10 Best Places To Go Shopping In Chester

The 60-store Grosvenor Shopping Centre is a successful mix of old and new. Located in the Roman City Walls, it’s at the heart of Chester’s heritage, yet the selection of shops is undeniably modern. From sportswear to womenswear, and from art to jewellery, you’ll find everything you could need under one roof.

One of the entrances to the Grosvenor Shopping Centre is through a famous Chester Rows’ black and white timbered frontage. The architectural beauty continues through half of the shopping centre, with high ceilings, decorative brickwork and a beautiful vaulted glass ceiling.

Nobody knows why a second level of shops, called the Chester Rows, was added to Chester’s city centre. Offering shoppers covered walkways for those times when the great British rains arrive, the Rows were originally built in the 13th century, but many of those seen today are Victorian replicas. Nonetheless, they are a beautiful addition to Chester’s streets.

The Rows are found on many of the best shopping streets in the city, including North- and Eastgate, Watergate Street and Bridge Street. You’ll find a range of shops, from high-street names to independent traders. And while you’re browsing, why not also pay a visit to the ‘Three Old Arches’, one of the original medieval sections of the Rows.

Watergate Street is one of Chester’s 4 original streets inside the Roman walls, but is now dubbed the ‘Independent Quarter'. Home to one-of-a-kind shops and galleries, Watergate Street is an attractive, narrow road lined with a mixture of historic and modern architecture. Many have now been carefully converted into shops, bars and restaurants.

One of the most popular places to shop is the Watergate Street Gallery, an independent artists’ space that’s been around for over 25 years. Somewhere to find your next favourite piece of contemporary art, the space also hosts popular exhibitions and events.

New Chester Market is a co-function space where you can shop, dine, socialise and relax. The new market has taken its inspiration from the great cities of the world – Seattle, Barcelona, and even nearby Altrincham – cherry-picking the best elements of each to bring a thoroughly modern market to Chester.

Located on Northgate, Chester Market takes over a site formerly housing Vikings, Saxons and Romans. These ancient residents perfectly reflect the history of Chester’s markets, which have existed since the 12th century. Visitors can enjoy shopping for fresh produce and baked goods, as well as from a vast range of local artists and makers.

Chester Cross is where Chester’s main shopping streets – Eastgate, Northgate, Bridge Street and Watergate Street – come together. The cross is a 14th-century red sandstone monument originally marking the centre of the city. Nowadays, it’s mainly used as a handy meeting point and is also where the city’s town crier makes public announcements during the summer.

This little section of Chester is home to the imposing St Peter’s Church, and as you pass through on your shopping spree, you can enjoy the Rows, as well as jewellery shops and cafés. Although small in size, the Chester Cross is an important landmark in the city’s shopping district.

Eastgate Street is probably the most famous of Chester’s shopping streets. At its eastern end, the Eastgate clock tower stands watch over the street below. The clock, dating back to 1897, forms the upper section of the gate through Chester’s city walls that once marked the entrance to a Roman fortress. According to some, Eastgate clock tower is the most photographed clock after Big Ben.

Eastgate is also a major player in the city’s shopping streets. High street names like Next and H Samuel sit alongside high-end stores like Rolex and Jo Malone on a street that’s lined with attractive, Tudor-style buildings. Whether you visit to shop or simply to take in the amazing architecture, Eastgate is somewhere not to miss when visiting Chester.

Bridge Street (and Lower Bridge Street) cuts through the centre of Chester from the Chester Cross right down to the bridge over the River Dee. Pleasant Bridge Street is lined with café seating and sided by a variety of Tudor-style and elegant Georgian buildings. Notable among them is 1 Bridge Street, an iconic black and white timbered building designed by Thomas Lockwood.

The Chester Rows make an appearance on Bridge Street, doubling up on the number of shops available to eager buyers. There is also a handful of historic pubs if you need some refreshment after a hard afternoon of bargain hunting in Bridge Street favourites like Jones The Bootmaker, North Face and JoJo Maman Bebé.

The location of The Forum Shopping Centre is excellent, right off Market Square and in the heart of everything Chester has to offer. And in a city that has so much history to show, The Forum is altogether more ordinary but no less useful. It’s a smallish unit of 20+ shops, with an emphasis on affordability – and the shops reflect that.

The Forum is home to B&M Bargains and Boots, plus there are handy cafés, a fish and chip shop, and a co-working space. There’s also an area filled with market stalls used by smaller, independent traders that’s perfect for browsing.

Northgate is one of Chester’s most exciting shopping areas, housing shops like The White Company, Zara and The Cheese Shop, a popular independent store. Like much of the city, it enjoys lovely timber-clad buildings, although on a slightly smaller scale. Petite shops and restaurants line the road to both sides. But perhaps the crowning glory of Northgate is the divine Chester Town Hall.

This stunning Gothic-style structure has been linked up with the gorgeous Coach Works building and other key units to create the new Chester Northgate, a shopping haven with food, drink and socialising. Marking a big change for Chester, Northgate is leading the way when it comes to progressive city centre shopping venues.

St Werburgh Street is concentrated history. Home to the beautiful Chester Cathedral, as well as St Werburgh Row, this leafy winding street provides the link between the significant streets of Northgate and Eastgate. Named after Chester’s patron saint, a stroll down this pretty street will provide a peek into the beating heart of the city.

St Werburgh Mount is a bank of black and white timbered units that house popular clothing shops White Stuff, Seasalt Cornwall, Ecco and indie vinyl shop Up North Records. There are also plenty of pubs, restaurants and cafés that provide the perfect setting for some respite after a busy day spent shopping.