Exploring Chester - Is This England's Best Kept Secret? 🇬🇧

[@JayandKarolina]

✅ Use our code JAYKAROLINA to get 10% discount with LEVEL8 luggage bit.ly/3ZAdoQR 📍Stone Villa Chester stonevillachester.co.uk

[@flibblesan]

I've got to get myself one of those suitcases!

[@JayandKarolina]

@@flibblesan go for the same ones as us you won't regret it mate! They have lots of great options but I just love the feel/handle bars of this one and it so smooth to carry around!

[@ChrisOREILLY-gc4yq]

Do you know the buildings in Chester on most of them are lies if you look properly on top of the building for the date some of them are not the old do you know what you're looking at now is Victoria even no Chester is known as the Roman City.. i5 from Chester UK 🇬🇧👍😎 I remember the time when Chester cathedral used to be free to enter

[@Banthah]

Absolutely love Chester. Many happy childhood memories there. It will always have a piece of my heart

[@JayandKarolina]

The city has definiely its own atmosphere ✨ We found it very peaceful too!

[@doggieclaude]

@@Yodaspirit45 you may find that your negative outlook is responsible for any negativity you receive in response. You sound very unhappy, I hope things improve for you. With love from a life long Cestrian x

[@bernarddagnall8682]

I lived and worked overseas for many years and Covid forced me to return to UK. With good schools and a university, and my love of history, Chester was ideal for me and my teenage daughters. We have been here for 3 years now, living just 10 minutes walk from the city centre and love it here.

[@Dakotagirl823]

My goal when I retire is to live at least four months in the UK. I've seen a lot of videos discussing various towns in the UK and I've concluded that Chester is one town I would consider. A mid-size city with plenty of history and things to see.

[@raymondporter2094]

York would also meet that description. Durham and Ripon are smaller cities but also have lots to see.

[@JayandKarolina]

Couldn't agree more! For the same reasons, we were keen to return to this town to film what captivated us - but as you know, visiting and sightseeing are 2 different things, so Chester residents should comment on how they live here :) We recommend looking at their comments as you can learn a lot of things!

[@MrPerfect-om5ns]

Chester was a Roman garrison town and lots of Roman remains, including an ampitheatre and artefacts in the Grosvenor museum. There is a complete city wall you can walk around also.

[@wongadob]

I am very lucky to Live between Chester and Liverpool a beautiful part of the world with North Wales to the West. The Peak District to the East and The Lake District to the North. all accessible within 1 hours drive. Not quite "Grim up North" as some may say! but Shhh! we like to keep it a secret :)

[@JayandKarolina]

Totally understand your perspective - anywhere close to where it's most beautiful! 😍💚 Often the roads are quite winding and the places undiscovered, so even if people know about it they don't decide to go on such road trips for some reason - a bit strange, but for enthusiasts of calm and beautiful nature it's probably better? 👀

[@74griffo]

I’m from, and live in Chester. I haven’t been into the Cathedral for many many years. Seeing this has inspired me to visit it again ❤

[@angelapuricelli-fenlon1190]

Chester cathedral is 1,000 years old and it’s built of local sandstone. Also there is the Roman walls of Chester wrapped around the city you can walk it’s 4 miles long. Also inside the Cathedral is one of the last clerical courts.

[@elizabethcotton4659]

So proud to live here ❤

[@debrarobinson-x6s]

Your vlogs put a smile on my face, thank you❤️

[@JayandKarolina]

Thank you Debra! You put a smile on our face with this comment :)

[@Birko64]

I think Chester Cathedral (est 1541), like many buildings in the area, is built from the local red sandstone. The stone is stained black from air pollution (coal smoke) prevalent in earlier times. Unfortunately the acid pollution causes the surface of the stone to crumble away, hence the restoration, but hopefully this is a thing of the past. Chester (Deva Victrix) was a formidable Roman fortress and port on the Irish sea - not your run of the mill Roman town. The top parts of the walls, walkways, gatehouses and the main city gates were reconstructed from the 19th C but the walls below are still impressively original. Chester museum is worth a visit if you have time. Lots of Roman artifacts.

[@JayandKarolina]

So interesting! Thank you so much for sharing all these insights :) We love to see that the place is being looked after by the city authorities, who are concerned about preserving the rich history and showing back times :)

[@KamilP-cm9vk]

Love your Videos Jay and Karolina .

