95-565: Crosville Motor Services was a bus operator based in the north-west of England and north and mid-Wales. On 27 October 1906, Crosville Motor Company was formed in Chester by George Crosland Taylor and his French business associate Georges de Ville, with the intention of building motor cars. The company name was a portmanteau on the names of the founders. In 1909, Crosville commenced its first bus service, between Chester and Ellesmere Port . By 1929 Crosville had consolidated an operating area covering
190-517: A crypt -like vault . Those on the first floor are entered behind a continuous walkway, often with a sloping shelf between the walkway and the railings overlooking the street. Much of the architecture of central Chester looks medieval and some of it is, but by far the greater part of it, including most of the black-and-white buildings, is Victorian , a result of what Pevsner termed the " black-and-white revival " pioneered by architects John Douglas and T.M. Lockwood . The most prominent buildings in
285-401: A limited company , Thomas Tilling Ltd, in 1897. In addition to bus work, the company hired carriages to individuals and to a range of public utilities . The company put three Milnes-Daimler 24 horsepower (18 kW) motor buses into service in 1904. These were open top double-deckers with 16 inside seats and 18 "outside" on the upper deck, and a speed of 12 mph (19 km/h). These were
380-635: A rain shadow effect caused by the Welsh Mountains. Over 1mm of rain is reported on 135.5 days. The Chester Urban Area is an urban area surrounding the city of Chester. The urban area includes the town of Saltney in Flintshire , North Wales and the outlying suburbs of Bache , Blacon , Boughton , Curzon Park , Great Boughton , Handbridge , Huntington , Hoole , Kingsway, Lache , Moston , Newton , Newtown , Queens Park , Upton , Vicars Cross , and Westminster Park . Areas just outside
475-550: A Grade II listed building. The county police headquarters has since moved again, in 1967, to Nuns Road before leaving the city in 2003 for Clemonds Hey, Winsford . According to the 2011 census, Chester had a large White British proportion of around 110,000 or 90.9% of the population. 1.0% described themselves as Irish. 3.6% as Other White . 2.2% described themselves as Asian. 1.3% described themselves as Mixed Race . 0.6% described themselves as Black or Black British and 0.3% are classed as other. Cheshire West and Chester also has
570-602: A Sunday. The network continued to decline, except in the provision of a new service to replace railways removed by the Beeching Axe , with the 1965-introduced "Cymru Coastliner," between Chester and Caernarfon anticipating the closure of that British Rail route and the intermediate stations. The Transport Act 1968 created the National Bus Company (NBC), and introduced the principle that rural bus services could be subsidised by councils. Although they had reduced costs by
665-576: A central London travel agency to advertise those services and the other coach services of the respective companies. This express coach service to London commenced on 14 April 1930. Crosville had also started an express coach service between Liverpool and London in 1929, and by 1933 tried with All-British Travels Ltd to co-ordinate the Liverpool to London service, thereby complying with the North Western Traffic Commissioner's decree to reduce
760-646: A co-owner of eleven of them, and at the same time was partly owned by Tilling itself. To simplify the arrangement, BAT was reconstructed with a new title, Tilling & British Automobile Traction Ltd (TBAT), and Tilling exchanged its shares in the various operating companies for an increased shareholding in the new company. The railways of Britain had grown significantly and many companies had developed bus services. In 1923, most of these "pre-grouping" companies merged to form four mainline companies: Great Western Railway ; Southern Railway ; London, Midland and Scottish Railway ; and London and North Eastern Railway . During
855-489: A group policy against investment in coaches, resulting in a rise across the geography of a number of new coach operators. By the time that the post-war government of Clement Attlee merged both Tilling and the railway companies into the British Transport Commission on 1 January 1948, and Crosville was nationalised, the coach operators were a sustainable competitive entity. New Bristol double-deckers had become
950-525: A heritage fleet which included several vehicles from the original Crosville fleet. The Crosville Cymru / Crosville Wales Limited name also exists but not with Arriva. Gwasanaethau Cerbyd Crosville Motor Services Limited also exists. The word ‘Gwasanaethau’ is the Welsh for ‘Services‘ and the word 'Cerbyd’ is Welsh for ‘Vehicle’. Both company names are registered as dormant companies in Wales. Chester Chester
1045-512: A large number of Christians at 76.4%. 14% have no religion, and 8.2% are not stated. 0.7% are Muslim. 0.1% are Sikhs. 0.1% are Jewish. 0.2% are Buddhists. The population was forecast to grow by 5% from 2005 to 2021. The resident population for Chester District in the 2001 Census was 118,200. This represents 17.5% of the Cheshire County total (1.8% of the North West population). The city
