Views from Chester Castle

Chester Castle will be open this summer from 20 July to 16 September. The Castle will open Friday, Saturday and Sunday's from 10.30am to 4pm with free entry to the grounds.

This year visitors can also climb to the top of the Agricola Tower for a unique panorama view from the roof. There will be a small charge of £2 per person to climb the tower and numbers will be limited. Access will also be available to the first floor chapel of St. Mary de Castro, now the Regimental Chapel thanks to the permission of the Mercian Regiment.

The Castle is being reopened in partnership with English Heritage. Their members will be able to visit the roof top free of charge.

Chester Castle was founded by William the Conqueror in 1070 and became the administrative centre of the Earldom of Chester. The Agricola Tower and Castle Walls are now in the care of English Heritage, who are supporting the Chester Castle Revealed project.

Visitors will be able to look around the 12th century Agricola Tower which will house a pop up exhibition telling the fascinating story of the Castle.

Entry will be from the Castle Car Park and also from the City Walls using the Sally Port originally used as a secure entryway to the Castle.

Events

• 'Ecce Iterum' (Latin for see again) is an exhibition at the castle featuring the work of three Chester based artists. Kate Gater, Alexandru Modoi and Estelle Woolley have created new art works that reflect and respond to the Castle and its history. The artworks include sound, photography and sculpture, to draw attention to some of the castle's hidden features. The artworks will be on display throughout the opening of the Castle.
• The Cheshire Archives team will be bringing 'Crafts from the Past' to the Castle on 10 and 17 August, visitors will be able to have a go at writing like a Tudor, make a coat of arms and create illuminated letters.
• The Castle will be teaming up with Pride again this year to play host to their 'Chill Out Zone' on 11 August.
• To mark 100 years of women having the right to vote, The Grosvenor Museum's youth panel will be creating a 'militant' atmosphere on the streets of Chester. They'll be marching with their sashes and banners, demanding that women are given the right to vote, chaining themselves to railings, getting heckled by a Lord and arrested by an Edwardian policeman. All in a day's work for a Suffragette. 25 August 2.30pm to 3pm.
• On 1 & 2 September, Chester Castle hosts a multi-period Re-enactment from Chester Living History in partnership with other re-enactment societies. They will bring the past to life, giving a taste of what life was like between the years 1070 and 1945 A.D.
• The City of Chester Male Voice Choir return to the Castle on 9 September.

For more information: CLICK HERE