There are FIVE Chester PubTrails available on this site.

The canal trail (2) is the closest to the train station. However, the walk from the station to any of the trails is not long, it just means you may pass lots of pubs to get to a particular trail. Trail 3 and 4 start at Chester Cross and trails 1 and 5 start near the Amphitheatre. Trail 4 and 1 could easily meet. This means that trails can be expanded easily or mix and matched.

Trails have 10 to 13 pubs. This does not mean all pubs have to be visited (it is not a u-tube challenge) however, it does give flexibility. You can miss out pubs with no real ale or which are cocktail joints or old men's pubs or that are too busy or close together.

1.  Bridgegate and the river (black icons) Excellent dog friendly trail

This trail takes in 11 or 12 pubs, 5 of which are across the river. Several of the pubs are outstanding and 7 are starred. This is a pleasant evening trail with a lot of variety. It starts at the Amphitheatre or Old Dee Bridge.

2.  Along the canal (green icons)

Most of these pubs are close to the canal and easily accessed from it, rather than on the actual canal. Chester is a city and does not do quaint countryside canal pubs. Several of the pubs have appeared as the canal area is regenerated. This trail has a mixture of the old and the new. This is a long slow trail of 10 pubs, 5 of which are starred, Lunch or dinner should be factored in with The Old Harkers Arms excellent for food.

3.  Chester Cross to Chester Cross via Northgate Street (Dark Red Icons)

This trail travels down one of the main roads crossing the city. It goes to the centre of the city where it meets Watergate Street famous for its 'Rows' - shops with another street of shops on top of them. The trail has 13 pubs, 5 of which are starred. There are some old pubs on this trail which passes the Town Hall and the Cathedral. Some of these pubs exist in groups next door to each other which, unfortunately, reduces the walk between them to mere steps. The closeness of the pubs means that this trail needs to be taken slowly.

4.  Around Chester Cross and Grosvener St (purple icons)

This trail has 10+ pubs with six of them starred. It is a gentle walk along a busy street.

5. The Amphitheatre plus  (Yellow Icons)

This trail covers a selection of 12 (three starred) pubs starting close to the amphitheatre.

 Trail 4 - Chester Cross and back again via Grosvenor St

 Starting at Chester Cross face down Bridge Street and turn right into Watergate St then up on the left row is Liquor & Co (no beer on) and on the right row Craft & Co (closed for refurbishment) so down at street level on the left is Watergates and then on the right is Beer Heroes. Walk down to the bottom of the road to find Ye Olde Custom House at the left followed by Bar Lounge on the corner.

Cross over and walk along to the left to reach The Architect.

Leave The Architect, cross back over the road and continue to the roundabout. Do not go down the first main road (Grosvenor St) but cross over and go down the next one (a small road called Castle St). On first corner is The Golden Eagle. Walk up the lane (Bruce St) at the left of The Golden Eagle. Turn left at the top where The Saddle Inn is on the corner.

Walk to the right (passing the lane) and walk on to the traffic lights where there is The Falcon. Cross over at the traffic lights, diagonally, to the old church (now tourist thing).

Finding The Cavern of the Curious Gnome is difficult so walk up the first stairs onto the row and walk along looking for a coffee house called Paysan - go in here and get directions to The Cavern of the Curious Gnome up a flight of stairs.

Leaving here you wish to cross over to The Slug and Lettuce opposite. Walk up to the cross but before getting there turn left along narrow Commonhall St to find The Commonhall St Social.

 Watergates is a multi-roomed Greene King pub down in an atmospheric gothic crypt (old storerooms). There is some seating outside on pavement with entrance doors at right (not always open) and left. The left entrance takes you down some steps to enter a dark servery area. The servery is on the left. Just in front of servery counter are old stone pillars holding the roof up. Beyond the servery there are two arched tunnels with dining style seating in each. The left tunnel has a small room off it half way along while the right leads to stairs to access the large roof garden. History

Have a pint here.

Real ale :   Greene King IPA;  Old Speckled Hen;  Abbot

Lager     :  Hop house 13;  Peroni;  Fosters;  Asahi

Cider      :  Aspall                                               Guinness

Beer Heroes is a small craft beer bar down a few steps from the street.  It has stools to left of entrance and small wooden servery to right. Beyond the servery is a short brick arched tunnel with some tables at left side and wooden shelving with cans of beer stored on it, to the right. The shop is pretty basics but concentrates on serving craft beer.

Have one here ( have seen worse prices for craft ale)

Craft ale:  Left Handed Giant  unit 2 (Bristol); Citrate El Dorado and Ekuaknot (both Polly);  Tropical Swan (Thornbridge) Hugs and Kisses (Brouwerij);  Draw By Numbers (Mosaic)My Neck (Runaway Brewery);  Unit (Burnt Mill Brewing)

 Ye Olde Custom House   has an entrance at right and left of building and three rooms inside each served by the same servery. Although it is difficult to see one room from the other. The left-hand entrance takes you to a large room with wooden floor and beamed ceilings. The room has the servery on inside wall. There is a fireplace and seating to the right. Up to the left is another fireplace and sofas as well as tall tables opposite servery. Just to the left of servery is a corridor leading to a carpeted lounge area with soft seating and servery to right. This room leads onto tiled area laid out with dining tables and beyond that to outside seating with booths and tall tables. To the left of this second servery is a passage leading the third and smallest room served by same servery.

