Curious about Chester

Nathaniel Hawthorne, the celebrated 19th Century American author, visited Chester for the first time in October 1853, soon after he started work as the US consul to Liverpool. After this first visit, he wrote of Chester,

 “It is quite an indescribable old town, and I feel at last as if I had had a glimpse of old England...I must go again and again to Chester, for I suppose there is not a more curious place in the world.”

Hawthorne's appreciation of Chester and its charms as an ancient city of 'old England' provides the inspiration for this website and its accompanying blog on the history of the city and its links with the wider world.

I remain inquisitive about the history of Chester, the city I’ve made my home, and it’s a pleasure and a privilege as the The Curious Guide to show so many culturally curious visitors around this ancient and beautiful city.

Meet the Curious Guide

Chris Rowland

The Curious Guide and the author of this blog is Chris Rowland, a Green Badge guide who offers walking tours of the city of Chester in the North West of England:

"A History graduate with links to Chester for over 25 years, I’m passionate about telling the story of the city in the actual places where its inhabitants lived, worked, loved and worshipped over its 2000 year history.

At university I covered a huge range of topics and periods and, for me, studying the past is like going on holiday to a foreign land.

I work full-time during the week, so I pursue my passion for telling authentic and entertaining stories about Chester mainly at weekends.

I'm married to an Italian and spent 10 years living in Rome, so I'm able to offer tours in both English and Italian.”

Kate - Cape Town, South Africa

Review on Trip Advisor, March 2023

"We were lucky to have Chris as our walking tour guide! Though the weather was not brilliant we hardly noticed the rain….Chris was enthralling! He made history fun…"

Contact me

For enquiries about walking tours in Chester please contact me via the following form.

Qualifications

  • Associate of the Institute of Tourist Guides (AITG)

    Qualified to provide walking tours in Chester

  • MA (Hons), University of Cambridge

  • Accredited by the Institute of Tourist Guides to offer tours in English and Italian

    Certification of Italian as a Foreign Language (CILS) Level C1

  • Member of the Guild of Chester Tour Guides

    Member of the North West Tourist Guides Association