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#17328699567941140-672: A reconstructed Roman street. One of the blocks in the forecourt of the Castle houses the Cheshire Military Museum. The major public park in Chester is Grosvenor Park . On the south side of the River Dee, in Handbridge , is Edgar's Field, another public park, which contains Minerva's Shrine , a Roman shrine to the goddess Minerva . A war memorial to those who died in the world wars is in
1235-600: A spur leading to the Water Tower , and Thimbleby's Tower . On Eastgate is Eastgate Clock , which is said to be the most photographed clock face in England after those that share the tower with Big Ben . The Rows are unique in Britain. They consist of buildings with shops or dwellings on the lowest two storeys. The shops or dwellings on the ground floor are often lower than the street and are entered by steps, which sometimes lead to
1330-477: A summer music festival and a literature festival . There is a Tourist Information Centre at the town hall. The Cheshire Police Constabulary was historically based in the city from its foundation in 1857. Originally on Seller Street, its headquarters moved to Egerton Street (both since redeveloped), and then from 1870 to 113 Foregate Street, where Parker's Buildings now stand. In 1883, the police headquarters moved to 142 Foregate Street, Chester , now preserved as
1425-412: A temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or higher. Given the correctly aligned breezy conditions, a föhn effect will operate, meaning local temperatures are somewhat higher than the surrounding area. The absolute minimum temperature recorded was −18.2 °C (−0.8 °F) during January 1982. Annually, an average of 42.2 air frosts should be recorded. Annual rainfall is barely over 700mm due to
1520-566: Is Cair Legion (" Fort " or " City of the Legion"); this later developed into Caerlleon and then the modern Welsh Caer . (The town's importance is noted by its taking the simpler form in each case, while Isca Augusta in Monmouthshire , another important legionary base, was known first as Caerleon on the Usk , and now as Caerleon ). King Arthur is said to have fought his ninth battle at
1615-571: Is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire , England, on the River Dee , close to the England-Wales border . With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement of Cheshire West and Chester (which had a population of 357,150 in 2021). It is also the historic county town of Cheshire and the second-largest settlement in Cheshire after Warrington . Chester
1710-459: Is a heritage centre , St Mary-on-the-Hill is an educational centre, and Holy Trinity now acts as the Guildhall. Other notable buildings include the preserved shot tower , the highest structure in Chester, and St Thomas of Canterbury Church . Roman remains can still be found in the city, particularly in the basements of some of the buildings and in the lower parts of the northern section of
1805-646: Is also a Scheduled Monument . The Minerva Shrine in the Roman quarry is the only rock-cut Roman shrine still in situ in Britain. The fortress was garrisoned by the legion until at least the late 4th century. Although the army had abandoned the fortress by 410 when the Romans retreated from Britannia , the Romano-British civilian settlement continued (probably with some Roman veterans staying behind with their wives and children) and its occupants probably continued to use
1900-518: Is home to the University of Chester . Formerly a teacher training college, it gained full university status in 2005 and is the county's main provider of tertiary education. The University of Law also has a campus in nearby Christleton . Cheshire College – South & West is a vocational college with campuses in Handbridge as well as Ellesmere Port and Crewe. The King's School , a private school ,
1995-669: Is owned by The 7th Duke of Westminster who owns an estate, Eaton Hall , near the village of Eccleston . He also has London properties in Mayfair . Grosvenor is the Duke's family name, which explains such features in the city as the Grosvenor Bridge , the Grosvenor Hotel , and Grosvenor Park. Much of Chester's architecture dates from the Victorian era , many of the buildings being modelled on
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#17328699567942090-459: The City of Chester is Samantha Dixon ( Labour ), who has held the seat since a by-election in 2022 . Chester was an ancient borough , with its earliest known charters dating from the twelfth century. It was given the right to appoint its own sheriffs in 1506, making it a county corporate , administratively separate from the rest of Cheshire. The borough gained city status in 1541 on the creation of
2185-553: The Diocese of Chester . The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , which standardised the way many boroughs operated across the country. When elected county councils were created in 1889, Chester was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services. So it was made a county borough , independent from Cheshire County Council . The county borough
