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Tea at the Palace

The Chester Civic Trust which celebrates its 66th year this year, is opening its HQ Bishop Lloyd’s Palace to visitors during the national Heritage Open Days festival on Saturday, 12th September between 10am and 4pm. Volunteers will be on hand to point out the superb features of this Grade I listed historic building in Watergate Street on Chester Rows and provide tea, coffee and refreshments.

Bishops Lloyd Palace is considered by many architects to be the most beautiful building in Chester, remarkable because it dates from the 17th century with foundation stones from the 13th & 14th century. It was originally two buildings converted into one dwelling and incorporated into the famous South Rows on Watergate Street.

It has been associated with Chester Merchant Adventurers, a king’s ex-mistress, a coaching firm, a girls’ school, a pub and a cheesemaker. These days it is available to hire and can be booked as a hospitality and meetings venue or by community groups and businesses.

The three reception chambers will also be on show, with their Jacobean plasterwork and two intriguing fireplaces.

Refreshments will be served for which a small cash donation to charity would be appreciated.

Leaflets will be available and Chester Civic Trust members will be present to answer any questions.

More details at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace – Open  Bishop Lloyd’s Palace is accessed from Row level, next to Rainforest.

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Visit to Rochdale Town Hall and Smithills Hall

October 15th – guided tour of the recently restored Rochdale Town Hall and supported tour of Smithills Hall on the slopes of the West Pennine Moors.

FULLY BOOKED

NICHOLAS PEVSNER, the architectural historian, described Rochdale Town Hall as having ‘a rare, picturesque beauty’. The building, opened in 1871, has recently undergone a £20 million restoration programme, led by Donald Insall Associates.

Tea and coffee will be served on arrival followed by an overview of the restoration given by TONY BARTON, the former Chair of Donald Insall Associates and the Chair of Chester Civic Trust’s Heritage Committee. After a guided tour of the Town Hall, a full buffet lunch will be provided by the in-house renowned Martlet Kitchen. Jay Rayner, a food critic for the Financial Times and presenter of Radio 4’s Kitchen Cabinet, has commented that ‘ the Martlet is where civic pride meets glorious cooking’.

After lunch we will travel to SMITHILLS HALL on the slopes of the West Pennine Moors. Smithills Hall is an unknown Grade1 listed gem. It is one of the oldest and best preserved manor houses in the North West. Over the years the original Medieval Hall has been added to by Tudor and Victorian wings.
The building was purchased for £70,000 by Bolton Corporation in 1938. There will not be a formal guided tour of the building however members of staff and  volunteers from the Friends of Smithills Hall will be on hand to answer questions. Before we leave for our return journey to Chester the ‘Friends’ will provide refreshments.

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Visit: Northumberland

October 5 – 9th a 5 days / 4 nights visit to explore the castles, coast and history of Northumberland from 5th – 9th October 2026.

The visit will begin at Hadrian’s Wall, part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site. Followed by Lindisfarne, a centre of Celtic Christianity, the Saxon Museum at Wooler, Norman castles at Alnwick and Bamburgh, a flamboyant Georgian home at Seaton Delaval and a pioneering Victorian mansion at Cragside. In addition we will see spectacular scenery, stunning coastlines and historic towns.

If you would like to express an interest in the visit please email christinerussell4@icloud.com or mckaykaren68@gmail.com. We will email you the itinerary and prices as soon as finalised.

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2026 DIARY DATES

  • 2026

October 15th
Visit to Rochdale Town Hall and Smithills Hall   FULLY BOOKED

October 5 – 9th
A 5 days / 4 nights visit to explore the castles, coast and history of Northumberland from 5th – 9th October 2026.

October 1st, 6pm.
Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace, evening.

SEPTEMBER 23rd
Wrexham’s Year of Wonder Day – A special day to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the 1876 Wrexham Art Treasures Exhibition Industrial Annexe and Wrexham’s industrial heritage and workforce – past, present and future. 10.30am – 4.00pm at Xplore! Henblas Street, Wrexham, LL13 8AE

SEPTEMBER 9th, 5pm.
Reception for Corporate Members. Speaker is Nick Walkley, Interim CEO of the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority.

