top of page
HC_R625171_Rowvember_20251129_SRP.jpg
Rowvember

Join us from 1 - 30 November 2026 as we celebrate Chester's unique architectural feature, The Rows. ​

​

Whether you're a local who walks The Rows daily or a visitor discovering them for the first time,

ROWVEMBER offers a fresh perspective on these extraordinary buildings. 

​

Here’s a first look at what’s in store, with more events still to be announced. Keep an eye on this page as the programme grows in the weeks ahead.

A photograph of the double tiered rows buildings
Chester Rows for Absolute Beginners

1 Nov 2026

2pm - 2.45pm

Guided Tour, Accessible, Family Friendly

What is a Rows building? How did Chester Rows develop over time? Find out on this guided tour.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph taken from inside the Rows looking along a walkway
The Rows Volunteers Day: Morning Session

3 Nov 2026

9am - 12pm

Volunteer Day

Lend a hand and see the Rows in a whole new light. Join our friendly volunteer team for the Rowvember Rows Clean.

Find Out More ➔
A wooden table with a chapters menu.
An Evening of Midwinter Gothic

4 Nov 2026

7pm - 9.15pm

Talk, Accessible

An intimate evening of dark tales and Chester’s ghostly past, nestled away on the Rows at Chapters Book Bar.

Book Tickets➔
A photograph of the door to the air raid shelter
St Michael’s Arcade Air Raid Shelter

8 Nov 2026

1pm - 3pm

Open House, Accessible

Step beneath St Michael’s Arcade into a WW2 air raid shelter and meet our Home Guard reenactors this Remembrance Sunday.

Find Out More ➔
A photograph of Chester Rows buildings
Crime Control and the Chester Rows

10 Nov 2026

10am - 11am

Guided Tour

See Chester’s Rows through a criminological lens with University of Chester criminologists, uncovering centuries of crime and punishment.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of Shoemakers Row
John Douglas on The Rows

14 Nov 2026

1pm - 1.50pm

Guided Tour

Discover how Victorian architect John Douglas helped shape the Chester Rows on this tour of his influences, methods and legacy.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of a folklore stone carving
Folklore & Fantastical Architecture Walkshop

15 Nov 2026

11am - 12.15pm

Guided Tour, Family Friendly, Workshop

Discover Cheshire’s folktales and the fantastical carvings of Chester’s Rows on a family-friendly walk with Here Then Heritage.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of the Rows with a fire engine parked in front.
Chester Rows Fire Detection

18 Nov 2026

1pm - 2pm

Guided Tour, Talk

Discover how Chester’s Rows are being protected by a pioneering fire detection system - the first of its kind installed outdoors.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of Beer Heroes on the Rows
Where Are the Rest of the Rows?

23 Nov 2026

6.30pm - 7.30pm

Talk

Chester’s Rows once ran all the way to the river - so what happened? A tale of a vanished church, a collapsed Row and the mystery plays.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of 53 Lower Bridge Street, a white narrow building
53 Lower Bridge Street Open Hour

26 Nov 2026

1pm - 2pm

Open House

Step inside the former Dollectable shop on Lower Bridge Street to see the remains of its Row and a grand fireplace as it becomes a pub.

Find Out More ➔
A photograph of the gated entrance to the crypt.
28 Eastgate Street Crypt Open Hour

30 Nov 2026

1pm - 2pm

Open House

See the c.1300 stone-vaulted crypt beneath 28 Eastgate Street, reopening for the first time since Debenhams closed.

Find Out More ➔
A photograph taken from inside the Rows looking along a walkway
The Rows Volunteers Day: Afternoon Session

2 Nov 2026

1pm - 4pm

Volunteer Day

Lend a hand and see the Rows in a whole new light. Join our friendly volunteer team for the Rowvember Rows Clean.

Find Out More ➔
A photograph taken from inside the Rows looking along a walkway
The Rows Volunteers Day: Afternoon Session

3 Nov 2026

1pm - 4pm

Volunteer Day

Lend a hand and see the Rows in a whole new light. Join our friendly volunteer team for the Rowvember Rows Clean.

Find Out More ➔
A photograph of the Rows at night time
Chester Rows at Night

5 Nov 2026

6pm - 6.45pm

Guided Tour, Accessible

See Chester Rows in a new light - join Conservation Officer James Dixon for an after-dark tour revealing what only appears at night.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of a group of students performing on the steps of the Rows
Rowments: Moments on the Rows

10 Nov 2026

6.30pm - 7.30pm

Performance, Accessible, Family Friendly

Hear Chester’s stories come to life with audio tales and live performances on the Rows by University of Chester Acting students.

Find Out More ➔
A photograph of the Rows double tiered Chester buildings
Murder on The Rows

10 Nov 2026

6pm - 10pm

Games Night

Solve strange murders and face Eldritch horrors beneath Chester’s Rows in this tabletop roleplaying game. No experience needed!

