Walking Tours

A stroll into the past...

Miles Mason - aka Tom Hudson

Tudor & Stuart Walking Tour of Chester

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.

Tom Hudson,Lancaster Georgian and Regency tour guide

Georgian & Regency Walking Tour of Lancaster

Explore Lancaster through the eyes of those working its roads, admiring beautiful historic buildings as you hear tales of its everyday industries, entertainments and conflicts.

"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

"Back in London now but thank you so much for your tour of Lancaster yesterday. Christine and I really enjoyed it. You spoke well and clearly even tho in character and linked up for me many of the buildings I had noticed as I walked to and fro. It's a really good enterprise and I wish you luck."

Elizabeth

"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

"Having some one to lead you and explain things that occurred or may not have occurred, around the period of history involved in the tour, is both entertaining and enlightening."

"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

"I found the tour very informative. It has made me look at parts of the city that I thought I knew well in a different light. I thought the guide was excellent ."

A brief history of Chester and Lancaster

Scroll through the timeline to discover some fascinating local facts...

1485
1506
1536
1540
1564
1603
1612
1617
1642-1643
1644-1646
1652
1660
1665
1687
1689
1714 
1732 
1745 
1775 
1779 
1797 
1801 
1803
1820
1832
1837

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)  

Birth of William Shakespeare 

Death of Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch 

Pendle witches tried at Lancaster Castle (www.visitlancashire.com)

James I
visits Chester on northern progress

visits Lancaster Castle on northern progress

Royalists capture Lancaster but not its castle
(www.lancastercastle.com)

Parliamentary siege of Chester (www.visitcheshire.com)

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  

 Death of Anne I, the last Stuart monarch

 Lancaster’s port breaks free of Chester’s control (www.visitlancaster.org.uk)  

Precautionary walling up of Chester’s Watergate and Northgate against Jacobites 

Bonnie Prince Charlie arrives in Lancaster with 5000 Jacobites (www.visitlancaster.org.uk

 

John Poole publishes Chester Chronicle  

Chester-Nantwich Canal opens (www.gps-routes.co.uk)   

John Rennie’s Wyre Viaduct opens for Lancaster’s canal (www.lancaster.gov.uk)  

William Minshull 
publishes Lancaster Gazette  

Start of Napoleonic Wars  

Duke of Wellington visits Park House, Chester 

Princess Victoria opens the Grosvenor Bridge in Chester  
 

 Grasshopper Tea Warehouse opens in Lancaster 
(www.thecoffeehopper.com)     

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