Visiting Chester

For so many years Chester has been such a popular destination for a huge number of tourists. But is visiting Chester still an attractive proposition? In some areas the city is still undergoing major refurbishment. Recently Chester has seen the completion of some much needed multi-million pound investment projects. In addition to these developments Chester has been trying to maintain its status as a major tourist attraction.

But what of the new investment so far in the city centre?

Storyhouse

Entertainment In Chester – Storyhouse

The new Storyhouse complex based on the old Odeon cinema site officially opened in May 2017. A brand new £37m library, theatre, cinema and arts centre in the heart of the city centre. Storyhouse comprises of a 500-seat main auditorium, a 200-seat studio theatre, a restaurant, two bars and a 100-seat boutique cinema.

As we are now approaching the Autumn and Winter months what do we have to look forward to? Autumn begins with a season of nationally-acclaimed touring shows. These shows span music, drama, comedy and dance. As we enter Winter, Christmas will also see a Storyhouse-produced production.

In addition to what is happening on stage, the 100-seat cinema will display a variety of screenings. Included in these screenings will be the latest releases, the best of British theatre live on screen, classic films, world cinema, and much more.

Also, music will fill the air with a programme that will include the Manchester Camerata, Gran Caffe Venezia, Kabantu and Craig Charles. A good selection of music for a variety of musical tastes.

Storyhouse also boasts a good sized in-house ground floor restaurant and bar. Additionally, visitors will be able to enjoy a drink or two in a separate upstairs bar with panoramic views of Chester.

Also, Chester Library has moved in. The books themselves can be found threading their way throughout the building. A dedicated reading room and children’s den provides areas for storytelling and imagination.

As far as visiting Chester is concerned, Storyhouse has enhanced the visitor’s experience. In addition of course it has provided Chester with something to promote to ensure visiting Chester remains a top tourist attraction. So yes, we feel the Storyhouse will be a hit.

Chester Bus Interchange and Frodsham Street

Chester Bus Interchange – Bus Stands

The new Chester Bus Interchange took much longer to complete than originally planned. In addition to the Bus Interchange development was the completion of a pedestrian friendly Frodsham Street area. The original intention was that both would be ready for December 2016. However the project encountered several problems including a granite setts manufacturer going into liquidation.

Pedestrian Friendly Frodsham Street

Consequently the £13.5m investment wasn’t completed until June 2017. As you can imagine the continued delays had a devastating impact on many of the Frodsham Street businesses. One such small business contemplated suing Cheshire West and Chester Council – see more HERE. For months on end Frodsham Street was in such disarray and it seemed at times that building work had ceased completely.

So, when the delayed completion crept into June 2017, much was anticipated of the grand opening. With regard to the Bus Interchange, the jury is still out to a large extent. Having visited the Interchange (see photo above), the initial impression is not wildly exciting really. The overriding impression is how much space there is.

As the photo above shows, there appears to be plenty of what appears to be wasted space. The perimeters surrounding the bus stands are absolutely huge. It may look to some as if the work is not completed in that the gaps may be better utilised in some way.

Another thing to consider since its opening is the effect it has had on the Town Hall area. While the Bus Exchange was located at the Town Hall, Town Hall located businesses enjoyed a fair amount of footfall traffic. Since the move to the Frodsham Street area businesses, particularly in Chester Market, have suffered considerably. Can this issue be rectified?

Traffic Issues

The investment was also supposed to make Frodsham Street a pedestrian friendly area. First impressions is that it is far from being pedestrian friendly. With the added bus, car and taxi traffic how is this pedestrian friendly? There are many who think that it is only a matter of time before someone is hurt by one of the many vehicles travelling up Frodsham Street.

You can clearly see that many pedestrians wander straight into the road without looking because they think it is pedestrian friendly. Not only that, it was safe to walk straight into the road while the development was being worked on. So, old habits die hard.

Will the new Bus Interchange make visiting Chester a more attractive proposition? We think the jury is still out on this. Only time will tell but we hope that it will eventually enhance the visiting Chester experience. Just as important however is that we also hope that there are no unfortunate accidents to report as a result of the extra traffic.

Existing Attractions

While the new developments and the effect on visiting Chester may still be in its early stages, there are still so many more attractions to enjoy. We have already talked about the virtues of Chester Zoo and the Groves to name just two attractions. In addition, we should also mention the historic Walls, the Rows, the Cathedral, Chester Museum, Chester Racecourse, Grosvenor Park and the Amphitheatre. All of these attractions are enough to make visiting Chester a most enjoyable experience. We hope anyone reading this thinking about visiting Chester will see that it is a trip that they must make.

Chester Lifestyle

It may be the case that you have never visited Chester before and you are looking for some general information about our beautiful city. If that is the case and you would like some information about Chester, take a look HERE.