Recorder's Steps, Chester

The Recorder's Steps in Chester consists of two flights of stone steps leading from the historic City Walls down to the riverside promenade known as the Groves. This architectural feature, constructed between 1820 and 1822 for Chester Corporation, is designated as a Grade I listed building under the National Heritage List for England.

The two flights include 12 steps in the upper section and 15 steps in the lower section, separated by a strip of decorative Gothic stonework. Although the steps were built in the 19th century, a nearby stone plaque, likely added in 1881, mistakenly attributes their construction to the year 1700 for the "convenience of Roger Comberbach, Recorder." This inscription perpetuates an inaccuracy, as Comberbach passed away in 1719.

Historical records reveal that in 1720, the city assembly ordered the construction of a flight of stairs connecting the Bridge and Dee Lane, which may have influenced the steps' name. Tragically, not long after, on 21 May 1721, Kenneth Edwards, a local tanner, fell to his death down the "new stairs."

Interestingly, Roger Comberbach’s son, also named Roger, went on to build Dee House in 1730 near the Roman amphitheater, further connecting the family name to Chester's storied landscape.

The Recorder's Steps remain a fascinating piece of Chester's history, offering visitors a tangible link between the city's medieval walls and the picturesque River Dee below.