[@JayandKarolina]

Thank you so much Kamil! Glad you enjoyed watching the video :)

[@PastaSauce.]

I’ve lived down south for 10 years but one day will be moving back up north. I feel like Chester will be the place I’ll go. A city but not to big but then have liverpool, Manchester and the countryside of north wales not to far.

[@tootsieb11]

You'll be very welcome in Liverpool 😊

[@andrewblack4989]

Love your enthusiam for heritage and architecture. So rich in history and yet there are many cities reputed to be much older than Chester. I had the privilege of living there for a while and fell in love with the city, it's culture the numerous bars, restaurants, the architecture and all the historic nooks and crannies you might ordinarily miss. Thankyou for sharing this footage guys.

[@JayandKarolina]

Couldn't agree more Andrew! This city has it all - visible monuments from the distant past, a vibrant city centre and, most importantly, well-preserved buildings from centuries gone by :) This wasn't our first time in Chester either and we will definitely be back again!

[@davidthompson4662]

Many years ago I was in Chester, we were in a department store, in their basement was a restaurant, so we went for lunch. There was a huge fireplace, on the mantle piece was a date, A.D 12??. In the past, this cellar was the kitchen for the house.

[@JayandKarolina]

That must have been incredible to find yourselves eating in such a historical place :) Do you remember the name of it by any chance David?

[@doggieclaude]

@@JayandKarolina that was the old Browns of Chester, there was a cafe in the crypt. Called "The Crypt". Browns of Chester/Debenhams closed just after the pandemic sadly.

[@JohnDuffy-vc8wr]

Don't forget the best open space zoo, take a full day

[@stevenmcilroy3935]

My home town glad you enjoyed your visit

[@yakeosicki8965]

I'm glad you visited Chester. I encouraged you to do so in the comments. Many people don't know how beautiful this city is. I have been lucky to have lived here for many years. Regards.

[@JayandKarolina]

Well said! We hope that more people will visit the city after watching this video too 😍 We'll be back soon for sure!

[@andyturner7039]

I posted on your MCR video as that’s where I’m from, but have lived in Chester for 20 years. A lovely city. I live 6 miles outside of Chester. My back garden looks over Beeston and Peckforton Castles…you should have walked some of the Sandstone Trail, the countryside is amazing.

[@JayandKarolina]

Thanks for sharing! You're so lucky Andy :) We love nature and English countryside, so we'll make sure to follow your recommendation next time 💚

[@hilarymiseroy]

Chester Cathedral is quite deceiving. You don't realise how large it is until you get inside.

[@JayandKarolina]

So true! That cathedral had different rooms and lots of corridors, all of which looked different! We really enjoyed it 😍

[@susiesmith2852]

I have lived in Chester for 40 years and am proud to call it home. So lucky to live here in Lockdown.

[@JayandKarolina]

We’re so glad to hear that Susie :)

[@GethStar]

It's sad to see what has become of Chester. As a child I would often go shopping there with my parents and it was such a vibrant and interesting place to go. Now it's town centre is more run down and poorer than it ever was. In the 90s it was AMAZING!

[@JayandKarolina]

We can imagine! But believe me, it's still quite vibrant compared to other UK cities nowadays 🙏 We hope the charm of Chester Rows will keep small shop or business owners there forever!

[@PastaSauce.]

Compared to most cities and towns in the Uk it’s done well to stay relatively fine.

[@SusanTurner-yo9lf]

Chester looks a beautiful city! Really appreciate your hotel reviews, we love weekends away and it is fantastic to see all the room and food details, really helps us decide. This hotel looks really good 😊

[@JayandKarolina]

Our pleasure Susan! Definitely Stone Villa contributed to us having a fantastic time in Chester! We don't always book a room at a hotel, but the standard of the bedrooms, the delicious breakfast, the incredibly professional staff and the attention to detail convinced us that this was where we wanted to stay! From experience, boutique hotels are the best for such short getaways as they make you feel really special 🌹❤️

[@edwardmorales4603]

yeheeeeey! Another Day, Another Vlog 🤍 i've watch the previous one, the beer thingy hotel 😅 i've watched it two-three times 😁😆🤍

[@JayandKarolina]

Do you like these more longer style videos where we travel to 2-3 days to a place? or 1 day episodes?

