This film is part of Free

Chester

From the Roman ruins to the Rows, two thousand years of history in Cheshire are introduced to a wider British public

1933 10 mins

Overview

Was King Harold smuggled up here to die after the Battle of Hastings? Did King Edgar build a palace here in the 10th century? Both historical Chester and mythical Chester get a nod in this travel documentary, which builds mystery around a place where fact is sometimes more remarkable than fiction. The Roman ruins, Chester Rows, and the cathedral are all stop-offs on our little tour.

Pleasant and sentimental, this is an easy watch, and could well have driven an extra visitor or two to the Cheshire town. Gaumont-British - initially just a subset of a French production company - was by the 1930s a large and highly influential studio, which also owned cinemas and had distribution interests. Material like this film was produced by its educational wing.