Kieran and Marcella Rizzotti

If you look around the organically built city of Chester, what do you see? There are the fascinating remains of the Roman Empire and medieval times of course, The Minerva shrine, the amphitheatre, and the cross at St Johns to name just a few. But most of what you can see still standing that makes Chester itself unique is, in fact, Victorian.

The “Tudor” rows and the Cathedral that you see today are Victorian facades, like the Victorians themselves. The original structures have been hidden under multiple petticoats and stiff collars.

Victorian Ventures was born out of a passion from all things Victorian. My wife and I met through our love of history and study of Historical fashion, and we wear historical fashion regularly in our daily lives. Not just purely for fun, but also because every article of clothing tells a story as unique as Chester itself. We immerse ourselves in the fine details to make sure we do justice for our ancestors and to really understand what it was like to be a living, breathing person of the era. We have re-enacted many eras of

Britain’s history, from a Roman legionary to a Victorian soldier fighting in the 2nd Boer War.

It was with all this passion and experience for history and our love for the city itself that the business was born out of. To bring something new and exciting to its Roman walls, we presented a walking tour of the city with a Victorian twist. Breathing life again into the uniquely Victorian structures, enthusiastically and visually. We re-tell the stories of the people who lived and died in the slums, and of the middle and well-connected upper classes of Victorian Chester with as much drama and soul to fill up the coffers of any Grosvenor as if they were present still. And believe me when I say there are many forgotten stories of 19th Century Chester, both morbidly gruesome and fascinating that happened just under the feet of the passing Chester tourist.

For all of this to happen, we have spent sleepless nights and long days pouring over 19th Century books of Chester, original news articles from its local rags and as much information as we could, with a little help from the ‘Chester archaeological society’s’ archives, and a lot of help from the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce. With which this business would not exist, and the help and opportunities being a member has given to us. We sincerely hope that Victorian Ventures is as pleasurable to experience as it has been for us to build up from just an idea tucked inside a top hat, into a very interesting and continuously growing reality.

Scented moustache wax and hair pomade was not just the mark of a Victorian Gentleman, but it also covered the many horrid smells with bathing being such a task in the Victorian era!