2280-567: The Eastern Coach Works Ltd (ECW) in 1936. In 1933, the new London Passenger Transport Board compulsorily acquired the 328 buses that made up Tilling's South London services. In 1935, Tilling took over Royal Blue , which was the premier express coach company in the South and West of England, with a network of routes stretching from Penzance to Margate and Bournemouth to London, having developed tours and local services around Bournemouth and
2375-658: The Emperor Vespasian founded Chester in AD 79 as a " castrum " or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix . It was established in the land of the Celtic Cornovii , according to ancient cartographer Ptolemy , as a fortress during the Roman expansion northward, and was named Deva either after the goddess of the Dee, or directly from the British name for the river. The 'victrix' part of
2470-580: The Jacobean half-timbered style and designed by John Douglas , who was employed by the Duke as his principal architect. He had a trademark of twisted chimney stacks, many of which can be seen on the buildings in the city centre. Douglas designed, amongst other buildings, the Grosvenor Hotel and the City Baths . In 1911, Douglas' protégé and city architect James Strong designed the then-active fire station on
2565-472: The London General Omnibus Company (LGOC), which pooled their resources (and allowed Tilling to remain independent when LGOC led an amalgamation of most of London's bus companies), but which restricted their expansion in the capital. Then, LGOC and Tilling co-operated on a joint route from Peckham to Turnham Green, via Oxford Circus . The LGOC had introduced numbers on all its routes, and this
2660-534: The Old Dee Bridge , dating from the 13th century, the Grosvenor Bridge of 1832, and Queen's Park suspension bridge (for pedestrians). To the southwest of the city, the River Dee curves towards the north. The area between the river and the city walls here is known as the Roodee and contains Chester Racecourse , which holds a series of horse races and other events. The first recorded race meet in England at Roodee Fields
2755-615: The Wirral and parts of Lancashire , Cheshire and Flintshire . The Railways (Road Transport) Act, 1928 gave the four railway companies the opportunity to provide bus services. But rather than run in competition they bought into or purchased outright existing bus companies. In February 1929, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway made an offer of £400,000 to purchase Crosville, which was effected in November 1929. The new LMS (Crosville) company then in
2850-518: The "city of the legions" ( Caerlleon ) and later St Augustine came to the city to try to unite the church, and held his synod with the Welsh Bishops. In 616, Æthelfrith of Northumbria defeated a Welsh army at the brutal and decisive Battle of Chester and probably established the Anglo-Saxon position in the area from then on. The Northumbrian Anglo-Saxons used an Old English equivalent of
2945-583: The 1920s, the " Big Four " divested themselves of much of the operations of their bus networks by transferring their interests to Tilling and BET in exchange for shares. The Tilling family's association with the company ended in 1929 with the death of Richard Tilling. In 1931, Thomas Tilling Ltd acquired the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company , along with the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company , whose bus construction activities were renamed
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3040-466: The 1950s and early 1960s, producing, for instance, the suburb of Blacon . In 1964, a bypass was built through and around the city centre to combat traffic congestion. These new developments caused local concern as the physicality and, therefore, the feel of the city was being dramatically altered. In 1968, a report by Donald Insall, in collaboration with authorities and government, recommended that historic buildings be preserved in Chester. Consequently,
3135-558: The BTC at the beginning of 1949, as did the Scottish Motor Traction group. Thomas Tilling (BTC) Ltd. was set up as a BTC subsidiary to run Tilling's London private hire business, which continued under nationalisation. BET retained its independence but the BTC ultimately gained up to a 50% holding in 17 of its companies so, from 1949, there were still two major bus groups, the nationalised BTC (formerly Tilling) and BET (partly owned by
3230-536: The BTC). By 1955 the BTC and BET companies were often known as the "Associated Companies" since "the actual ownership of the buses [was] to a greater or less extent in the hands of one party". The ex-Tilling companies continued to be commonly referred to as the "Tilling Group" long after nationalisation and normally carried one of two standard liveries – a crimson red or a deep green (often referred to as Tilling Red and Tilling Green), each with cream relief. These liveries remained
3325-582: The British name, Legacæstir , which was current until the 11th century, when, in a further parallel with Welsh usage, the first element fell out of use and the simple name Chester emerged. In 689, King Æthelred of Mercia founded the Minster Church of West Mercia on what is considered to be an early Christian site: it is known as the Minster of St John the Baptist, Chester (now St John's Church) which later became
