The Roman Legio II Adiutrix during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian founded Chester in AD 79, as a ' castrum' or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix.

Historyĭiorama of the Roman Legionary fortress Deva Victrix in Grosvenor Museum, Chester

Chester signs itself as Chester International Heritage City on road signs on the main roads entering the city. Tourism, the retail industry, public administration, and financial services are important to the modern economy. The Industrial Revolution brought railways, canals, and new roads to the city, which saw substantial expansion and development Chester Town Hall and the Grosvenor Museum are examples of Victorian architecture from this period. Apart from a 100-metre (330 ft) section, the walls are almost complete. It has a number of medieval buildings, but many of the black-and-white buildings within the city centre are Victorian restorations, originating from the Black-and-white Revival movement. The city walls of Chester are some of the best-preserved in the country and have Grade I listed status. Chester was one of the last cities in England to fall to the Normans, and William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border. In 689, King Æthelred of Mercia founded the Minster Church of West Mercia, which later became Chester's first cathedral, and the Angles extended and strengthened the walls to protect the city against the Danes. One of the main army camps in Roman Britain, Deva later became a major civilian settlement.

It is also the historic county town of Cheshire and the second-largest settlement in Cheshire after Warrington.Ĭhester was founded in 79 AD as a ' castrum' or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. With a population of 79,645 in 2011, it is the most populous settlement of Cheshire West and Chester (a unitary authority which had a population of 329,608 in 2011) and serves as its administrative headquarters. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border.

West chester university housing