Planning a Roman school trip to Chester

Who to book

• Grosvenor Museum (West Cheshire Museums). School days with the Roman galleries, KS2 worksheets and Roman soldier tours, typically 10.30am to 2pm. Ratios: 1:6 for EYFS and KS1, 1:10 for KS2. Prices by phone on 01244 972089. Free entry to the galleries.
• Deva Roman Experience. Takes school bookings on weekdays all year: a reconstructed Roman street, handling objects and an excavation. Book through its website.
• Roman soldier walking tours. Roman Tours runs costumed legionary walks and has done since 1997; ask about group bookings.
• The amphitheatre. Free and open in daylight. English Heritage asks groups and schools to contact the Grosvenor Museum (01244 972197) about visits.

Sample itineraries

Half day (about 3 hours)

1. Arrive and meet at the Grosvenor Museum. Roman galleries and worksheet session.
2. Walk to the amphitheatre (about 10 minutes) and the Roman Gardens next door.
3. Climb onto the walls at Newgate for the view of the arena, then back to the coach.

Full day (about 5 hours)

1. Morning session at the Grosvenor Museum or the Deva Roman Experience.
2. Picnic lunch at the amphitheatre (in good weather).
3. Soldier-led or teacher-led walk: amphitheatre, Roman Gardens, the walls north to the Roman north wall by Northgate.
4. Finish at the Cross, the centre of the Roman fortress, to talk about how the streets follow the Roman plan.

Our self-guided Roman walk and the printable map work well for a teacher-led route.

Costs

Venues price school sessions individually, so get quotes. As a rough guide, trip letters published by schools often quote around £15 to £18 a pupil for a museum session plus a soldier-led walk, before transport. The outdoor Roman sites cost nothing.

Risk assessment points

• The amphitheatre has sheer drops round the arena and uneven surfaces.
• The city walls have steps at the gates, some steep, and drops on the outer side in places.
• Busy roads and crossings between sites, especially at Newgate and Bridgegate.
• The riverside path by the Roman Gardens and the Dee.
• Crowds in the city centre at weekends and in school holidays: book a weekday if you can.
• Sensory effects (loud noises, strobe, water) at the Deva Roman Experience.

Curriculum links and classroom ideas

The visit supports the KS2 history study of the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain: the army, towns, roads, religion and daily life. Before you go, look at the map of the fortress and spot today’s streets. Afterwards, pupils can design a tombstone for a soldier of the Twentieth, write their names in Roman capitals, make a shield with the legion’s boar emblem, or compare Roman and modern Chester using our then-and-now pictures. The kids page has ten facts and a quiz.

Trip checklist

• Book sessions and tours; confirm times in writing.
• Check ratios for each venue and your own policy.
• Agree where the coach will drop off and pick up.
• Plan lunch: picnic site, and a wet-weather fallback indoors.
• Complete the risk assessment, including the walls and the amphitheatre.
• Pack worksheets, clipboards, a first aid kit and spare coats.
• Share the itinerary and emergency contacts with every adult.

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