[@edwardmorales4603]

@@JayandKarolina longer videos 😅🤍

[@Mark13091961]

Fascinating to see Chester through the eyes of visitors, the walls are complete in that you can do a complete lap. Loads of history as you found out. They are indeed called the ‘rows’ , quite unique, nice vid

[@JayandKarolina]

Thank you so much Mark :) We love to explore new places and comment on how we see it as visitors - we always try not only to go to popular tourist sites, but also to visit beloved local places and hidden gems :) Hope we managed!

[@Mark13091961]

@@JayandKarolina its a great advert for Chester so Id say you succeeded

[@hilaryhumphreys5808]

Very interesting video. I've been shopping in Chester for years but never walked the City walls, it's something I should do I think

[@JayandKarolina]

You should! The perspective is way different :) Although, we loved Chester for The Rows and all the shops too haha

[@eugeneshadwell6596]

So glad you enjoyed Chester! It's such a lovely place, it doesn't get mentioned in the same way that the likes of York, Bath or Durham are (and don't get me wrong, those are wonderful places indeed!) but it's a charming little city that should get more attention. I grew up about 25 miles away and have visited countless times over the years, haven't been back recently as I moved away years ago but your video has inspired me to pop over again sometime soon! Oh, and well done for visiting St Johns, rather overlooked when people come to Chester, a wonderful church!

[@JayandKarolina]

We are so glad to hear that Eugene ❤️ Little did we really know what to expect from the St John the Baptist's Church but we loved it! The cafe people there made our visit so memorable and we felt great chatting to them about the past of the church and then discovering the coffin in the wall!

[@GarethHaynes-nu2lu]

Beautiful city. I also have to highly recommend you visit Bury St Edmunds, a stunning town.

[@JayandKarolina]

Thanks for the tip Gareth! :)

[@GarethHaynes-nu2lu]

@@JayandKarolina Oh and I visited Norwich which is gorgeous.

[@Jean-MarcBordeaux]

i like how your videos have that human touch to them like its a day and I am with you how those nice people talked to you in the Church, The man dressed up in the Roman outfit you should of stopped and asked him was there something special going on a small missed opportunity, When you promote products are you able to mention of the price of the items you are promoting, I think Chester would be nice for a stop off if i was traveling in the UK again,

[@JayandKarolina]

That's what we're going to do Jean - it flours you feel like YOU are there with US 😍 Thanks so much for pointing that out, because it's a really big compliment! As for the prices, we rather always try to give them as it really is a great reference point for the viewer. Definitely Chester should be on your list! And it is relatively close to Manchaster or Liverpool also you can basically combine these places into one longer trip :)

[@susiediamond60]

Ah Loved your Chester Vlog It's Such a Beautiful City, Glad you had a lovely time there it's So Historic, Afternoon Tea is My Favourite Thing to Have so That One Looked Delicious At The Stone Villa,Loved the Original Cathedral With David and Irene what a Lovely Couple like Yourselves, Look forward to your Next Vlog ❤

[@JayandKarolina]

It really is! The Stone Villa contributed to making visiting this town a sheer pleasure! And our afternoon tea was unearthly delicious - we've eaten a few before, but this stood out for its local produce and such freshness 😍🧁🍓

[@chrislawley6801]

Great full tour including St John's Church the original Cathedral until the reformation when the Abbey/ Priory was designated the Cathedral by Henry VII home to Bishop of Chester. Also Chester has Viking history that gets missed

[@JayandKarolina]

Thank you very much Chris! We always try to show not only the essence of the city, but also its hidden areas that are beloved by the locals, which are often also influenced by its past :) We're glad you pointed out also the Viking history!

[@liamkenny2964]

My home I go to the cathedral when I’m in town somewhere to go and just sit and enjoy the peace and quiet was waiting for this vlog guys 👍

[@JayandKarolina]

It must be extremely soothing and calming :) Thanks so much for watching Liam!

[@liamkenny2964]

Very calming indeed I stumbled across your videos with the Manchester video and I was waiting for a Chester video the cathedral is one of the best places to visit

[@MerryRaven]

lovely video and Chester Cathedral looked amazing 💜💜

[@JayandKarolina]

It was really stunning indeed! And the atmosphere inside so magical too ✨

[@alisonrogers301]

Chester Cathedral was built 1283 to 1537, so really lucky to have survived so long in such a beautiful condition

[@JayandKarolina]

True Alison! That's truly amazing because the past was different in some parts of the country :)

[@jacqui9026]

This is the first video of yours I’ve watched and it’s my home city and even though I’m only 30mins outside Chester I want to stay in that hotel now

[@JayandKarolina]

This is so sweet :) Thank you so much for watching! The Stone Villa was truly the best hotel in the UK we’ve ever stayed at!!!

