RE-OPENING the towers on the City Walls is an ambitious project costing almost one million Euros.
The European Union money will pay for the repair and restoration of the towers – including King Charles’ Tower on the north east corner of the walls.
Legend has it King Charles watched his army defeated by the Parliamentarians in the battle of Rowton Moor while standing on the tower on September 24, 1645.
There used to be a small museum within the tower, open to the public at weekends, but it closed due to cuts.
The Water Tower on the north west corner has occasionally been used for musical and reenactment events.
Magnus Theobald, manager of the Portico Project, said: “We would at least like to open the towers on an periodic basis – on Bank Holidays and may be for tours.”
Some of the cash will improve the interpretation and signage of the walls and towers, which will also include testing out a virtual ‘Towers through Time’ idea.
The European Portico Project involves the cities of Chester, Gent in Belgium, Cologne in Germany and Utrecht in the Netherlands with the aim of making archaeological heritage more visible.
Cllr Stuart Parker, vice chairman of Chester Renaissance, said: “Chester’s City Walls and Towers are amongst the city’s greatest assets, visited by over three million people annually.
“The Portico European partners are studying the impacts of investing in cultural heritage and sharing their findings.
“Chester has built a strong reputation through a number of past European partnerships. Portico is another opportunity to work with experts across Europe to improve and protect our attractions for residents and visitors.”