3420-604: The Crosville name, but the name passed into history ten years later when rebranded as First Chester & The Wirral . Following losses, the business was sold with depots in Chester, Rock Ferry and Wrexham to Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire in December 2012. The Crosville Motor Service name was resurrected by a new operator that operated in Weston-super-Mare from 2011 until 2018. As well as modern vehicles, it had
3515-565: The Drawlane Group, which in 1992 restructured to become British Bus . On 1 August 1996 British Bus was purchased by the Cowie Group . It traded as Arriva Cymru until February 2002, when it merged with Arriva North West to form Arriva North West & Wales . The remaining Crosville operations in the Wirral and Chester area were sold in February 1990 to Potteries Motor Traction who retained
3610-475: The Lord Mayor. Chester's city status is now formally held by the area of the charter trustees, comprising the 15 wards of Cheshire West and Chester which correspond to the area of the pre-2009 Chester City Council. The official city therefore includes rural areas beyond Chester's built-up area, and had a total population of 138,875 at the 2021 census, compared to 92,760 for the built-up area. Chester lies at
3705-557: The New Forest in the horse-drawn era and express coach services after the First World War. Tilling and TBAT continued to trade successfully, but internal disagreements resulted in TBAT being wound up in 1942. The companies in TBAT were split between Tilling and BET, and the two groups continued to operate independently until nationalisation began in the late 1940s. Tilling Motor Services Ltd
3800-601: The area where boulder clay was absent. The eastern and northern parts of Chester consisted of heathland and forest. The western side towards the Dee Estuary was marsh and wetland habitats. Chester has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ), typical of the British Isles but more susceptible to cold than the extreme south. Despite its proximity to the Irish Sea , the temperature regime is similar to areas further inland, owing to
3895-444: The area. This resulted in the expansion of a number of formerly quiet villages, and hence the route map changed quite dramatically. In example, ROF Wrexham , Marchwiel needed over 200 buses daily. This passenger demand brought about a change in fleet policy, with the relatively small double deck fleet being considerably expanded, mostly with second-hand vehicles as production capacity at most bus manufacturers had been given over meet
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3990-515: The basement of 39 Bridge Street, which is open to the public. Of the original medieval city, the most important surviving structure is Chester Castle , particularly the Agricola Tower. Much of the rest of the castle has been replaced by the neoclassical county court and its entrance, the Propyleum. To the south of the city runs the River Dee, with its 11th-century weir . The river is crossed by
4085-462: The buildings were used in new and different ways instead of being demolished. The City Conservation Area was designated in 1969. Over the next twenty years, the emphasis was placed on saving historic buildings, such as The Falcon Inn , Dutch Houses , and Kings Buildings. On 13 January 2002, Chester was granted the first UK Fairtrade City status by the Fairtrade Foundation . In 2011 this
4180-423: The bus assets of the BTC, and in 1967, BET sold its remaining bus interests to THC. The National Bus Company was formed a year later, mainly from former Tilling and BET subsidiaries. After nationalisation, the group remained as a management unit within the BTC with the following changes: Following nationalisation of Thomas Tilling Ltd's bus interests, a number of subsidiaries continued under separate ownership as
4275-532: The circuit is in the southwest section in front of County Hall . A footpath runs along the top of the walls, crossing roads by bridges over Eastgate, Northgate , St Martin's Gate, Watergate , Bridgegate , Newgate , and the Wolf Gate, and passing a series of structures, namely Phoenix Tower (or King Charles' Tower), Morgan's Mount , the Goblin Tower (or Pemberton's Parlour ), and Bonewaldesthorne's Tower with
4370-565: The city against the Danes . Chester was one of the last cities in England to fall to the Normans , and William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border. Chester was granted city status in 1541. The city walls of Chester are some of the best-preserved in the country and have Grade I listed status. Apart from a 100-metre (330 ft) section,
4465-520: The city centre are the town hall and the cathedral . The town hall was opened in 1869. It is in Gothic Revival style and has a tower and a short spire. The cathedral was formerly the church of St Werburgh's Abbey . Its architecture dates back to the Norman era, with additions made most centuries since. A series of major restorations took place in the 19th century, and in 1975, a separate bell tower
