Our 72 hours in Chester was the first holiday I’ve ever booked through the power of Instagram alone. We had been looking for somewhere as a long weekend break (well, I say we, but I had actually been put on a travel ban which Mr Kiwi now mostly denies, his baby blues all innocent) when I spotted that a friend of mine had day tripped up to Chester. It was beautiful.
So firing up the laptop, I booked us a cheeky little Cheshire staycation.
Simply
hopping on a train and scooting through the rolling countryside is a pleasure that I can’t get enough of – the excuse to lose myself in the pages of a book to the soothing background clickety-clack of train wheels and whistling winds – it’s a special kind of bliss.
We didn’t have many plans further than booking a hotel within the ancient city walls for the first two nights. Our mission was simple relaxation. Upon arrival mid-afternoon we checked in and promptly snoozed – because hopping on a train is clearly hard work…
Waking up from our nap (cause adults) we googled a few things to do the next day, and set off wandering through the city centre.
After a quick meal, and tipped off by our hotel concierge, we found ourselves nestled in a Tudor beamed locals pub tucked into The Rows. It feels like a dream city – full of ancient buildings, crooked lanes and history on every corner.
It is also such a foodie city – with quirky pubs and great restaurants galore (we visited almost everyone) – not to mention having a barbershop/hairdressers on nearly every corner.
Chester is one of the best preserved walled cities in Britain. It has a number of medieval buildings, but some of the black-and-white buildings within the city centre are Victorian restorations. It was so pretty – and the shopping is pretty good as well.
The next day in our 72 hours in Chester dawned bright and with blue skies. We gambolled through Grosvenor Park, hopped onto a bus tour (in the cutest historic bus) and stopped for a pretty good flat white…
…before boarding for a rather unique afternoon tea.
Oh, and we made sure to photograph the second most photographed clock in England. When in Rome and all that…
For our last night we snuck a little further into the countryside…
Is Chester on your ‘to visit’ list yet? It was a cracking staycation – compact with enough options to keep you amused but not enough to overwelm.
