Roodee

Chester


Chester's ancient racetrack, on the western side of the walls in what was once the Roman harbour, has been hosting races since the 16th century. The season kicks off with the three-day May Festival, followed by 12 separate days or evenings of racing spread throughout the summer.

It gets its name from the small cross (known as the 'rood') on the mound in the middle of the course; Roodee is a corruption of 'rood eye', or Island of the Cross.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Chester attractions

1. Grosvenor Museum

0.25 MILES

Excellent museum with the country's most comprehensive collection of Roman tombstones. At the back of the museum is a preserved Georgian house, complete…

2. Dewa Roman Experience

0.32 MILES

What was life like in Roman times? Begin your journey in the hold of a galley ship, where Grapus the Oars Master talks about the dangers of life at the…

3. Rows

0.4 MILES

Besides the City Walls, Chester's other great draw is the Rows, a series of two-level galleried arcades along the four streets that fan out in each…

4. City Walls

0.41 MILES

A good way to get a sense of Chester's unique character is to walk the 2-mile circuit along the walls that surround the historic centre. Originally built…

5. Roman Amphitheatre

0.5 MILES

Just outside the city walls is what was once an arena that seated 7000 spectators (making it the country's largest); some historians have suggested that…

6. Chester Cathedral

0.51 MILES

Chester Cathedral was originally a Benedictine abbey built on the remains of an earlier Saxon church dedicated to St Werburgh (the city's patron saint);…

7. St John the Baptist Church

0.54 MILES

Built on the site of an older Saxon church in 1075, it's been a peaceful ruin since 1581. It includes the remains of a Norman choir and medieval chapels.

8. Chester Zoo

2.85 MILES

The largest of its kind in the country, Chester Zoo is about as pleasant a place as caged animals in artificial habitats could ever expect to live. It's…