My Britain: Chester

Close to the English/ Welsh border, the walled cathedral city of Chester was founded as a Roman fort back in 79 AD.

- By Anna Walker

The city has a fascinating history-one of the last in Britain to fall to the Norman conquest, it's littered with buildings of historic note, including medieval architecture, and some of the best-preserved historic city walls in the country. The Industrial Revolution shaped Chester enormously, and visitors to the city today will see its traces in the railways, canals and impressive Victorian architecture from the period. For tourists planning a visit to Chester this year, there's plenty on offer, including Discover the Rows (visitcheshire.com/routes/ discover-the-rows) a new, free, self-guided audio tour of the medieval Rows that line the city's four main streets. Chester's Rows are unique in the world. They are continuous half-timbered galleries, reached by steps, which form a second row of shops above those at street level. Nobody is quite sure why they were built this way, but the new tour offers an insight into their fascinating history and continuing role in shaping the identity of Chester.

Brian Clarke

Managing director of Chester Boat, Brian, 63, has lived near Chester all his life

I was born in the small village of Mancot, six miles from Chester and once I moved, I have simply never wanted to leave the city.