540 which has been carefully restored since 1868. Many of the original abbey buildings still stand around the 16C cloisters. Note the remarkable hammer-beam roof of the refectory. The Dean and Chapter still meet in the 13C Chapter House.

The city walls are extremely well preserved and are a good way of appreciating Chester. North Gate commands Northgate Street, one of the main thoroughfares of the inner city, which is lined with medieval façades. By following the eastern section of the wall you come to King Charles' Tower, from where the cathedral can be glimpsed through the trees. Newgate offers panoramic views over the little Roman garden and Grosvenor Park; on Bridgegate you can see the finest half-timbered house in Chester (1664).

Pont Cysyllteis is a magnificent aqueduct that was built between 1795 and 1810 by the engineer Thomas Telford. One of the great monuments of the industrial age, it carries the Ellesmere Canal over the River Dee at a height of 23m. It is accompanied by a towpath throughout its length (307m).

The Victorian splendour of St. Margaret's Church, often called the "Marble Church" is on a par with Bodelwyddan Castle. Built in 1860 as a memorial to Baron Willoughby de Broke, its sumptuous interior contains no less than 13 different types of marble.