ðĶĒ Mithlondrim Smial ðĶĒ
A pre-moot recce to Chester for the upcoming Smial moot on Saturday 20th June 2026: A report
ð Location: Chester
ð Trip date: Thursday 21st May 2026
This recce was to explore Chester's facilities and promote the upcoming moot by the Mithlondrim Smial to local shops and other relevant places.
ð Moot date: Saturday 20th June 2026 @ 12pm
ð Moot location: Telford's Warehouse (see below)
ð Mithlondrim Smial | Facebook Event Page for Moot
Please click image for larger version.
ð Venues/shops visited:
⭕ Secret Identity Comics
39 Boughton, Chester, CH3 5AF
https://secretidentitycomics.com/
https://www.facebook.com/p/Secret-Identity-Comics-61560974407018/⭕ Waterstones
14 Eastgate Row, Chester, CH1 1LF
https://www.waterstones.com/bookshops/chester-eastgate-row⭕ Grosvenor Museum
27 Grosvenor Street, Chester, CH1 2DD
https://grosvenormuseum.westcheshiremuseums.co.uk/⭕ Tourist Information
Chester Town Hall, Chester, CH1 2HJ
https://visitcheshire.com/directory/chester-visitor-information-centre⭕ Chester Cathedral
St Werburgh Street, Chester, CH1 2DY
https://chestercathedral.com/⭕ Storyhouse
Hunter St, Chester, CH1 2AR
https://www.storyhouse.com/⭕ Telford’s Warehouse
Canal Basin, Tower Wharf, Chester, CH1 4EZ
https://www.telfordswarehousechester.com/⭕ Warhammer Chester
57 Watergate Street, Chester, CH1 2LB,
https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/home
https://www.facebook.com/WarhammerChester/⭕ Recollect Chester
65 Watergate Row South, Chester, CH1 2LE
https://re-collect.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/recollectcollectibles/
Looking up towards Eastgate Clock.
Click image for larger version.
ð RECCE REPORT:
The Chester Literature Festival is currently on (12 May-14 June 2026) but won’t be on when we visit. I aimed to re-visit several places and also check out the “Things We Found In Books Exhibition” (linked to the Festival) in the Storyhouse.
I also aimed to visit “geek” places and see if they’ll take some flyers I quickly printed out in the morning before travelling down to Chester. First call of the day was Secret Identity Comics shop. It’s about a 5-10 minute walk from the train station and on a road that then leads into Chester city centre via the Eastgate Clock. Shop owner Andy was really great, he’s put one of the A4 flyers up in the shop window and has an A5 one by his desk. Hoping he gets the comic fair at the Storyhouse soon too.
Next stop was Waterstones up in the Rows along Eastgate. They had a small selection of Tolkien books (Liverpool has a great selection).
I visited the Grosvenor Museum to see two exhibitions:
ðĻ “Chester Amphitheatre – An 8000 year story” (Gallery One, ends 12 July)
ðĻ “The Amphitheatre Owl – A 16th century curiosity” (Gallery Two, ends 7 June)
When we go to Chester a new exhibition will be on in Gallery Two which sounds really interesting:
ðĻ “Echoes of Ancient Lands and Seas: Fossils from Cheshire” (20 June - 20 September 2026)
I aim to visit that on the day of our moot, whether before the moot or after it, I’m not sure.
Click images for larger version.
I popped into the Chester Tourist Information Centre (next to the Town Hall) to pick up some leaflets to bring along to the moot and then headed to Chester Cathedral (I usually light a candle for my brother and Mum). I got limited time here as they were about to start an organ recital service (tourists are moved out). There is however an exhibition on that I think some of our members will be interested in:
ðĻ “Threads Through the Bible” (8 May - 28 June 2026)
“Experience a breathtaking journey through the story of creation, redemption and revelation in this remarkable textile exhibition. Featuring three monumental sequences - Threads through Creation, Threads through the Cross and Threads through Revelation - by textile artist Jacqui Parkinson”
The artworks were quite stunning and the colours vivid!
Book archway in the Library Pod, Storyhouse
Click image for larger version.
Book archway in the Library Pod, Storyhouse
Click images for larger version.
Next up I went to the Storyhouse to see the “Things We Found In Books Exhibition”. I realised I hadn’t been in that bit of the library there before, it’s like a warren of spaces inside the Storyhouse. Next time I go I will sign up with the library, you don’t need ID to do so. I’ve been doing this with any place I can, partly out of professional curiosity to see how other library services (across the UK) do membership, also I am on a mission to get library cards – got to collect them all! ðĪĢ
I then walked to our venue for the moot, Telford’s Warehouse. It’s at least a 10 minute walk from the Storyhouse, I took what turned out to be a back route to It but brought me a short way along one of the canals, so a scenic route. The route home afterwards was more big roads and such. It’s outside the city walls. If you are in city centre, you can reach it by Northgate then Canal Street, or do what I did and head to St Martin’s Way, up towards the flyover, but go down the steps to the canal just after the turnoff for City Walls Road. You then follow the canal until you get to a bridge across it (Tower Road into Raymond Street).
Click image for larger version.