JULY 8th
Bridgewater Revisited

JUNE 9th
Visit: Hooton’s Belfast Hangars, Sudley House and St Michael-in-the-Hamlet

JUNE 1st
Summer Social, Chez Jules, Chester

MAY 21st
May Lecture: Hooton Hall and Park, 2pm. at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace

APRIL 17th
Working Class Housing, a talk from Elizabeth Davey, Bishop Lloyd’s Palace, 2pm.

APRIL 15th
Lecture Series: Andy Farrall’s update on the One City Plan, at the Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm.

MARCH 29 – 3 April
Visit to Gdansk

MARCH 18th – Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm.
Lecture Series: Dr Abigail Lloyd on Place-making with time-depth and connection: how to use historical place-names in modern developments

MARCH 6th
How to Research Your Area with the award winning Hough Green Local History Society, Bishop Lloyd’s Palace, 2pm.

MARCH 3rd
A ‘Green’ visit to Liverpool, with an exclusive private tour of St George’s Hall

FEBRUARY 27th
The Friday Afternoon Murder Club, Bishop Lloyd’s Palace, 2pm.

FEBRUARY 13th
The REOPENED Harris Museum, Preston, Lytham Hall with snowdrops and meal.

JANUARY 10th  – Bishop Lloyd’s Palace, 7pm,
New Year’s Quiz

      • 2025

NOVEMBER 28th, – Bishop Lloyd’s Palace, 7.30pm.
A talk from David Ebbsworth on ‘French Fun: We’ll Always Have Paris’.

NOVEMBER 12th at the Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm.
Lecture Series: Rose McArthur, Director of Highways, Transport and Climate Change for Cheshire West and Chester Council on the Achievements, Forthcoming Plans and Challenges facing the Council.

OCTOBER 30th 
Bradford City of Culture

OCTOBER 13 – 19 
North Lincolnshire study visit for members. The 5 day visit includes Gainsborough, capital of the Vikings, Lincoln’s castle, home to an original 1215 Magna Carta, the Wolds, an area of outstanding National Beauty, Louth, Tealby, the Bomber Command Centre, Tattershall Castle, and the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield on the way back to Chester.

OCTOBER 8th at the Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm
Lecture Series: Paul Fielding of Lovelock Mitchell on ‘Chester’s other architect – T M Lockwood and Sons and their ongoing architectural legacy’.

OCTOBER 7th – Bishop Lloyd’s Palace, 7.30pm.
Professor Martin Heale on the Abbot’s Residence in Chester Cathedral.

OCTOBER 2nd – AGM – Cathedral Refectory, 7.30pm
Our key speaker will be Lady Alexis Redmond MBE, the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire and President of Chester Civic Trust.

SEPTEMBER 25th –  A walk in Eastham Pleasure Gardens.
Following on from the previous week’s talk from David Mottram we visit to see Eastham Pleasure Gardens in person. Limited places.

SEPTEMBER 18th –  Bishop Lloyd’s Palace, 2pm.
David Mottram gives a talk on the history and brilliance of Eastham Pleasure Gardens.

SEPTEMBER 13th, Bishop Lloyd’s Palace, 10am – 4pm.
‘Tea at the Palace’ part of the UK’s Heritage Open Day celebrations September 13-21, come along and bring friends and relatives.

AUGUST 22nd at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace at 2.00pm.
Treasures in the Attic. A talk by Karen McKay.

JUNE 26th, Tuesday 7pm.
Celebration Sapphire Jubilee (65th year) Dinner – more details tba.

JUNE 12th
Day visit to The World of Glass, St Helens and Astley Hall, Chorley.

JUNE 10th at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace at 7.30pm.
Keep up to date with local archaeology

MAY 21st
Special guided tour of Wrexham.

MAY 16th 2pm. at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace at 2.00pm.
The Arts and Crafts Movement in Manchester.

APRIL 16th. at the Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm
Lecture Series: Peter Cocker will give a talk on Thomas Brassey: The World’s Greatest Railway Builder, celebrated at Chester Railway Station.

APRIL 10th** 
Day visit to Llangollen including a tour of Plas Newydd. lunch and talk on the Pontcysllte World Heritage Site.

