Chester Crown Court Listings: Hearings at the Castle and Grosvenor Street

Which Building Does Your Chester Crown Court Listing Mean?

Look at the building name beside the courtroom. Entries marked "Chester" mean the Castle, while entries marked "Chester Magistrates Court" mean Court 2 on Grosvenor Street.

Both buildings carry a Court 2, which is where the mistake usually happens. A letter or a list that only says "Court 2" does not tell you which one, so the building name matters more than the room number. Some other listing sites merge the two rooms into one column, which makes the problem worse.

The table below shows how the official Crown Court daily list labels each room at Chester. It draws on the eight HMCTS daily lists stored by this site from 6 to 15 October 2026.

In those eight lists, Court 2 on Grosvenor Street carried more listed hearings than any courtroom at the Castle. A large share of Chester Crown Court business happens away from the Castle itself.

If you have paperwork from the court or a solicitor, it should name the building. When it does not, ring the Crown Court listing office using the details in the contact section below, and give your case reference.

How Is "Chester Court" Split Across Three Courts?

Chester has three court buildings, and only two of them hear criminal cases. Searching "chester court" brings up all three, side by side.

The civil and family centre never hears Crown Court cases. For a letter about divorce, children, debt or a tenancy, use the Chester Civil and Family Justice Centre page instead.

Map listings add to the confusion. At least one search engine's map card places "Crown Court" on Grosvenor Street with a CH1 2DN postcode. However, the official address on Find a Court is The Castle, CH1 2AN, and that card's postcode matches neither official building. The likely source of the mix-up is Crown Court 2 sitting inside the magistrates' building.

For a magistrates' hearing that has not yet moved to the Crown Court, use the Chester Magistrates' Court page. Its own lists are separate from the Crown list shown here.

Chester Crown Court Listings: When They Appear and Where to Check

HMCTS usually publishes the Crown Court daily list for the next working day in the late afternoon. For example, HMCTS last updated the list for Thursday 15 October 2026 at 4.35pm on Wednesday 14 October.

An evening list helps anyone travelling from outside Chester. You can usually see your courtroom and building the evening before, then check once more in the morning. Lists change, though, and a case can move rooms or buildings overnight.

There are three places to look:

1. The list on this page, which shows each room with its building name and the time HMCTS last updated it.
2. The official Crown Daily List on the HMCTS Court and Tribunal Hearings service, linked from the hearing list panel near the top of this page.
3. The XHIBIT Daily Court Status page for Chester, the HMCTS court status service, which shows what is happening in each courtroom from 10am.

XHIBIT is the one to watch while you wait. It tracks whether a case is in progress, adjourned or finished, room by room. Its Chester page also shows separate headings for the Castle and for Chester Magistrates Court, so you can follow both buildings in one place.

There is no Saturday or Sunday list for Chester, and no list on bank holidays. The guide to when court lists are published covers timing. The pages on the Crown Court daily list, firm list and warned list explain each list type.

What Do Chester's Daily Lists Usually Hold?

Chester lists are steady rather than huge. Between 6 and 15 October 2026, the eight published daily lists held between 24 and 33 hearings each, about 28 on average.

The busiest day in that period was Friday 9 October, with 33 listed hearings. No entry carried a remote hearing flag. These are listed hearings, not outcomes, and the counts cover only the days this site has stored so far.

Courtroom Counts at Chester

Court 2 at the magistrates' building was the busiest room by a clear margin. Court 3 at the Castle came second.

In practice, a high count means many short hearings in one room. On the lists for 15 and 16 October, the Grosvenor Street room took sentences, plea hearings, committals for sentence, mentions and case management. It had no trials on either day, while trials ran in Courts 1 to 4 at the Castle.

Hearing Types on Chester Lists

Plea and trial preparation hearings and part-heard trials led the Chester lists in the period. Mentions and sentences came next.

Part-heard trials appear again each day until they end. So if you are supporting someone in a trial, expect the same case on the list for several days running, often in the same room.

Times on Chester lists are "not before" times, always in UK time. Several cases can share one time in one room, and the judge takes them in turn, so a 10am case may start much later. Arrive for the listed time anyway, and tell the usher you are there. The finding your courtroom guide explains how the screens and ushers work.

Why Is a Case Missing, Moved or Shown as Asterisks?

A case can be missing because of a restriction, a move, or a listing under the other building. Check the Grosvenor Street room before assuming a Chester case has gone.

Reporting restrictions are common at Chester. In the lists from 6 to 15 October 2026, 71 of the 224 entries carried a warning that reporting restrictions may apply. This site leaves out cases involving youths entirely, and some sensitive entries show no name at all.

First names never appear on this site. A defendant appears as asterisks, or as asterisks followed by a surname when the surname reads clearly and no restriction applies. If your own name appears and you want it reviewed, use the removal request form.

