Chester Stirling Train

The city of Chester lies on the River Dee and is located in the county of Cheshire in north west England and is close to the border with Wales. Chester was granted city status in 1541. Chester was one of the last towns in England to fall to the Normans in the Norman conquest of England. William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle, to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border. The city has a number of medieval buildings, but some of the black-and-white buildings within the city centre are actually Victorian restorations. Chester is one of the best preserved walled cities in Britain and apart from a 100-metre section, the listed Grade I walls are almost complete. A footpath runs along the top of the walls, crossing roads by bridges over Eastgate, Northgate, St Martin's Gate, Watergate, Bridgegate, Newgate, and the Wolf Gate, and passing a series of structures, namely Phoenix Tower (or King Charles' Tower), Morgan's Mount, the Goblin Tower (or Pemberton's Parlour), and Bonewaldesthorne's Tower with a spur leading to the Water Tower, and Thimbleby's Tower.

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.

The Scottish city of Stirling is located in the centre of Scotland where Highland mountains and lochs meet Lowland cities and is the gateway to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, Scotland’s first national park. The Old Town is like a walk through history with the Castle, mansions, town walls, graveyards and ghosts. Once the capital of Scotland, Stirling contains the Great Hall and the Renaissance Palace within the Castle that rivaled any building in Europe at the time. Stirling also has its medieval parish church, The Church of the Holy Rude, where King James VI was crowned King of Scots on 29 July 1567. The Holy Rude still functions as a living church with a service every Sunday. The best way to explore Stirling is on foot. Walks range from history trails and countryside rambles to a children’s quiz walk and ghost tours. For example, the Back Walk runs along the 16th century Town Walls with glimpses into Old Town gardens and views over King’s Park to the distant mountains. The city is also an active city. Apart from its own football and rugby teams, visitors can play a round of golf, go for a swim or go horse riding.