4560-476: The city include: Christleton , Eccleston , Guilden Sutton , Littleton , Mickle Trafford , Mollington , Saughall and Waverton . The more unusual landmarks in the city are the city walls , the Rows and the black-and-white architecture. The walls encircle the bounds of the medieval city and constitute the most complete city walls in Britain, the full circuit measuring nearly 2 miles (3 km). The only break in
4655-672: The city walls , and in St Werburgh's Roman Catholic church in Grosvenor Park Road. The Anglo-Saxons extended and strengthened the walls of Chester to protect the city against the Danes, who occupied it for a short time until Alfred seized all the cattle and laid waste on the surrounding land to drive them out. It was Alfred's daughter Æthelflæd , Lady of the Mercians, that built the new Anglo-Saxon burh . A new Church dedicated to St Peter alone
4750-469: The city walls. The most important Roman feature is the amphitheatre just outside the walls, which underwent archaeological investigation in the early 21st century. Roman artefacts are on display in the Roman Gardens which run parallel to the city walls from Newgate to the River Dee, where there's also a reconstructed hypocaust system . An original hypocaust system discovered in the 1720s can be seen in
4845-470: The coach excursion business and car trade in Chester up to 1972. Although the start of the Second World War brought about cuts in the company timetable, by the end of the war the company had increased passengers by 50% and revenues by 90%. This was through North Wales being seen as a safe area from Luftwaffe bombing, resulting in a number of shadow factories and munitions factories being built in
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#17328699567944940-524: The depots in New Quay , Newcastle Emlyn and Lampeter . The company continued to consolidate and reduce its network through the 1980s, making losses of £1M in 1980 and £2M in 1981. Rebranding of local services in metropolitan areas assisted in flattening the rate of decline in revenues, but losses continued to mount. On 13 February 1986, the Secretary of State for Transport decided that, because of their size,
5035-522: The duplication of that service. A joint timetable was worked on but problems co-ordinating the service proved impossible to surmount. In January 1933 the coach operator, Red & White Services of Chepstow in South Wales, purchased All-British Travels Ltd and in September of that year the remaining All-British Line express coach service between Liverpool and London operated by Taylor ceased. Taylor continued in
5130-445: The fire brigade, were employed on bus services (primarily the Peckham route) to gain experience with heavy traffic. Tilling soon became the biggest supplier of horsepower and vehicles in London, with a stable of 4,000 horses by the time of his death in 1893. Tilling is buried at Nunhead Cemetery , south London. Tilling's horse buses stopped at predetermined points and ran to a fixed timetable, making them more punctual and orderly than
5225-400: The first cathedral. Much later, the body of Æthelred's niece, St Werburgh, was removed from Hanbury in Staffordshire in the 9th century and, to save it from desecration by Danish marauders was reburied in the Church of SS Peter & Paul – later to become the Abbey Church (the present cathedral). Her name is still remembered in St Werburgh's Street, which passes alongside the cathedral, and near
5320-475: The first double-decker motorbuses built for public service in London. By 1905, Tilling had 20 motor buses but still owned 7,000 horses, kept in 500 stables. The horses worked the company's 250 horsebuses were hired to companies and individuals for hauling goods vehicles, cabs, and carriages. In 1907, Tilling began the first long-distance motor bus service, running 13 buses between Oxford Circus and Sidcup in Kent. In 1909, Tilling entered into an agreement with
5415-438: The fortress and its defences as protection from raiders from the Irish Sea . After the Roman troops withdrew, the Romano-British established several petty kingdoms. Chester is thought to have become part of Powys . Deverdoeu was a Welsh name for Chester as late as the 12th century (cf Dyfrdwy , Welsh for the river Dee). Another, attested in the 9th-century History of the Britons traditionally attributed to Nennius ,
5510-458: The four largest NBC companies would be split, as they provided too great a competitive threat to deregulation . Crosville was split into two, with the English and Welsh operations divided between two businesses. Ultimately, both businesses were acquired by the Drawlane Group . Crosville Cymru was to remain generally in one piece, but most of the remainder of Crosville based in England was split between then-sister companies Midland Red North and
5605-433: The great Minster Church of St John the Baptist by six (the monk Henry Bradshaw records he was rowed by eight kings) tributary kings called reguli . In 1071, King William the Conqueror made Hugh d'Avranches , who built Chester Castle , the first Earl of Chester (second creation) . From the 14th to the 18th century, the city's prominent position in North West England meant it was commonly known as Westchester. This name
