Deva Victrix
Roman Chester
One of the great legionary fortresses of Roman Britain — home to the largest Roman amphitheatre in the country. Here's how to see it, and the story behind it.
When the Romans built their fortress at Deva Victrix around AD 79, it became one of the largest in Britain — so large that some historians think Chester may have been intended as a provincial capital. Two thousand years later you can still trace its footprint in the street plan, walk a near-complete circuit of walls, and stand in the amphitheatre where the garrison watched the games.
This guide covers everything worth seeing, the history behind it, and the practical details for a visit.
Roman sites in Chester
Chester Roman Amphitheatre
FreeLargest in Britain
The largest Roman amphitheatre uncovered in Britain, just outside the city walls near Newgate. About half of it is excavated and open to the public, free to walk around.
The City Walls
Free~2-mile circuit
Chester has the most complete circuit of ancient walls in Britain. The northern and eastern stretches follow the line of the original Roman fortress defences.
Roman Gardens
FreeColumns & hypocaust
A landscaped strip between the amphitheatre and the river displaying reassembled columns and hypocaust pillars recovered from across the Roman city.
Grosvenor Museum
FreeRoman tombstones
Home to one of the finest collections of Roman military tombstones in Britain, recovered from the city walls where they had been reused as building stone.
Minerva's Shrine, Edgar's Field
FreeOnly rock-cut shrine in situ
In Handbridge, across the river, a weathered shrine to the goddess Minerva carved into the rock face of a Roman quarry — the only one of its kind still in its original place in Britain.
Dewa Roman Experience
TicketedIndoor attraction
A hands-on indoor attraction with a reconstructed fortress street and an excavated dig beneath the building. Good for families and a wet day.
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See guided tours, day trips and the best places to stay near the Roman quarter.