Roman Chester for small explorers
Small feet run across an arena where Roman crowds once roared.
Chester is a city children can touch. The Roman amphitheatre is the largest found in Britain and free to wander in daylight, so there's room to explore before anyone asks for a snack. Next door, the Roman Gardens have real stone columns to weave between.
Off Bridge Street, the Deva Roman Experience puts children right in the middle of the story. Actors in costume lead the way through a Roman bathhouse, a market street and an arena where gladiators fight it out, with real archaeology on site.
Some moments come with loud noises, water splashes, strobe lighting and the odd bad smell, and the team will give a warning before each one when asked on arrival.
A bell, a big hat and a very loud voice: at noon on summer days, Tuesday to Saturday except on race days, the Town Crier calls out the news at the Cross. A child's birthday can be announced, or a grown up put in the stocks, when the Chester Town Criers hear about it in advance.
Columns in the Roman Gardens 
Towers to count on the walls
Parks, play areas and river boats
Flower beds in full colour, a Norse god hiding in the trees and a playground at the far end of the lawn.
Grosvenor Park is Chester's favourite green space, just outside the walls above the river. Children hunt for the Norse god sculptures, race to the playground, and on set days the miniature railway runs at the far end. Our picnic guide knows the best lawns for a packed lunch.
Below the park, the Groves runs along the River Dee, with pedalos and rowing boats in the warmer months, river cruises and an ice cream kiosk. Over the Old Dee Bridge, Edgar's Field has a small play area of its own.
Grosvenor Park's tree lined avenue 
A Norse god in Grosvenor Park 
Pedalos waiting on the Groves
Chester Zoo, the big day out
A flamingo stands on one leg, and somebody small tries it too.
Chester Zoo is the day most children circle first. It sits on the northern edge of the city, a short ride on the Stagecoach 1 or X1 from Chester Bus Interchange. Our Chester Zoo guide has the bus stand, the parking and how to pace the day.
One zoo day is plenty for a short break, and a slower city morning the day after lets tired legs recover.
A Humboldt penguin 
The butterfly house
Rainy days under cover
A shark glides overhead, and small noses press against the glass.
Chester copes well with a wet day, and a whole one can be spent under cover. Blue Planet Aquarium at Cheshire Oaks has sand tiger and nurse sharks swimming over an underwater tunnel, and the Stagecoach 1 and X1, the same buses that run to the zoo, go there too.
Back in the city, at weekends and in the school holidays, Chester Cells takes small groups down into the old Victorian police cells under the Town Hall, a true story for school age children. Storyhouse has a library, a cinema and family shows under one roof, Chester Market's food hall has lots of stalls to choose from, and the covered Rows keep everyone dry on the walk between.
Storyhouse, for books, films and shows 
Lunch under cover at Chester Market
Two bedrooms, a cot and a stair gate
A travel cot made up beside the big bed, and the high chair waiting by the table.
Your family base is Enjoy the Pause, a two bedroom holiday home on a quiet terrace inside the walls. From your front door, the Roman Gardens are a 3 minute walk, so a tired explorer is never far from a nap.
Your home sleeps four, with a king bed in the main bedroom and a double in the second, plus a travel cot for a baby. Both bedrooms and the bathroom are upstairs, and the stair gate is ready when it's asked for at booking.
With the children's ages on your booking, the high chair, booster seat, baby bath, potty and step stool are ready too, all at no charge.
Potty and child toilet seat 
A baby bath for bedtime
Easy evenings at home
Muddy boots by the door, tea in the oven and a wooden train circling the rug.
Your kitchen keeps family meals simple, with an oven, hob, microwave and dishwasher, and the Tesco Express on Pepper Street is a 3 minute walk for milk and snacks. The washer-dryer deals with muddy knees, and little ones can potter in the walled courtyard while tea cooks.
Toys, books and games already live in the living room, among them a children's history of Chester and a picture map to plan tomorrow's route. Grown ups hoping for an evening out can add babysitting from our stay extras, arranged before you arrive.
Once your dates are chosen, booking your family break direct gives you our best price and an extra hour at each end of your stay.
A children's history of Chester 
A picture map to plan the day 
Your walled courtyard
Quick answers about family breaks.
Is Chester good for a family break?
Yes. Chester fits Roman ruins, the city walls, river boats, two parks and Chester Zoo into one small city, and most of it is a short walk apart inside or just beside the walls. Two or three nights suit most families, with one full day kept for the zoo.
How do you get to Chester Zoo without a car?
By bus. The Stagecoach 1 and X1 run often from Stand K at Chester Bus Interchange, seven days a week, and drop you at the zoo on the northern edge of the city. Stand K is a 12 minute walk from the house, so the zoo day starts with a stroll.
Do you provide a cot and a high chair?
Yes, at no charge. A travel cot, high chair, booster seat, baby bath, changing mat, potty, child toilet seat, step stool and stair gate can all be ready. The children's ages on your booking are all it takes, and the ones you need are set out before you arrive.
Keep exploring