MARCH 31 – APRIL 4*
Residential visit to the Surrey Hills including the Watts Gallery and Artists Village (details in the December Newsletter). Following from the lecture in November, a visit to the Watts Gallery and Village will be one of the highlights of the 5 day visit for members of the Trust. Other places of interest during the visit will include Hughenden Manor, the home of Benjamin Disraeli, the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham and a private viewing of the National Trust’s Polesden Lacey.

MARCH 19th at the Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm
Lecture Series: Colin Potts, Programme Leader International Tourism Management, University of Chester.

FEBRUARY 28th** at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace at 7.30pm.
Chester Witches Peter Elliott and Clare Dudman

FEBRUARY 12th at the Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm
Lecture Series: Create Streets – a Think Tank currently supporting Cheshire West and Chester.

THURSDAY JANUARY 30th** at Bishop Lloyd’s Palace at 2.00pm
MICHAEL TREVOR BARNSTON, a Life Member of Chester Civic Trust, will give a talk about his family’s illustrious history followed by afternoon tea. Booking forms in the December Newsletter

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 15th at the Grosvenor Museum Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm
Lecture Series: DR JAMES WRIGHT will talk about his recent book ‘Historic Building Mythbusting’

JANUARY 5th 7pm.*
‘Twelfth Night Quiz’ – Bishop Lloyds Palace – £10 including festive refreshments – booking forms in December mail out

 

More dates and details to come!!

Please note Civic Trust members have FREE admission to the lectures at the Grosvenor Museum. Guests are welcome £5 on the door.

(Booking forms for events marked * were included in the September mail out. **were included in the December mail out. )

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Lecture: Chester’s Riverside Port 1740-1860

Tuesday 13th, October at 2.00pm at Bishop Lloyds Palace

By the end of the 1730s trading prospects were looking good for Chester and its port. It had a new fledgling port and a good navigation route to the sea. But what happened between 1740 and 1860? What were its constraints and successes?

The Civic Trust has a continuing interest in promoting the maritime history of our city and it is particularly pleasing when a member can contribute to our knowledge. Tom Welsh was a lecturer in Geography and Earth Sciences at the University of Northampton. He has an ongoing interest in interpreting the past through landscape. Tom’s research is always meticulous, based on primary evidence. His insights are fresh and original.

Refreshments will follow the talk. The cost is £7.00. You will only be notified if you do not have a place for this talk.

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Lecture: Women of Chester

Wednesday, September 23rd at 7.30pm at Bishop Lloyds Palace
Isabel Robertson is the manager of Chester Tourist Information Centre and a local guide.
She will tell truly inspiring stories about some of the amazing women that we can associate with the historic City of Chester. These women founded, defended, and helped shape the old City and contributed to the City’s rich history.

Refreshments of wine and snacks will follow the talk. The cost is £9.00

You will only be notified if you do not have a place for this talk.

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Wrexham’s Year of Wonder – Sept. 23

A special day to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the 1876 Wrexham Art Treasures Exhibition Industrial Annexe and Wrexham’s industrial heritage and workforce – past, present and future.

Wednesday 23rd September, 10.30am – 4.00pm

At Xplore! Henblas Street, Wrexham, LL13 8AE

The great Wrexham Art Treasures Exhibition of 1876 included an astonishing Annexe, which showcased all the wonders of the town’s industries and commercial ventures. To commemorate the 150th anniversary, this one day event, entitled Wrexham Works Wonders is a celebration of our industrial heritage; of the part played by Wrexham’s workforce in that history; and of our ambition for the future.

There will be talks and displays throughout the day:

  • 10.30-11.30: The 1876 Industrial Annexe. The remarkable story of how the great Art Treasures Exhibition brought so much Wrexham enterprise to the notice of the world – its innovative industries, its Wrexham Wonder Quilt, its mysterious Wrexham Sauce, and much more.
  • 2.00-3.00pm: Wrexham At Work. The story of Wrexham’s industrial development and workers, from earliest times, during and after the Second World War, with a focus on future-looking Wrexham businesses.

FREE entry for visitors.

For further general information, or for businesses interested in booking stands and stalls, or for booking group visits, contact davemccall@davidebsworth.org (Wrexham Year of Wonder Steering Committee)

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