5700-607: The introduction of one-man operation, Crosville submitted a list of 196 routes that required financial assistance. With the transfer of routes of the North Western Road Car Company within Greater Manchester to the local Passenger Transport Executive in 1971, NBC split the residual services of NWRCC between Trent and Crosville, with the latter company taking over 119 vehicles and depots in Northwich , Macclesfield and Biddulph in March 1972. A consolidation of companies within NBC resulted in Crosville taking over services in parts of West Wales from Western Welsh , including those from
5795-451: The main constituents of the country's nationalised bus industry in the late 1960s and was sufficiently well known to have entered popular culture as part of London's Cockney rhyming slang (Thomas Tilling = shilling ). The company continued as an industrial conglomerate after nationalisation of its bus interests; it was acquired by BTR plc in 1983. The company traces its origins to 1846, when Thomas Tilling started in business. Tilling
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#17328699567945890-471: The monasteries , and ruins of the former east end remain outside the church. Much of the interior is in Norman style and this is considered to be the best example of 11th–12th-century church architecture in Cheshire. At the intersection of the former Roman roads is Chester Cross , to the north of which is the small church of St Peter's , which is in use as an ecumenical centre. Other churches are now redundant and have other uses: St Michael's in Bridge Street
5985-427: The name was taken from the title of the Legio XX Valeria Victrix which was based at Deva. Central Chester's four main roads, Eastgate, Northgate, Watergate and Bridgegate, follow routes laid out at this time. A civilian settlement grew around the military base, which probably originated from trade with the fortress. The fortress was 20% larger than other fortresses in the Roman province of Britannia built around
6080-399: The new North Western company based in Liverpool . The latter move was quite a reversal of fortunes, as much of Crosville's territory in the eastern half of Cheshire had been gained from the original North Western company at its dismemberment in 1972. On 25 March 1988, Crosville was sold to ATL (Western). In 1989 Crosville was sold to National Express passing with the business in 1991 to
6175-562: The next few months purchased Holyhead Motors, and UNU Motor Services of Caernarfon . Shortly afterwards, the four railway companies reached an agreement with the Tilling Group and British Automobile Traction (T&BAT) to complete a cross-holding deal, whereby each organisation held a 50% share in a series of jointly-held and consolidated regional bus companies. LMS (Crosville) was therefore merged with T&BAT's Royal Blue of Llandudno , and renamed Crosville Motor Services on 15 May 1930, after only nine months of outright LMS ownership. In
6270-417: The next few months the company consolidated its majority share of the North Wales coastal services, buying up various smaller private companies that operated in the Crosville area, including: White Rose Motor Services of Rhyl , Red Dragon of Denbigh , Burton of Tarporley , North Wales Silver Motors and Llangoed Red Motors. On 1 May 1933, the Great Western Railway 's northern Welsh service Western Transport
6365-399: The other operators' buses. This was one of the reasons for his success with customers. Because his buses operated on time, they earned the nickname of "Times" buses, and this became the fleet name painted on the side. One of Tilling's children was the actress Mabel Constanduros . The business passed to Tilling's sons, Richard and Edward, who, with Thomas's son-in-law Walter Wolsey, formed
6460-428: The provinces. The company began operating in Folkestone in 1914, Brighton in 1916, and Ipswich in 1919. BET had entered into a similar agreement with LGOC in London, and was also expanding outside London. Instead of destructive rivalry, the two companies agreed to work in close co-operation. By 1928, a BET subsidiary, British Automobile Traction Company (BAT), had interests in nineteen bus companies, with Tilling being
6555-553: The requirements of the military. On 3 December 1942, Crosville became a subsidiary of the Tilling Group , resulting in a change from maroon to Tilling-green livery, and Bristol-chassised buses replacing Leyland as the manufacturer of choice. Crosville emerged from the war far stronger in many ways, with healthy cash reserves in the bank or accumulating nicely in property assets, unable to replace their fleet at their normal renewal rate. However, although Crosville focused on replacing its single-deck fleet with double deckers, Tilling had
6650-407: The retail industry, public administration, and financial services are important to the modern economy. Chester signs itself as Chester International Heritage City on road signs on the main roads entering the city. Charles Leigh concluded in 1701 that there was probably a British city called Genuina (or Gunia) before the arrival of the Romans. The Roman Legio II Adiutrix during the reign of