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of Shoemakers Row
John Douglas on The Rows

14 Nov 2026

11am - 11.50am

Guided Tour

Discover how Victorian architect John Douglas helped shape the Chester Rows on this tour of his influences, methods and legacy.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of Ye Old Boot Inn hanging pub sign
Rows Past, Present & Future: Sir Donald Insal

17 Nov 2026

6.30pm - 8pm

Talk

Celebrate the legacy of Sir Donald Insall and explore past, present and future conservation on Chester’s Rows with leading experts.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of Beer Heroes on the Rows
Heritage Pub Club

19 Nov 2026

5.30pm - 8pm

Open House

Meet fellow heritage, history and museum lovers for an evening of relaxed chat and networking at Beer Heroes.

Find Out More ➔
A photograph of Lowes and Sons building on the Rows
Lowe's Museum Exclusive Open House

24 Nov 2026

1pm - 2.20pm

Open House

Step inside Lowe & Sons for an exclusive small-group visit to its Edwardian interior and private museum. Very limited spaces!

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of a civil war reenactor in costume
Chester Rows: Parliament, Power & Civil War.

27 Nov 2026

11.30am - 12.45pm

Guided Tour, Accessible

Step back to the 1640s with a costumed guide to explore what happened when local power, Parliament and the Crown collided in Chester.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph taken from inside the Rows looking along a walkway
The Rows Volunteers Day: Morning Session

2 Nov 2026

9am - 12pm

Volunteer Day

Lend a hand and see the Rows in a whole new light. Join our friendly volunteer team for the Rowvember Rows Clean.

Find Out More ➔
A photograph of Ye Old Boot Inn hanging pub sign
A City under Siege: Chester in the Civil War

3 Nov 2026

6.30pm - 8pm

Talk

Uncover the story of Chester’s Civil War siege with a historian and a reenactor at one of the city’s oldest pubs.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of the Rows, the two tiered Chester buildings
The Lockwood Legacy Tour

7 Nov 2026

2pm - 2.30pm

Guided Tour

Discover the stories behind Chester’s black-and-white Rows on an exclusive tour led by the architects carrying on Lockwood’s legacy.

Book Tickets ➔
A sketch of the rows overlaid on a photograph of the same area
Sketching The Rows with The Urban Sketchers

10 Nov 2026

10.30am - 12.30pm

Workshop, Accessible

Join Chester's group of Urban Sketchers as they capture the beauty of the Rows in their monthly meet-up.

Find Out More ➔
A photograph of Bishop Lloyd's Palace
Mrs Mainwaring's Masquerades

14 Nov 2026

7.30pm - 8.30pm

Talk

Step into 1820s Chester, where Susanna Mainwaring’s glittering masquerades on Watergate Street were the talk of the town.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of a folklore stone carving
Folklore & Fantastical Architecture Walk

14 Nov 2026

11am - 12.15pm

Guided Tour

Discover Cheshire’s folktales and the fantastical carvings of Chester’s Rows on a walk with local guide Matthew Bridson.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of Lowes and Sons building on the Rows
Lowe's Museum Exclusive Open House

17 Nov 2026

1pm - 2.20pm

Open House

Step inside Lowe & Sons for an exclusive small-group visit to its Edwardian interior and private museum. Very limited spaces!

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of a folklore stone carving
Folklore & Fantastical Architecture Walkshop

22 Nov 2026

11am - 12.15pm

Guided Tour, Family Friendly, Workshop

Discover Cheshire’s folktales and the fantastical carvings of Chester’s Rows on a family-friendly walk with Here Then Heritage.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of various archaeological finds from the Rows
Archaeology and Life in the Rows

24 Nov 2026

6.30pm - 8pm

Talk

Discover what past excavations have revealed about the people who lived and worked in Chester’s Rows from the 16th to 19th centuries.

Book Tickets ➔
A photograph of a civil war reenactor in costume
Chester Rows: Parliament, Power & Civil War.

28 Nov 2026

11.30am - 12.45pm

Guided Tour, Accessible

Step back to the 1640s with a costumed guide to explore what happened when local power, Parliament and the Crown collided in Chester.

Book Tickets ➔

Images on this page: Choir on the Rows © Heritage Chester/ Stuart Robinson Photography.

Spacehive

Continue Supporting our Campaign on Spacehive

Coop_Cloverleaf_Blue_RGB.png

Heritage Chester is part of the Co-op Local Community Fund

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • X
  • Bluesky-PNG

Heritage Chester is a community interest company registered in England and Wales with company number 16268584.

The Bluecoat Building, Upper Northgate Street, Chester, United Kingdom, CH1 4EE.

​

Privacy Policy | Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
Grievance Policy | Safeguarding Policy

© 2025 by Heritage Chester. All rights reserved.

bottom of page