A Portrait of Chester [antikvár]

IntroductionChester is unique in having so much of its history on display. No longer contained by its ancient walls, it has grown into a bustling, cosmopolitan city while still managing to retain its ancient charm.The walls are the longest and most complete city walls in the country, and today they form a pleasant promenade from which to enjoy a 2-mile stroll around the city. The layout of the main streets is still based on the original Roman gridiron design of two thousand years ago. The name of the Roman fortress Deva came from the Celtic name for the goddess of the River Dee. Dyfrdwy, the Welsh name for the Dee, means water of the goddess.The Roman amphitheatre is the largest stone-built amphitheatre of its type yet discovered in Britain. The long military history of Chester starts with the Romans, and Chester went on to become an important Saxon town, before William the Conqueror built the first castle here shortly after the Conquest.Chester has outstanding black and white half-timbered buildings, and the medieval Rows retain their unique character to give the city some of the oldest shop frontages in the world. It was still a major military stronghold by the time of the Civil War in the seventeenth century. King Charles I is famously alleged to have stood on the tower on the city walls which takes his name to witness the defeat of his Royalist forces by the Parliamentarian New Model Army on the battlefield of Rowton Moor on 24 September, 1645.Situated on the estuary of the River Dee, Chester has also always had a strong com mercial life. It had a major network of medieval guilds with many skilled tradesmen, and for a long period of time Chester was one of the most important seaports in the country.Chester remains one of Britain's most beautiful cities; unique in that it retains its sense of historical identity while emerging as a dynamic and modern centre. As a photographer I have been spoilt for choice as to where I could point my camera to find beautiful scenes. I hope to have done some justice to this magnificent city with which I have become so well acquainted. I have found Chester to be a place where the deeper you delve, the greater your reward.The 144 images contained in this book were taken in a relatively short time during the spring, summer and autumn of 2005. I hope that this snapshot in time goes some way towards recording some of the two thousand years of history contained within the walls of this historic yet vibrant and forward-looking city.Rob Meighen