[@alisondoughty2194]

Super interesting vlog of lovely Chester.🎉😄

[@JayandKarolina]

Glad you enjoyed it Alison! We had so much fun filming it too :)

[@doggieclaude]

At 6.06 when you enter the wooden seating section in the Cathedral, there is a carved elephant which has horse hooves because the person who carved it had never seen an elephant and had to guess what its feet would be like. If you ever want a Cestrian to show you some interesting things in Chester, let me know! I've lived here my whole life and I love it

[@JayandKarolina]

So interesting! Thank you so much for sharing :)

[@kathsmith4924]

the black and white buildings are stunning as is the cathedral

[@JayandKarolina]

We think so too! This Black and White Revival was a well-known architectural movement for Chester in the mid-19th century that re-used traditional elements from the past, such as black-painted timber frames with panels between them painted white, referring to the Tudor style, which really adds to the charm of the town!

[@terrymardi707]

I’ll be real, I enjoy your cycling content more. I enjoyed that series where you cycled around different towns in the UK. That was far more enjoyable.

[@JayandKarolina]

Fair enough! On this travel channel we want to show how we discover the world, and cycling content will be just a part of it, because we do love it but you cannot reach all the places on a bike :)

[@whitecompany18]

I live in chester, nice to ride my bike around and go fishing along the river dee, nice chilled place 👍

[@JayandKarolina]

So cool! We love riding our bikes too so thank you for the idea 😍

[@faisalsvideoworld]

You guys make such a cute couple and karolina seems so in love with you so do take good care of her too

[@JayandKarolina]

Thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@raymondporter2094]

I studied for 6 months in Chester for my Law Society (Solicitors) Finals, then for another 6 weeks the following year for an accounts course. They were the worst periods in my life! But that was due to the studying rather than Chester itself. The Roman amphitheatre, the Cathedral, the York-style shambles were all fine (and so were the exams - I won a very valuable Prize, sufficient almost to pay the deposit on a house bought shortly afterwards!).

[@JayandKarolina]

Sorry to hear that because the city itself, as you say, has a lot to offer :) Perhaps it is worth returning to it for creating some more pleasant memories?

[@raymondporter2094]

@@JayandKarolina Maybe you are right....

[@emmsue1053]

Lovely video from a North West person guys! We are not Harry Potter please, we are centuries of history! Thank you.

[@74griffo]

Lighten up 😂

[@umbertoconte2081]

Hi Jay congratulations on the video you made 😄 Hi Karolina you are always fantastic as always and Minister of Culture 😘

[@JayandKarolina]

Thank you so much Umberto!! Glad you enjoyed watching another video of ours 🥳✨

[@RichardMagellan]

As well as the places you visit you must also enjoy the various types of hotel you stay in. Do you choose them yourself or are they offered to you as a proposition ?

[@JayandKarolina]

It's a great question Richard! Usually we look for hotels ourselves - we usually don't want to stay in huge spaces so we prefer smaller hotels, but it depends on the location. On top of that we also check guest reviews because very often you can actually expect what it's really like from what people write. Boutique hotels are wonderful for smaller towns because you get premium service and space and it's definitely worth what you pay for it :)

[@jamesdavis-dy7ny]

like your cartoon creation on front page Cool!

[@JayandKarolina]

Thanks James! You are the first person to comment on this and I appreciate you for that!

[@tootsieb11]

The walls in York were a bit hair raising at passing points....😊

[@JayandKarolina]

That's interesting! Thanks for sharing :)

[@chuckyzzz]

Great video.

[@ruja675]

"Hi! I love watching your travel vlogs and really enjoy seeing the different foods you try. However, I just wanted to share a small piece of feedback. Sometimes, when the camera shows the food after it's been bitten into, it can be a bit unappetizing for viewers like me. Perhaps you could describe the taste and texture instead, without showing the inside of the food? Just a suggestion to keep the content as appealing as possible for everyone. Keep up the great work!"