Access note: that back-way has stairs down from Raymond Street to the entrance of Telford’s Warehouse – which has stairs at the entrance to enter. Inside, there are stairs to reach the toilet. There are about three levels – the main room with the bar as you walk inside, a lower level with two rooms (and the toilets) and an upper level which I didn’t explore.
Telford's Warehouse, Tower Wharf
Click image for larger version.
Designed by industrial engineer Thomas Telford and built in the late eighteenth century, the Telford Warehouse (a grade 2 listed building) reaches out across the canal. The pub website states:
“The building was constructed partly over the canal to allow boats to be located and unloaded from the full height of the loading bay within the building.”
(Source)
Canal view from my table
Click image for larger version.
The website says the upstairs is a restaurant and contemporary art gallery, whilst the downstairs is used for music nights. I sat by the bar next to the window looking out towards the canal. The staff were friendly, service was speedy. I ordered the Onion Bhaji Burger (£14.95) and diet coke. The food was lovely. I did chat to the person who served me about the upcoming Mithlondrim moot and they did advise we may want to consider reserving a table for the Saturday we are there. It wasn’t overly busy when I was there, but that was a Thursday afternoon (about 2pm). There are tables inside and outside along the canal.
Click images for larger version.
Click image for larger version.
Click image for larger version.
Click image for larger version.
I head out from our upcoming venue and once I got back to Northgate (taking a photo of the Bridge of Sighs – there’s one in Oxford too!) I decided I’d make a quick visit to one final “geek shop” – Recollect. I re-entered the Rows, but saw on the map there was a Warhammer shop on the road below. I thought of upcoming ArdaCon, so I decided to go there first, with two flyers left. The shop keeper was happy to take one to show people, but Warhammer apparently does have an online policy of not advertising unaffiliated events for safety – makes sense. I did chat to him about ArdaCon and that we’d have a table there. He then advised other shops to visit (including Geek Retreat) and I realised I had just come down off the Rows to the road before I reached Recollect. I went back up and talked to the people behind the counter there, who were really informative and welcoming. They took a flyer and were recommending other places in Chester to advertise and also visit – including Geek Retreat and the Cavern of the Curious Gnome. I’ve listed these below.
Click images for larger version.
After doing that, I headed back to the train station and home.
ð Things for me to do after this recce:
Update: Once I have done any of the items below, I'll add a ✔ next to the item.
Once we have an idea of numbers attending, it may be an idea to reserve a table at the Telford’s Warehouse. We’ll also need to check the menu nearer the day, though I was advised it won’t change much (if at all).
I’m going to continue with outreach to places and groups/organisations within Chester, including:
⭕ Geek Retreat Chester ✔
⭕ Student’s Union for Chester University (and any associated groups – literature, fantasy, gaming, etc)
Potential contacts:
⭕ Chester Games Club (Facebook)
⭕ Boardgamers @ Storyhouse (Facebook | Storyhouse)
⭕ Sci-Fi Reading Club @ Storyhouse (Website | Storyhouse | Facebook) ✔
Funny enough, the Sci-Fi Reading Club (called “Chester Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Group” on Facebook) are meeting at 2pm on Saturday 20th June 2026. I will try to contact them.
ð Mithlondrim Smial Gazetteer Miscellany for Chester
⭕ Exhibitions to visit on 20th June 2026
ðĻ “Chester Amphitheatre – An 8000 year story” (Grosvenor Museum, Gallery One)
ðĻ “Echoes of Ancient Lands and Seas: Fossils from Cheshire” (Grosvenor Museum, Gallery Two)
ðĻ “Threads Through the Bible” (Chester Cathedral)
⭕ Events
ðŦ Chester Literature Festival
12 May - 14 June 2026ðŦ Chester Heritage Festival
23 May - 7 June 2026
ðŦ Chester Festival of Ideas
2-5 July 2026
⭕ More “Geek shops”
ðē Geek Retreat Chester (inside Hobbycraft)
Hobbycraft, Chester Retail Park, 5B Old Seals Way, Chester, CH1 4RY
Website | Facebookðē Hobbycraft Chester
Chester Retail Park, 5B Old Seals Way, Chester, CH1 4RY
Websiteðš The Cavern of the Curious Gnome
61 Bridge Street Row East, Chester, CH1 1NW
Website
- Serves coffee
⭕ Chester - Other locations
ð Deva Roman Discovery Centre
Pierpoint Lane, Off Bridge Street, Chester CH1 1NL
Websiteð Chester Military Museum
The Castle, Chester, CH1 2DN
Website
ð Chester’s RowsWebsite | Website | Website
ð Chester Amphitheatre
Websiteð Eastgate Clock
Websiteð Chester City Walls
Websiteð Minerva’s Shrine (Edgar’s Field)
Websiteð Edgar’s Field
Website | Friends of Edgar’s Field Park
⭕ Chester - Useful Websites
ð Visit Chester
ð Chester.com
ð Cheshire West and Chester Council
ð Chester BID
ð Chester Attractions
ð Canal and River Trust: Chester
⭕ Societies
ð Chester Archaeological Society
ð Chester Historical Society
⭕ Chester Tours
ðĐ Dark Chester tour (David Atkinson)
ðĐ Chester Ghost Tours
ðĐ Viking Chester Tours
ðĐ Edwardian Lady Walking Tour
ðĐ Chester Tour Company
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