6745-413: The right to appoint a Lord Mayor . Chester City Council was abolished in 2009 when local government across Cheshire was reorganised; Cheshire County Council was also abolished, and the three districts of Chester, Ellesmere Port and Neston and Vale Royal merged to form a unitary authority called Cheshire West and Chester. Charter trustees were established to maintain Chester's city status and appoint
6840-459: The same time at York ( Eboracum ) and Caerleon ( Isca Augusta ); this has led to the suggestion that the fortress, rather than London ( Londinium ), was intended to become the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Superior . The civilian amphitheatre , which was built in the 1st century, could seat between 8,000 and 10,000 people. It is the largest known military amphitheatre in Britain, and
6935-516: The shelter provided by the Pennines to the northeast and the Welsh Mountains to the southwest. The nearest official weather station is at Hawarden Airport , about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the city centre. The absolute maximum temperature recorded was 37.1 °C (98.8 °F) on 18 July 2022, the highest temperature reported in Wales. In an average year, the warmest day should reach 29.3 °C (84.7 °F), and 12.0 days in total should attain
7030-470: The southern end of a 2-mile (3.2 km) Triassic sandstone ridge that rises to a height of 42 m within a natural S-bend in the River Dee (before the course was altered in the 18th century). The bedrock, also known as the Chester Pebble Beds, is noticeable because of the many small stones trapped within its strata. Retreating glacial sheet ice also deposited quantities of sand and marl across
7125-587: The standard after formation of the National Bus Company until a new corporate livery of NBC Poppy Red/White or NBC Leaf Green/White was introduced from late 1972. The 1930s acquisition of Bristol and ECW resulted in Bristol chassis and ECW bodywork remaining standard amongst former Tilling Group fleets through the 1970s. On 1 January 1963, a new body, the Transport Holding Company (THC), took over
7220-461: The standard fleet purchase for all Tilling/BET fleets, which allowed the company to serve the post-war boom until 1950, when traffic began to fall again thanks to the increase in the number of private cars. The combination of this, plus the Suez Crisis of 1956 and a lack of staff due to low wages, led to a general contraction of the network of countryside routes and reduced services by at least half on
7315-582: The technology, this type formed the mainstay of the fleet for some years. In 1914, just before the outbreak of World War I, the last horse-bus operated on the Tilling Honor Oak – Peckham Rye Station route, after which the horses were requisitioned for war work. Starting in 1914, with the LGOC dominant in London, the company looked to the rest of Britain outside London for growth. Tilling started to seek new markets in
7410-506: The time had only one employee, a conductor named Joseph Eagle, who stayed with the firm until the end of his working life, well into the 1890s. By 1856, Tilling owned 70 horses, which he used for bus and general carriage work. When the Metropolitan Fire Brigade was formed in 1866, Tilling was contracted to train and supply horses to haul the fire engines ; the horses were trained to respond quickly and, prior to handover to
7505-519: The town hall and it contains the names of all Chester servicemen who died in the First World War. There are cruises on the River Dee and the Shropshire Union Canal, as well as guided open-air bus tours. The river cruises and bus tours start from a riverside area known as the Groves, which contains seating and a bandstand . A series of festivals is organised in the city, including mystery plays ,
7600-474: The two Chester railway stations, Chester General and Chester Northgate Station , meant that Newtown with its cattle market and canal , and Hoole with its railways were responsible for providing the vast majority of workers and in turn, the vast amount of Chester's wealth production throughout the Industrial Revolution. The population was 23,115 by 1841. A considerable amount of land in Chester
7695-593: The walls are almost complete. It has several medieval buildings. However, many of the black-and-white buildings within the city centre are Victorian restorations, originating from the Black-and-white Revival movement. The Industrial Revolution brought railways, canals, and new roads to the city, which saw substantial expansion and development; Chester Town Hall and the Grosvenor Museum are examples of Victorian architecture from this period. Tourism,
7790-410: The west side of Northgate Street. Another feature of all buildings belonging to the estate of Westminster is the 'Grey Diamonds' – a weaving pattern of grey bricks in the red brickwork laid out in a diamond formation. Towards the end of World War II , a lack of affordable housing meant many problems for Chester. Large areas of farmland on the city's outskirts were developed as residential areas in
7885-462: Was abolished in 1974, merging with the former Chester Rural District and Tarvin Rural District which covered the surrounding rural areas to create a new Chester district , which was a district-level authority with Cheshire County Council providing county-level services. Chester's city status was extended to cover the whole of the district created in 1974. In 1992, Chester City Council was given