[@davemapp1571]

My home from 1982 until 1988. 😊

[@Aoife24601]

Ive lived here all my life. Its not a hidden secret....we have had tourists forever!!!

[@JayandKarolina]

Yes definitely! I think where we're going with this is that it's more British tourists that know of Chester? Down south I think it's not as well known and for overseas tourists it's usually not on their radar? Could be wrong!

[@shkeen57]

Cathedral,Victorian you say..started 1272

[@DexterFrobisher]

You took a sizeable risk booking a holiday to China before you got visas. Did you take out some form of cancellation insurance in case the visas were refused ?

[@JayandKarolina]

Yes... The problem is that when applying for the Chinese Visa, you need to provide them with the proof of your BOOKED flights, hotels and onward travels. You can easily resign from the hotels but the flights are risky because you cannot just cancel them. Probably if for some reason we hadn't got the visas, we would have tried to switch flights to another destination but this would obviously incur additional costs... There's no other way though 🤔

[@chiang_paul]

Chester is famous for its building style ! Very classic 👍

[@JayandKarolina]

Indeed! We love The Rows 😍🖤🤍 They are such a cool part of the city. It’s like a mix of ancient history and quirky modern vibes all in one spot! ✨

[@JackSmith-hx8zh]

Lovely tour of Chester. Though, don't go overboard, describing anything that looks gothic to Harry Potter. Real history is much more interesting.

[@JayandKarolina]

So true! I think it was so magical for us haha, but of course the most significant Gothic/Romanesque buildings have much more history than the popular blockbuster ✨

[@StevenHolmes-s3e]

York is a beautiful city with a better cathedral and city and city walls! A lot of the English Civil War (2 sieges) were fought outside the city walls! Charles 1 was involved! The English are still besieging each other!

[@JayandKarolina]

To be completely transparent with you, we love both Chester and York ❤️ They seem similar, but they are different! But in both places you can feel a breath of the past and there are plenty of charming places to visit :)

[@philipgallagher3234]

Chester's biggest secret is that many, many of the black and white shop fronts are actually only Victorian facades and certainly not Tudor. I think your assessment of eras is way off. the Cathedral is far older than Victorian.

[@free..to..air..]

Chester for some reason...does not get the same publicity as York..when it comes to historical Roman links...when..in fact..the City is every bit as interesting and beautiful as it's Yorkshire counterpart...

[@JayandKarolina]

We love both cities, which do have something in common - but with the naked eye you can see that York has become more touristy, while Chester, although much loved, is still a bit more peaceful :)

[@pamelajna]

CHarming CHester 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@chrislawley6801]

My home 😊

[@JayandKarolina]

That’s cool! What do you like the most about Chester? 🥳

[@avidreader4147]

Whose coffin is that?

[@JayandKarolina]

It's a medieval coffin of St John's - thus the name of the church :) It was so unexpected to find it in the wall!

[@avidreader4147]

@@JayandKarolina Thank you for the info and the response, and yeah, it did look quite creepy up in the wall!😄

[@anthonyworton431]

CH1 here Blacon 😂

[@KamilP-cm9vk]

Wow 👌🏼 Jah you have the most Beautiful Girlfriend 😍 Karolina how did you meet here in Poland.

[@JayandKarolina]

We met in London during the summer job back in 2019 ❤️😇

[@CM-vw6dc]

Please keep this free from the third world

[@darrenhammonds5650]

Victorian cathedral really?

[@JayandKarolina]

Yep that was a blunder! My apologies 😅

[@ADJEISAMUEL-hn6zv]

Yo man man how is holiday Bro long time Bro with with for drvro Bro

[@JayandKarolina]

All good :) We've been enjoying filming the UK travel series!

[@philipjones9458]

Most of it is false.

[@meglomania2001]

What a dump. Come to Reading, much better place! 😉

[@JayandKarolina]

What is there to see in Reading?

[@michaeljohn1978]

@@JayandKarolina They're being sarcastic. I hope

[@JayandKarolina]

@@michaeljohn1978 Karolina responded to this one haha - what a joke!

[@meglomania2001]

The best things about Reading are that it's easy to escape from and no-one comes here. So there are no tourists👍

[@michaeljohn1978]

@@meglomania2001 Wait… Are you telling me Ricky Gervais hasn’t resided in Reading forever?

[@TheStellalegs72]

My local City and I love it :)