Other reasons a Chester case can vanish or change:

• The court moved the hearing to another day, for example because an earlier trial ran over.
• The case moved to the other building, so it shows under a different Court 2.
• A trial on the warned list was not called in, so it has no daily list entry until the court fixes a date.
• A vulnerable witness's cross-examination was recorded earlier, so it appears under a different hearing type, "section 28 hearing", not as a trial.

The guide on why a case may not be listed covers the general reasons. For a Chester case, the listing office can confirm the room, the building and the time if you give the case reference.

Arriving at Chester Castle for a Hearing

The Crown Court is the long columned building on Castle Square, inside the Chester Castle site. A bronze statue of Queen Victoria stands opposite the portico, which helps if you are unsure you are at the right door.

Every visitor goes through a security arch, and security staff search bags. Allow extra time, because a queue can build before 10am. Building opening hours are in the contact section below.

For a Court 2 hearing marked Chester Magistrates Court, go to Grosvenor Street instead. It has its own entrance and its own security arch. Once inside, ask security or an usher for the Crown Court sitting in Court 2.

Before you leave home, check three things:

1. The building name next to your courtroom on the list.
2. The "not before" time, and whether anything changed overnight.
3. Your paperwork and photo ID, ready for the security check.

Find a Court lists lift access to all floors at the Castle. For step-free entry or other access needs, ring the court before the day. Directions from the station or your home are best taken from the map below.

Directions from your location: Google Maps · Apple Maps

Where Can You Park for Chester Crown Court?

There is no public parking at the Castle. Find a Court says the building has no parking facilities except for blue badge holders, and asks them to contact the court in advance.

The nearest public car park named by Find a Court is the Little Roodee car park on Grosvenor Street, CH1 1SL. It is a paid council car park, so jurors and witnesses should check the charges before relying on it. For Grosvenor Street hearings, Find a Court names Cuppin Street car park and the Little Roodee as paid options.

Online reviews claiming plenty of parking at the Crown Court do not match the official information. Plan for a paid car park, or come by public transport.

If you have a blue badge or a mobility need, ring the court before the hearing day. Find a Court says the court can arrange disabled parking if you contact it in advance.

Contacting the Court and Checking Facilities

The phone numbers, emails and opening hours below come from the official court record and are refreshed automatically. Chester has separate lines for listing questions, jurors and the Witness Service, so use the one that matches your question.

Ring the listing line for a question about which room or building your case is in. For a question about jury service, use the juror line printed on your summons.

Facilities at the magistrates' building differ, so check its own page before a Court 2 hearing on Grosvenor Street. Find a Court says hearing enhancement and video links need arranging with the court in advance.

What Witnesses, Jurors and Defendants Should Know at Chester

Witnesses, jurors and defendants each face different practical questions at Chester. The points below are specific to this court; the linked guides cover the rest.

Witnesses

The Witness Service at Chester can arrange a visit before the trial and support you on the day; its number is in the contact section. Some witnesses give evidence through a video link or a recorded cross-examination, which is why section 28 hearings appear on Chester lists. More detail is in attending court as a witness.

Jurors

Your summons gives the place, date and time to report. Chester has its own juror phone line, shown in the contact section.

Because the Castle has no public parking, plan a paid car park or public transport for every day of service. The general what to expect at a Crown Court guide explains the jury day.

Defendants and Families

If you are a defendant, your solicitor or your letter should say which building to attend. Ask them directly if the list shows Chester Magistrates Court. In mid October 2026, plea hearings were often listed in that room.

Family members can usually sit in the public gallery unless the judge orders otherwise. The guides on going to court as a defendant and family members at court explain what to bring and what to expect.

Can You Watch a Case at Chester Crown Court?

Yes, most Chester hearings are open to the public. You can usually sit in the public gallery without booking, subject to space and to any order the judge makes.

Some hearings close to the public, and many carry reporting restrictions even when you can watch. Phones must be silent, and filming or recording is not allowed. Read the public gallery guide before you go, and the security checks guide for what to leave at home.

Lists show hearings, not outcomes. Being on a list says nothing about guilt, and no official results page exists for Chester cases. Results usually reach the public through local press reports, and judges give their reasons in open court.

What Is the History of the Chester Crown Court Building?

The Crown Court sits in the Assize Courts block of Chester Castle, listed at Historic England's highest grade and designed by Thomas Harrison and built between 1788 and 1801. Historic England first listed it on 1 June 1967.

Harrison's Shire Hall is described in the listing as Court No. 1, with a semi-dome lit from above. The listing also records a second courtroom added in 1875 and 1876. The main front facing Castle Square has a Greek Doric portico, the feature most visitors use to find the door.

The building still holds surprises. In July 2026 the University of Chester reported a medieval wall almost three metres high beneath the court. