The Beginning.

Chester was founded by the Roman Empire around the year AD70. Named Fortress Deva (after the River Dee) it quickly became a major garrison and port during the time of the Roman Occupation. Visitors can walk around large parts of the Roman Walls that remain to this day.

The Cathedral's history begins in 907 during the period of Chester's restoration by Ethelfleda the wife of Edward King of Mercia. The city was built as a strong point in the defence against the Norsemen of Ireland who were in the Wirral. Just after this time a church was built on the present site and the relics of St Werburgh were placed within. St Werburgh was born around 650 and was the daughter of the Mercian king, Wulfere. After becoming a nun she rose to the position of abbess, known for her reforms and holy life. She died between 700 and 707 and was buried at Hanbury in Staffordshire, stories being told of the many miracles at her tomb. The church was named St Werburgh's Minster and was the focus of pilgrimages as well as performing the role similar to a modern day parish church. This continued for around 200 years.

During the reign of William Rufus in 1092, the second earl of Chester Hugh Lupus wanted to turn the minster into a Benedictine abbey. He was helped by St Anselm a personal friend, who was the Abbot of Bec in Normandy who offered advice and guidance. St Anselm arrived in Chester that year along with a group of his monks to assist in the transformation. In between the years 1092 and 1540 the abbey was in the diocese of Lichfield. During the 12th and 13th centuries the Anglo Saxon church was replaced by the first abbey church which covered the area from the current west end to around the present high alter. Where the present font stands in the north west corner of the nave can be seen arches of what was intended to be the north-west tower of the church. The choir and both of it's aisles ended in an apse which are marked in the floor of the present north and south aisles. Two of the columns of the choir can be observed from the back of the choir stalls in the north choir aisle. The first abbey church had two transepts each with an apsidal chapel on the east side. The oldest parts of the church can be seen on the east wall of the current north transept, the triforium and arch dating back to the latter part of the 11th century.

The current cathedral replaced the abbey church between 1250 and 1538, the lady chapel being being built around 1250-1275. This was followed by the choir in the beginning of the 14th century, the architect being Richard of Chester who was also responsible for Edward 1's castles in North Wales. The base of the shrine of St Anselm which has stood at the west end of the Lady Chapel since 1889 was constructed around this time, however there are no records of where the shrine was positioned during the middle ages. The south transept was built in the middle of the 14th century and due to the need for the wide variety of alters is totally out of all proportion with the north transept. Due to the monastic buildings adjacent to the north transept, extending was impossible. The design of the nave is similar to the south transept and was rebuilt at the same time. The final building phase in the Middle ages took place between 1485 and 1537 and include the upper section of the central tower, the west front, the south-west porch and corner of the nave (where the consistory court is located), the clerestory windows and the north arcade of the nave.

The abbey took on the parochial responsibilities of the previous Anglo-Saxon minster. The south aisle of the nave was used as a parish church by the parishioners which was dedicated to St Oswald. This was moved into a guild chapel dedicated to St Nicholas when the nave was being rebuilt in the middle 14th century, the remains of which can be observed opposite the west porch in St Werburgh street.The parishoners worshipped there until the early part of the 16th century, when they moved to the south transept. Named St Oswalds, this remained the parish church until 1881 and was segregated from the rest of the cathedral by a partition at the north end.