The drinking establishments of Saxon Chester are a mystery to us. The nineteenth-century historian Thomas Hughes wrote, ‘Anglo-Saxons had their eala-hus [ale house], win-hus [wine house] and cumen-hus [inn]’. We don’t know where they could have been located, but we do know that weak beer was the staple drink throughout the land because it was safer to drink than water. Chester has many cosy, historical and picturesque public houses, some that have served the public for hundreds of years.

Chester pubs, like those throughout the country are going through a time of radical change. Reinvented for a new generation of patrons, many of the pubs have turned into gastro and themed pubs and bars. Within the pages of the Chester Pubs you will find a mixture of typical pubs from down the ages, some from a long way down, and a few of the newer bars.