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Chester
Excursion
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Chester Castle
The Chester Castle was founded
byWilliam the Conqueror in 1070.
At the time the castle became
the administrative centre of the
Earldom of Chester. The original
structure was a motte and bailey
castle with a wooden tower. In
the twelfth century the castle
was rebuilt in stone and the
wooden tower replaced with a
square stone gateway, which is
now known as the Agricola Tower.
After the Civil War the Castle was
used as a prison, a court and a tax
office. In the Castle complex you
can still see the remaining parts
of the medieval castle together
with the neoclassical buildings.
Parts of the neoclassical buildings
are used today as Crown Courts
and as a military museum. In the
Castle is the chapel of St Mary
de Castro, which contains the
remains of some very high-quality
wall paintings from about 1240.
The chapel has also been used as
a gunpowder store. The Castle is
a Grade I listed building.
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