The ‘Times Up’ trail
In the’ Times Up’ novel there are a number of buildings and places mentioned. To help you find these and have a very pleasant walk around Chester or Tarporley I have put together a tour with photographs of the buildings and places you will visit.
Some of the buildings mentioned in the book are fictitious and don’t exist, others I have moved their location to assist the plot. They are never the less very worth while visiting.
I hope you enjoy your visit.
I suggest you park your car and start your walk around Chester from the Eastgate Clock which appears on the front cover of ‘Times Up’
Eastgate Clock
Stand with your back to the shopping street, and on your right hand side you will see the Chester Grosvenor Hotel.
The entrance to the Grosvenor Hotel
This is a magnificent hotel, with a very fine restaurant and the Arkle bar (named after the famous race horse of the same name). The hotel also has a very popular bistro on the ground floor. An excellent place to have lunch during your visit to Chester.
Walk now away from the clock with the hotel on your left towards the cross at the intersection of the four main roads in the city centre, Eastgate Street, where you are walking down, Bridge Street, which will be on your left when you reach the cross, Watergate Street is straight on from the cross, and Northgate Street is on your right.
Eastgate Street, looking towards the Cross.
This picture shows a busy Eastgate Street, and the Grosvenor Hotel on the left. At the end of the street turn left into Bridge Street.
Walk down Bridge Street to the traffic lights and go straight across. At the bottom of Lower Bridge Street is Bridgegate. Once through Bridgegate you are on tothe Old dee Bridge at Handbridge, the bridge which features so much in Times Up and then in England’s Wall, which is not yet published!
The Old Dee Bridge at Handbridge
Don’t cross over the river but walk along the tree lined path of Castle Drive or join the walk along the walls until you come to the roundabout. On your right hand side you will see an imposing stone building with attractive umbrellas in a private courtyard.
Paparatzi as it was in 2000, now called Convivio.
This is the Italian Restaurant Convivio. Before it was renamed it was known as the Paparatzi where John took Sienna on their first date.
Cross over the roundabout at the end of grosvenor Street, and wlak towardsthe spectacular new Office Building which was once the site of Cheshire Police Headquarters.
The site of Cheshire Police HQ in 2000
Times Up is set in the year 2000 and the Police HQ was still standing at this point. The Cheshire Police HQ has now relocated to Winsford.
To the rear of the new office building ( The original Police HQ) is the Roodee –Chester Racecourse. This is one if not the oldest race course for horses in the country. Its name comes from the old English words rood, or ‘cross’ and eye, or ‘island’. It means the ‘island of the cross’ the stump of a medieval cross still stands in the middle of the course. The Roodee stands on the site of the Roman harbour and vestiges of the quay can still be seen.
The Roodee - Chester race Course.
Walk along the walls with the Roodee on your left until you meet a sign inviting you to go back to the centre of town. You walk along a narrow almost private road between the houses and class rooms of the Queens School.
Cross St Martins Way and walk back towards the Chester cross along Watergate Street. Take an opportunity to walk on the northerly side of the road and go up to the ‘Row’ level which is the ancient shopping street in the sky for which Chester is so famous. Here you will see what the ‘Rows’ were really like in ancient times as they have been preserved prety well untouched.
The Rows.
Carry on up Water Street to the Cross and then turn left up Northgate Street. This will bring you to an open area with the Victorian Town Hall on your left and some of the buildings associated with the cathedral on the right. Walk on past the Town Hall towards Northgate and on the left hand side just after the bus depot, there you will find the haunt of Colin and Christine, the Pied Bull Public House.
The Pied Bull Public House
Not only do they serve an excellent pint, and sport a very old fireplace dating from 1633 the pub also offer accommodation. The pub is said to date from 1553 and is one of the oldest coaching inns. The distances to other important towns are displayed on the outside of the Inn. London is 198 miles Bristol 180 miles, Warwick 85 miles Ludlow 68 miles and Bath 185 miles. Some journey in the 16th centaury.
Doubling back on yourself going south on Northgate Street, take a left down St Werburgh Street. This will take you around the front of the Cathedral. Well worth a visit if you have the time. At the end of the street you will be back at the Eastgate Clock, where you started.
The Eastgate Clock and HSBC
The HSBC bank is on the left of the picture where Roger Whiteside collected the money to take to Ireland. It was just before the bridge Ann Wall nearly ran him down when she was on her way to the hairdressers.
Once you have absorbed all the delights Chester has to offer and should you wish to see the charming Village of Tarporley take the A51 out of the city to Tarporley joining the A49 just before entering the village.
Here is located Long Acre farm, and the house of George and Audrey England who lived at the Old Rectory and Dr Frank and Margaret Stringer who also lived in the village. These properties are all fictitious, but when you immerse yourself in this delightful rural village you will have no trouble imagining that they could easily have been there.
The key buildings in Tarporley which are in the book and really do exist are St Helens Church.
St Helens Church
The Swan public house, restaurant and hotel
The Swan Public House which is next door to the Church. Again a very good pint is served here, as well as delicious food. Worth the visit any day
I really do hope you enjoy your visits to Chester and Tarporley, which will certainly bring Times Up alive. You will also be well prepared for England’s Wall when that is published. I have finished the first draft of the book and I hope it will be available towards the end of 2010.
