Leaving Chester to Travel South.

Tuesday 30th August, 2016 outside the Cheshire Cat at Rowton
Another lovely sunny morning, the weather really has been wonderful recently.

This being our last day in Chester, we decided to have one last walk around the city and, in particular, to visit the Roman amphitheatre and garden, which we had seen from the top of the wall.
This old bus was offering tourist trips around the City, very nostalgic.

The amphitheatre was discovered when foundations for a new road were being dug. Luckily, the Council eventually bowed to local pressure and the new road went round the amphitheatre rather than through it. The amphitheatre is the largest so far discovered in Britain and probably seated about 7,000.

Next to it is a "Roman" garden with an impressive colonnade of pillar bases. They are not in situ, but have been brought together in a very pleasant setting from the various locations within the city where they were found. The "resident army" was not of Roman legionnaires but 21st century municipal gardeners!

Half way down the "Roman" garden, you can clearly see where the City wall has been rebuilt in slightly different stone.

In September 1645, the Parlimentarians were besieging Chester and breached the City wall with canon. Despite this breach, the Royalists in the City managed to hold out for a further four months before being forced to surrender through starvation. A glass diorama, placed opposite the site of the breach, cleverly gives an idea of the action.

At the south west corner of the city walls, you can still see the edge of the quarry, beneath the walls, where the Romans extracted the stone to build the city walls.

The River Dee runs past that corner of the City. In ancient times, the river was navigable to large vessels right up to the City walls. The "port" area is now occupied by Chester Race Course. We decided that we would not try to swap MM for a pedalo on the Dee - too cramped!

After lunch, we rather reluctantly left this charming City. We shared the first lock with nb. "Bajora".

M grizzled that the lock gates were large and very heavy. This one was 3,340Kg, but the next was even worse at 3,500Kg - that's three and a half tons!

We shared the next few locks with a lovely Welsh family and their dog on a hire boat.

Going up the last lock, we passed what must be one of the last cricket matches of the season. Lovely to hear the traditional sound of leather on willow and the occasional cry of "Howzat". So English!

We moored up outside the Cheshire Cat, which desribes itself as "Inn with Tradition". Despite the pub's popularity, it was a very quiet and pleasant mooring.

Today: 3 miles, 5 locks and 5.8 hours (inc. power).
Trip: 294 miles, 216 locks and 220.2 hours.