Chester’s historic towers will be open to the public thanks to an innovative volunteer programme developed by The Friends of Chester Walls.

Both the King Charles Tower and the Water Tower will be accessible to visitors and residents every weekend until the end of October.

The historic buildings can be explored between 10am and 4.30pm on both Saturdays and Sundays.

A team of volunteers organised by the Friends of Chester Walls will be on duty at both locations to tell visitors and residents about the history of the towers and their unique heritage.

Dr David O Pickering, chair of the Friends of Chester Walls, said: “We are delighted that so many local people with a deep love of Chester have come forward to help us open the towers on the City Walls to the public.

“We appreciate the willingness and enthusiasm of our team of volunteers to give up their time to offer visitors and residents the opportunity to explore the towers and find out about their fascinating past. Our volunteers are great ambassadors for Chester and are an integral part of the city’s welcome.”

The Water Tower was built in the 14th century for £100 to guard entry to the Port of Chester, which was the largest in the North West during the Middle Ages until the River Dee silted up in the 16th century, leaving the defensive structure high and dry.

It saw considerable action during the English Civil War when Royalist Chester was under siege for two years.

The Water Tower is connected to the most complete City Walls in Britain by a spur wall and Bonewaldesthorne’s Tower, which houses a camera obscura that reflects panoramic images of the outside world onto a table-top screen in a dark room.

The historic building was leased from the council in the 19th century by the Chester Mechanics Institution to showcase its artefacts.

It was closed to the public in 1916, and in the 1920s was let for commercial use. The Water Tower is now owned by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

The King Charles Tower in Chester

The local authority also own the nearby King Charles’ Tower, which was named after the 17th century monarch who watched his defeated royalist army returning from the Battle of Rowton Moor in 1645, where Cromwell’s forces won a famous victory in the English Civil War.

It was also known as the Phoenix Tower from 1613, when it was taken over by the two of the Chester Guilds including the Painters company whose badge is carved in stone on the outside of the building.

The upper chamber is now occupied by the Chester Archaeological Society, which relocated to the historic property recently as has local artist John Donnelly, who has moved to the King Charles’ Tower while a restoration programme is being carried out on the Eastgate Clock where he normally displays his work.

It’s estimated that some 2.5million people walk the City Walls - the most complete in Britain - every year.

Anyone interested in receiving more details about the volunteer programme should contact the Friends of Chester Walls Co-ordinator, Viv on 07564255870 or email: friendsofchesterwalls@gmail.com