Today was another busy day, but for slightly less exciting reasons: switching hotels. But I made it to Wales!
This morning I finished exploring Chester, going to the Grosvenor Bridge (below) and St John the Baptist's Church. When the Grosvenor Bridge opened in 1832 it was the longest single-span arch bridge in the world. It is a beautiful bridge over the River Dee and there is a nice walkway running along it (and much of the river), providing a great place for a stroll in Chester. This path also goes by the Chester Racecourse, also known as the Roodee, which is considered the oldest horse racing course in the country.
From there I headed to St John's, the original cathedral of Chester. Despite a beautiful exterior, I found the interior a bit disappointing. The cathedral does have a lot of great history though. With its origins in the 7th century, the church saw the rise of the Anglo-Saxons, use as a cathedral and then demotion to a parish church, destruction during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, lead being taken by Queen Elizabeth I to arm her forces, action during the English Civil War, and much more. After touring and soaking in some history, I picked up my bag and headed to the train.
The train to Prestatyn was surprisingly packed and, since I was just riding two stops, I stood, doing my best to watch the countryside switch from English to Welsh. I got to Prestatyn and proceeded to haul my suitcase to my hotel which is right on the beach. Prestatyn is mainly a resort town, but as it's not high season yet, the town is pretty empty. The sea air was very refreshing and I walked along the beach for a bit.
After a brief rest in my hotel, I headed out to find a Roman bathhouse! After a lengthy walk and almost missing the gate to the site, I found the little Roman ruin. The bathhouse itself was only roughly 600 square feet. In this small space, a caldarium (hot room), tepidarium (warm room), frigidarium (cold room), and a cold plunge bath (I'm unsure of the appropriate term for this...possibly a loutron). The context of the bathhouse is unclear; it is quite small, possibly appropriate for a small fort or a small settlement. There are theories that it was created by soldiers from the Legio XX, the legion stationed in Chester, to support a lead mining operation. Apparently there was abundant evidence discovered and hinted at in the surrounding area, but this has since been lost. A developer was allowed to build homes over the area, covering the remains of a possibly Roman settlement. To here more about the site before this and the results of the building check out these two posts: http://www.chesterwalls.info/baths.html
http://www.chesterwalls.info/baths2.html
So I left the bathhouse with more questions than answers (but ones I am excited to investigate further!). I meandered my way back towards my hotel and angled my way through Prestatyn's town center. It was around 5 and almost everything was already shut down for the day. It was very cute and quaint main street, lined with small stores and restaurants. As I turned to head back towards my hotel, I noticed a great white monument in a church graveyard. I went to explore and found that it was a beautiful and solemn monument to the local sons who had died in both World Wars. It was sort of the perfect thing to end the day: a beautiful and dignified reminder of the past in a tranquil seaside town.
(Oops, forgot this in an earlier version!) Fun Fact #3: Holyhead, an island off another island, Anglesey, and where I am headed tomorrow, is actually pronounced "hollyhead," like the flowering plant.
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