Please let me know what you think of the visit and what you have discovered. There is a blog on the web site which I will keep up with as best I can
Enjoy your ramblings
Robert Astley-Jordan
The ‘Times Up’ Trail
In the Times Up novel there are a number of buildings and places mentioned. To help you find these and have a very pleasant walk around Chester or Tarporley I have put together a tour with photographs of the buildings and places you will visit.
Some of the buildings mentioned in the book are fictitious and don’t exist, others I have moved their location to assist the plot. They are never the less very worth visiting.
I hope you enjoy your visit.
I suggest you park your car and start your walk around Chester from the Eastgate Clock which appears on the front cover of ‘Times Up’
Stand with your back to the shopping street, and on your right hand side you will see the Chester Grosvenor Hotel. This is a magnificent hotel, with a very fine restaurant and the Arkle bar (named after the famous race horse of the same name). The hotel also has a very popular bistro on the ground floor. An excellent place to have lunch during your visit to Chester.
Walk now away from the clock with the hotel on your left towards the cross at the intersection of the four main roads in the city centre, Eastgate Street, where you are walking down, Bridge Street, which will be on your left when you reach the cross, Watergate Street is straight on from the cross, and Northgate Street is on your right.
This picture shows a busy Eastgate Street, and the Grosvenor Hotel on the left. At the end of the street turn left into Bridge Street.
Walk down Bridge Street to the traffic lights and go straight across. At the bottom of Lower Bridge Street is Bridgegate
Once through Bridgegate you are on to Handbridge, the bridge which features so much in Times Up and then in England’s Wall, which is not yet published!
Don’t cross over the river but walk along the tree lined path of Castle Drive or join the walk along the walls until you come to the spectacular new Office Building which was once the site of Cheshire Police Headquarters. Times Up is set in the year 2000 and the Police HQ was still standing at this point. The Cheshire Police HQ has now relocated to Winsford.
On the opposite side of the roundabout you will see an imposing stone building with attractive umbrellas in a private courtyard. This is the Italian Restaurant Convivio. Before it was renamed and back in 2000 it was known as the Paparatzi where John took Sienna on their first date.
To the rear of the new office building ( The original Police HQ) is the Roodee –Chester Racecourse. This is one if not the oldest race course for horses in the country. Its name comes from the old English words rood, or ‘cross’ and eye, or ‘island’. It means the ‘island of the cross’ the stump of a medieval cross still stands in the middle of the course. The Roodee stands on the site of the Roman harbour and vestiges of the quay can still be seen.
Walk along the walls with the Roodee on your left until you meet a sign inviting you to go back to the centre of town. You walk along a narrow almost private road between the houses and class rooms of the Queens School.
Cross St Martins Way and walk back towards the Chester cross along Watergate Street. Take an opportunity to walk on the northerly side of the road and go up to the ‘Row’ level which is the ancient shopping street in the sky for which Chester is so famous. Here you will see what the ‘Rows’ were really like in ancient times as they have been preserved prety well untouched.
Carry on up Water Street to the Cross and then turn left up Northgate Street. This will bring you to an open area with the Victorian Town Hall on your left and some of the buildings associated with the cathedral on the right. Walk on past the Town Hall towards Northgate and on the left hand side just after the bus depot, there you will find the haunt of Colin and Christine, the Pied Bull Public House.
Not only do they serve an excellent pint, and sport a very old fireplace dating from 1633 the pub also offer accommodation. The pub is said to date from 1553 and is one of the oldest coaching inns. The distances to other important towns are displayed on the outside of the Inn. London is 198 miles Bristol 180 miles, Warwick 85 miles Ludlow 68 miles and Bath 185 miles. Some journey in the 16th centaury.
Doubling back on yourself going south on Northgate Street, take a left down St Werburgh Street. This will take you around the front of the Cathedral. Well worth a visit if you have the time. At the end of the street you will be back at the Eastgate Clock, where you started.
The HSBC bank is on the left of the picture where Roger Whiteside collected the money to take to Ireland. It was just before the bridge Ann Wall nearly ran him down when she was on her way to the hairdressers.
Once you have absorbed all the delights Chester has to offer and should you wish to see the charming Village of Tarporley take the A51 out of the city to Tarporley joining the A49 just before entering the village.
Here is located Long Acre farm, and the house of George and Audrey England who lived at the Old Rectory and Dr Frank and Margaret Stringer who also lived in the village. These properties are all fictitious, but when you immerse yourself in this delightful rural village you will have no trouble imagining that they could easily have been there.
The key buildings in Tarporley which are in the book and really do exist are St Helens Church.
The Swan Public House which is next door to the Church. Again a very good pint is served here, as well as delicious food. Worth the visit any day
I really do hope you enjoy your visits to Chester and Tarporley, which will certainly bring Times Up alive. You will also be well prepared for England’s Wall when that is published. I have finished the first draft of the book and I hope it will be available towards the end of 2010.
Please let me know what you think of the visit and what you have discovered. There is a blog on the web site which I will keep up with as best I can
Enjoy your ramblings
Robert Astley-Jordan