St Mary's Centre - Graveyard

St Mary's was strongly linked with the Castle, where public executions were carried out, and contains many interesting burials - felons, plague victims, and casualties of the siege. In a corner of its churchyard are the unmarked graves of three witches found guilty at Chester Assizes of ‘magick and conjury' - and summarily hung by the neck until dead. Sadly, none of the gravestones are still standing, although some are in use in pathways.

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The Bars

Chester's walls were extended to their present extent in the 12th century, but population carried on growing, spreading out along Foregate Street, outside their curtilage. To give the population more protection a curtain wall was constructed in the early 13th century, enclosing an area from the south-east corner of the walls to the Kaleyards Gate. There were two gates in this wall; one where it crossed Cow Lane (now Frodsham Street) and another, the Bars Gate, at the end of Foregate Street. This gate survived until well into the 18th century, when it became an obstacle to traffic and was knocked down. The area shown below is still known as The Bars.

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St Mary's Centre - Oldfield Monument

Philip Oldfield died in 1616, and has a macabre alabaster monument. The latin inscription extols him for his distinction as a barrister, and for the work he did to improve the highways and bridges of Cheshire. His effigy lies on top of the tomb, turning towards you, right arm supporting his head, and on the face of the tomb, his skeleton is shown in exactly the same position. There are black 'purgatorial rails' protecting him.

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St Mary's Centre - Gamul Tomb

The Gamul Tomb has painted full-length effigies of Thomas Gamul (Recorder of Chester) and his wife Alice. Their three children who died in infancy are depicted carrying skulls on the side of the sarcophagus. Their surviving son, Francis, who lived in Gamul House in Lower Bridge Street, sits by his mother's knee meditating, an open bible in front of him.

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The Weighing Room

Chester Racecourse have opened their first off-site bar and restaurant, in Commonhall Street, just off Bridge Street. It is housed in a refurbished mill, and has a really interesting menu - you can pick a selection of three small dishes for just a tenner - ideal for people like me who like to try everything.

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St Mary's Centre - Roof

St Mary's-on-the-Hill, as this church was once known, was created as the Castle church, and originally dates from about 1153. It is seldom open to the public nowadays, but is a fascinating place. It has a beautiful hammer beam roof with gilded bosses, which speculation, though not necessarily fact, says was moved here from Basingwerk Abbey.

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Oddfellows Hall II

The Oddfellows Hall was the first building in Chester to be built in the Classical style, and has been beautifully refurbished, adding a modern twist on a beautiful building, with an interior courtyard and a roof garden. You can read more about it here: http://www.oddfellowschester.com/

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