7980-504: Was amalgamated with Crosville. In 1930 All-British Travels Ltd was formed by coach operators George Taylor of Chester, Alfred Harding of Birkenhead and J.W. Scott of Edinburgh, with sleeping partner Evan R. Davies, a solicitor in Pwllheli. Under the fleet name of 'All-British Line' the initial intention was to run express coach services to and from Liverpool and Llandudno to London via Taylor's Market Square car showroom in Chester and to operate
8075-490: Was born in 1825 at Gutter's Hedge Farm, Hendon , Middlesex , of parents who had moved there from Gloucestershire . In 1846, at the age of 21, he went into the transport business in London as a jobmaster in Walworth using a horse and carriage which cost him £30. In January 1850, he purchased a horse bus together with the right to run four journeys a day between Peckham and Oxford Street . This bus he drove himself, and at
8170-492: Was established by King Henry VIII in 1541. The girls-only Queen's School , another independent school, was founded in 1878. Thomas Tilling The Tilling Group was one of two conglomerates that controlled almost all of the major bus operators in the United Kingdom between World Wars I and II and until nationalisation in 1948. Tilling, together with the other conglomerate, British Electric Traction (BET), became
8265-451: Was extended to the entire borough. There is one main tier of local government covering Chester, at unitary authority level, being Cheshire West and Chester Council . Much of the Chester urban area is an unparished area , but some of the suburbs are included in civil parishes such as Great Boughton and Upton-by-Chester and there is also a small parish in the centre of the city called Chester Castle . The Member of Parliament for
8360-533: Was formed from the break-up. As part of the government's moves toward nationalisation of the transport industry, the Transport Act 1947 resulted in formation of the British Transport Commission (BTC). The railway companies were nationalised from 1 January 1948 with the result that their major stake in the Tilling and BET bus companies passed into public ownership from that date. Tilling sold its remaining holdings to
8455-507: Was founded in 79 AD as a " castrum " or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix during the reign of Emperor Vespasian . One of the main army camps in Roman Britain , Deva later became a major civilian settlement. In 689, King Æthelred of Mercia founded the Minster Church of West Mercia, which later became Chester's first cathedral, and the Angles extended and strengthened the walls to protect
8550-576: Was founded in AD 907 by the Lady Æthelfleda at what was to become the Cross. In 973, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that, two years after his coronation at Bath, King Edgar of England came to Chester where he held his court in a palace in a place now known as Edgar's Field near the old Dee bridge in Handbridge. Taking the helm of a barge, he was rowed the short distance up the River Dee from Edgar's Field to
8645-470: Was on 9 February 1540. The Shropshire Union Canal runs to the north of the city and a branch leads from it to the River Dee. The major museum in Chester is the Grosvenor Museum, which includes a collection of Roman tombstones and an art gallery . Associated with the museum is 20 Castle Street, which has rooms furnished in different historical styles. The Deva Roman Experience has hands-on exhibits and
8740-407: Was opened. The elaborately carved canopies of the choir stalls are considered to be among the finest in the country. Also in the cathedral is the shrine of St Werburgh . The former monastic buildings are north of the cathedral. The oldest church in the city is St John's , which is outside the city walls and was at one time the cathedral church. The church was shortened after the dissolution of
8835-541: Was ordered to surrender Dee Mills: they were to be demolished, and new mills built on city land. Chester played a significant part in the Industrial Revolution , which began in the North West of England in the late 18th century. The city village of Newtown, located northeast of the city and bounded by the Shropshire Union Canal , was at the very heart of this industry. The large Chester Cattle Market and
8930-577: Was route number 12. This service between Peckham and Oxford Circus still operates and is still the number 12. It may be the oldest operating bus route in London. In 1915, the first woman bus conductor in London worked on Tilling route number 37. During World War I , women were recruited to replace men who had joined the Armed Forces. In 1911, Tilling introduced the Tilling-Stevens TTA1 petrol-electric bus into its fleet; despite some drawbacks of
9025-580: Was used by Celia Fiennes when she visited the city in 1698. and is also used in Moll Flanders . In the English Civil War, Chester sided with the royalist cause of King Charles I but was subdued by the Parliamentarians in 1643. The Mayor of Chester, Charles Walley, was removed from office and replaced by Alderman William Edwards. Another alderman, Francis Gamull , a royalist MP and former Mayor,
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