Chester York Train

The city of Chester is located in north west England close to the border with Wales and was one of the last towns to fall to the Normans during the Norman conquest of England. William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle that was to dominate the town. The city has a number of medieval buildings although some of the black and white buildings in the city centre are actually Victorian restorations. The major museum in Chester is the Grosvenor Museum which includes a collection of Roman tombstones and an art gallery. Chester Visitor Centre, opposite the Roman Amphitheatre, issues a leaflet giving details of tourist attractions.

Perhaps the most important structure that survives is Chester Castle, particularly the Agricola Tower. The River Dee, along with its 11th century weir, runs to the south of the city where it can be crossed by the Old Dee Bridge which dates back to the 13th century, the Grosvenor Bridge which was built in 1832 and the Queen's Park suspension bridge which is a pedestrian bridge. The Shropshire Union Canal runs to the north of the city and a branch connects it to the River Dee.

Chester Racecourse is close to the city centre and lies in the area between the city walls and the River Dee.

Located in North Yorkshire, the historic city of York is an ancient cathedral city with a history that dates back to before Roman times. York is frequently ranked with Manchester as the second most visited city in England after London and is, of course, famous for giving its name to the city and state of New York in the United States.

The roads within the old city (i.e. within the city walls and to the north of the River Ouse) are pedestrianised between 8:00am and 4pm and most of the sights are only a short walk between one another. The city centre is small enough to walk from one side to the other in around 20 minutes.

For cyclists York is one of the most cycle-friendly cities in the United Kingdom. There is an extensive network of cycle routes in and around the city, and most of the traffic controls have been set up to give cyclists priority. The river path along the Ouse contains some wonderful bike routes out of the city.

York is known as England's "City of Festivals" as there are regular cultural festivals every year. The official festivals are the Viking Festival, the Festival of Angels, Early Music, Late Music, Horse Racing (the "Ebor Race Meeting"), Multicultural Food and Arts, Chinese New Year, Mystery Plays, Christmas St Nicholas' Fair, and the Food and Drink Festival.