Chester Roman Gardens, Chester (must see)

Chester Roman Gardens, created in the 1950s, is a public park that showcases an impressive collection of Roman building fragments originating from the fortress of Deva, a Roman military stronghold. The fragments on display include pieces from key structures like the main bath building (thermae) and the legionary headquarters (principia). While none of these relics were originally found on this site—located just outside the Roman fortress—many were uncovered during late 19th-century excavations across Chester.

The Gardens also provide an interesting intersection with the city's medieval history. The City Wall, adjacent to the Gardens, is a medieval extension of the Roman defenses. Notably, some portions of the wall bear evidence of repairs made after the Civil War siege of Chester in 1645. Parliamentary cannon fire breached this section of the walls during an intense four-hour bombardment on September 22, allowing for a hole wide enough for ten soldiers to pass through.

A highlight of the Roman Gardens is the reconstructed hypocaust, a Roman underfloor heating system. Using recovered stone pillars (pilae) from the thermae, the hypocaust illustrates the advanced engineering of Roman bathhouses. Built in AD 75, the main bath building in Chester spanned 85 square meters and featured underfloor heating, mosaic floors, and barrel-vaulted ceilings. Thought to serve as a luxurious club for Roman officers, the bathhouse included three bathing rooms—cold (frigidarium), warm (tepidarium), and hot (caldarium)—along with plunge baths, a courtyard, and an exercise hall.

The columns seen today in the Roman Gardens primarily come from the bathhouse’s exercise hall, where they once stood 6 meters tall, supporting the central structure. The largest column, however, originates from the assembly hall of the headquarters building (principia). Additional semi-circular coping stones, likely from the fortress wall parapet, were retrieved during repairs to the northern City Wall in the 19th century.

Chester Roman Gardens uniquely blend Roman innovation, medieval resilience, and industrial history, offering visitors a rich journey through time amidst beautifully landscaped grounds.