OUR Spotlight On column rounds up the best things to see and do in your favourite holiday destinations – and shines a light on some lesser known spots too.
This week, for our Halloween special, we look at Chester, which claims to be one of the UK’s spookiest destinations.
MUST SEE/DO
Whether you’re visiting around Halloween or not, you’ll still be able to learn about this city’s haunted history thanks to a year-round programme of nighttime tours with Chester Ghost Tours.
A local guide will steer you around some of Chester’s most eerie haunts as they recount spine-chilling tales of ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night.
The tours last 90 minutes and cost £10 per adult, or £30 for a family of four.
HIDDEN GEMS
Liquor & Co may look like your ordinary, if rather sleek, bar but within this venue is another secret – an even more excellent bar. It’s only open to those in the know, however.
Tell the bar staff that you’d like to “see the caretaker” and you’ll be taken to a plush seating area that serves scarily good cocktails.
For something unusual, Sick To Death tells the gory story of medicine through time.
Visitors can explore pestilence-ridden Diagnosis Alley, perform an autopsy and may even encounter the Grim Reaper.
The experience costs £8 for adults and £4.50 for kids.
BEST VIEW
The city walls offer an excellent vantage point to take in the main hub of Chester below.
The complete circuit stretches for about two miles.
Keep your eyes peeled for the ghost of a Roman legionnaire, which has been spotted between the amphitheatre and Newgate.
According to folklore, he fell in love with a local girl and frequently left his post to meet up with her. One night, her angry parents killed the soldiers left on guard.
The lovestruck soldier still haunts his post today.
RATED RESTAURANT
Keeping in line with the spooky theme, try Death By Tacos on Watergate Street.
The birria taco comes crammed full of slow-cooked beef that has been stewed in stout and is topped with grilled cheese, pink pickled onions and salsa verde.
The wings aren’t bad either, smothered in the restaurant’s spice blend
BEST BAR
The 1920s-themed Prohibition bar is a spectacular speakeasy, also on Watergate Street.
Inside are dark wooden bookshelves, red velvet curtains and sultry tones to accompany cocktails.
Try the Peanut Butter Old Fashioned, made from peanut butter-infused bourbon, maple syrup and aromatic bitters.
HOTEL PICK
The Pied Bull, a historic pub with rooms, is apparently home to a ghost that haunts its cellar.
The rooms are far more appealing, however, with a cottage-like feel to them and cosy beds backed by floral wallpaper.
Double rooms cost from £133 with breakfast.