The Tudor & Stuart Tour of Chester
The year is 1603. The wisest fool in Christendom, King James VI of Scotland, has just ascended the English throne. There are already murmurs of Catholic plots across the country and, in Chester, bubonic plague has struck.
Yet there is good news for the Cappers, Pinners, Wyredrawers, Lynnen Drapers and Bricklayers Company. The king has just confirmed the guild with its own coat of arms.
Meet Miles Mason (alias Tom Hudson), the son of a freeman bricklayer and carpenter's daughter. He will be your guide.
The Tour (new to 2022)
A stroll into the past
Explore early modern Chester through the eyes of those who built some its most beautiful historic buildings and hear tales of dissolution, pestilence and civil war.
Connect replica items and imagery with the real, everyday stories of Chester's citizens from all walks of life.
Learn fascinating local facts, from a professional, costumed guide, whilst walking the historic streets of Chester...a city boasting over six hundred listed buildings.
Your Guide
Tom Hudson is an Oxford graduate, with over a decade's worth of experience working within heritage. He has guided in Surrey, Kent, Lancashire and Cheshire since 2013.
Contact Us
"Really enjoyable and interesting tour, the guide clearly knew his stuff and shared lots of stories about Chester and the Stuart/Tudor period (and a few ghost stories thrown in...). Fantastic to see inside Stanley Palace, and lots of tips on other buildings to visit."
Charlotte
"The tour lasted 90 minutes and Miles was able to tell us many interesting facts about the Tudor/Stuart history in Chester. He was excellent with my daughter who is a budding historian, taking time to answer questions and gave her encouragement to learn more."
Lynn H
"The guide Miles Mason took us on a walking tour of some of Chester's tudor buildings, including the beautiful Stanley Palace, which the group was show around by the guide. Thoroughly recommend."
Sophie C
"Thanks to Miles for the excellent walking tour today ending at Stanley Palace. Good to learn more about Chester."
Debbie M
"Thank you Miles Mason, for a very informative tour of life in Tudor times. Really enjoyed it thanks."
Shane & Angela
"Excellent tour , interesting and informative. Lovely architecture in Chester. Fascinating stories of the people who lived and worked in Chester during this period. The tour was done at a relaxed pace so everyone was able to keep up and enjoy the guide’s humour and knowledge of the subject."
Christine G
"Very entertaining and quite funny, lived around chester and found out so many things I’d never known"
Jack
"Absolutely fantastic tour! There was so much interesting information and our tour guide was so entertaining and had an unbelievable amount of knowledge. I try to do a history tour in any new city we go to and this has by far been the best. This is an absolute must do tour for a fascinating insight into the history of Chester."
Becky
"Had the pleasure of taking this tour last weekend. Completely worth the very reasonable price. Thoroughly enjoyed it, Myles was very knowledgeable and good company."
Jacqui S
Proudly Working in Partnership with The Friends of Stanley Palace - www.stanleypalace.co.uk
A brief history of Carlisle, Chester and Lancaster
Scroll through the timeline to discover some fascinating local facts...
Wars of the Roses end
Henry VII grants Chester its great charter
Pilgrimage of Grace rebels arrive in Lancaster
Henry VIII dissolves Chester‘s friaries, turning St Werburgh’s Abbey into new cathedral
(www.chestercathedral.com)
Lancaster Priory dissolved, reopening as parish church
(www.lancasterpriory.org)
Carlisle Priory dissolved, with secular chapter added
(www.carlislecathedral.org.uk)
George Marsh under house arrest for heresy in Chester
chesterghosttour.co.uk/
Birth of William Shakespeare
Death of Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch
Pendle witches tried at Lancaster Castle (www.visitlancashire.com)
James I
visits Carlisle, Lancaster and Chester on his jubilee progress
Royalists capture Lancaster but not its castle
(www.lancastercastle.com)
Carlisle Castle made a royalist garrison
Parliamentary siege of Chester (www.visitcheshire.com)
Parliamentary siege of Carlisle
Quaker George Fox preaches in Lancaster (www.pendleheritage.co.uk)
Charles II visits Lancaster Castle, freeing its prisoners (www.lancashire.gov.uk)
Great Plague
(www.sicktodeath.org)
James II talks religious
toleration when visiting Chester (www.westcheshiremuseums.co.uk)
William III brings troops to Chester for Irish campaign
Tullie House built in Carlise
(www.tullie.org.uk)
Death of Anne I, the last Stuart monarch