III.

Places of Interest

Situated on a rocky sandstone height, the town is encircled by Roman and medieval walls, pierced by four main gates. They form a circuit of about 3 km (2 mi); Roman work can mainly be seen on the northern and eastern sides. Other Roman remains include a large 1st-century amphitheatre. The two main streets of Chester cross at right angles; they were cut out of the underlying rock by the Romans and lie below the level of the houses. Chester Cathedral (14th century) is a massive, irregular structure of red sandstone that incorporates remnants of an 11th-century Benedictine abbey. It was founded on a site that had been dedicated to St Werburgh in c. 700. After the dissolution of the monasteries it became a cathedral of the new diocese of Chester. Most of the sandstone building dates from the 14th century, though on the northern side Norman features were incorporated. The city also has many fine examples of half-timbered houses, some of which are medieval and others Jacobean or Victorian. Each summer a music festival is held and throughout the year the city acts as a cultural focus for the surrounding area.