Chester played a central, internationally recognised, role in celebrating the importance of our built heritage back in 1975. Indeed, Chester Rows were illustrated on the nation’s stamps, the City was the first to appoint anyone to the new role of ‘conservation officer’ and television programmes were shown on the restoration work leading the way in Chester. And finally, The Chester High Cross was restored at the very heart of the City.

To mark the occasion Chester is holding a series of special events celebrating the City’s remarkable heritage.

• Activities have already started with Chester Civic Trust’s 19^th annual Good Bad and Ugly awards.
• The Heritage Festival runs May 24th to June 8^th when there will be walking tours to visit the key conservation sites of 1975, lectures, talks and online exhibitions.
• Chester Civic Trust will hold a celebration dinner on 26^th June and a self-guided walking tour will be available from Cheshire Historic Buildings Preservation Trust.

• Cheshire Society of Architects will have a programme of events on Heritage throughout the Summer and the City hosts a high level conference for the Institute of Historic Building Conservation in September linked to the national Heritage Open Days scheme
• ]Celebrations culminate with the Cheshire West Design Awards in the Town Hall on November 27^th, last held in 2021.

As well as marking European Architectural Heritage Year (EAHY) 50 years on, 2025 also celebrates 65 years of Chester Civic Trust. The Trust was instrumental in restoring the High Cross to its original place to celebrate EAHY, at the centre of the City where it had been from 1476 until 1646. In 1646 the cross was demolished after the surrender of Chester to the Parliamentarians in the Civil War. Fragments discovered in the early 19th century were erected near the Newgate in 1949 but in 1975 they were reunited with the upper section of the Cross, which had been preserved in the grounds of Sir John Cotgreave’s villa at Netherleigh House, Eaton Road.

Tony Barton, Chair of Chester Civic Trust’s Heritage Committee and Cheshire Historic Buildings Preservation Trust said; “Listening to our Cestrian architectural hero, Cyril Morris and my day job colleague, Sir Donald Insall, talk about European Architectural Heritage Year (EAHY), the role Chester Civic Trust took in restoring the High Cross, and knowing how highly regarded Chester remains within Europe, is in all very inspirational and relevant to 2025.”

Cyril Morris (97) who was actively engaged in Chester’s conservation programme and joined the council in 1949 until his retirement in 1989 said; “Chester Civic Trust will wish to celebrate their memorable contribution to EAHY in 1975 – the relocation of the High Cross to its original location by the Trust. I hope to join them.”

Sir Donald Insall CBE founded Donald Insall Associates in 1958. He and his practice were the authors of the Chester study and were then retained by the City of Chester as its conservation consultant during the initial decades of its conservation action programme. He added; “Chester’s civic spirit lives on: ‘Vivat Deva!’”