History

Have one here

Real ale :   Wainwright Golden;  Pedigree;  Circadian (Ringwood)

Bitter     :  Shipyard

Lager     :  Peroni;  Carling

Cider      :Strongbow                       Guinness

Bar Lounge

The Architect is a large Georgian house with extensive gardens around it. It is a Brunning & Price establishment so plenty of real ale and excellent dining opportunities. The main house has had an extension built onto it. The rooms in the house are for dining and the extension is open plan seating.

CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2024

Have pints here

Real ale :  Brunning & Price Original;  Pit (Beartown); Flat White (Maddog) Kula Gold (epic);  Sleepwalker (Castle Rock);  Tatton Blonde;  Eastgate (Weetwood )

Lager     : Becks;  Peroni;  Hoegarden;  San Miguel

Cider      : Aspall

The Golden Eagle is now a large one roomed pub and hotel. The bar is straight ahead with seating down either side of the bar and seating to left and right of the entrance. Plenty of standing room. Not a lot of light gets in which combined with the dark wood makes the pub quite dark

Have a  pint here

real ale    : Spitfire; Landlord

heavy       : John Smith,

lager         :Coors, Carling, Becks, Grolsch

                                        Guinness

The Saddle Inn (formerly The Chester Bells) is now a rock bar. Open plan with four drinking areas, a pool room and outside seating through from back room. On entry there is a small area to the left with comfy seating. Next to this is a small pool room then the servery covering the wooden floored central room and a back room. To the right of entrance and along from main room is a carpeted square room with dining size tables. Decoration is rock music orientated with guitar handles as pumps and music pictures and posters.

Have a pint here

Real ale :   Hobgoblin;  Deuchers

Bitter     : John smith

Lager     : fosters;  Amstel;  Heineken;

Cider      : Strongbow;  Strongbow cloudy Apple;  Strongbow Dark Fruit.                   Guinness

Falcon Inn is  a Samuel Smiths pub serving their beers cheaply. This was built around 1200 and outside shows the black beam look. Inside there are two rooms to the right - a bar and further back a lounge are. To the left is a room which with a real fire close to the bar and further seating beyond this.

Have a pint here

real ale    : Samuel Smiths Old Brewery Bitter

Bitter         : Sovereign

lager         :Taddy lager, Alpine, Original organic

cider         : Cheddar Valley                                           Extra stout

The Cavern of the Curious Gnome is difficult to find – you have to be curious! And it pays to be curious. Though the cavern bit is on the 3rd floor.

The Cavern is entered via the second floor of shops – this is called a row. A row is a layer of shops on top of the street level shops. You have to go upstairs at the side and walk along the row until you find a coffee shop called Paysan. If you are lucky in the direction, you come you may see a shield with the name on it, on the wall overlooking the road below; this is a good clue. Otherwise go into the coffee shop and ask. The cavern (!) is upstairs inside the coffee shop.

Up the stairs there is a room with a high ceiling and a servery along the left hand wall. A giant gnome is to the left above the stairs. There are several giant toadstool stools along the counter. The gantry makes good use of old brown sideboards and display cabinets that cannot be given away in antique shops. There are four eight-seater tables with a variety of chairs, opposite the servery.  Barrels and crates of bottles are stored at the end of the room. One of the few web sites to give you the current beers being served.

Have at least one pint

CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2024

 Real ale:      Cappuccino Stout (titanic);  Bramling Cross (Cheshire Brewhouse);  17.Taller than a House (Chapter Brewing );  Pics (Squawk Brewing Co.)

Keg Beers:  Chimay Blue Trappist Ale;  Wittekerke Raspberry Wheat Beer;   Duvel;   Vedette Extra Blonde;  Schneider Wiesse Tap 7;  Froh Kolsch;  Flemsburger;  Uiltje Trackdown pale Ale;  Maison Sour Saison (Wild Beer Co.);  Chorlton Mango;  Ridgeside Kodiak Colada Porter;  Timmermann’s Krish Cherry Lambic

Slug and Lettuce has attractive outside seating either side of entrance. Inside there is seating to either side of door then down a few steps to a long thin pub with the servery at left hand side wall. Booths are along the right-hand side wall. Beyond the servery is large area laid out with dining height tables.

Bitter     : Meantime London Pale Ale

Lager     :  Peroni;  Amstel;  Hop House 13;  Heineken;  Estrella

Cider      :  Rekorderlig;  Mortimers                           Guinness

Commonhall Street Social has a door with full length window to the left. There is seating to this left-hand side then room narrows with servery to rear of right-hand side. Wooden floor, wooden table, wooden beams and brick wall suggest a search for rustic. At the apex there are stairs leading up to large outside seating terrace (with table tennis table). Opposite servery are some stools with shelve table. All day meals and dog friendly

Have 2/3rds here

Peach Melbear and Kahuna (both Beartown);  Gamma Ray;  Magic Rock; Goose IPA;  Roughneck Lager;  Spate Lager; Pilot Peach Melba;  Lush (Tiny Rebel)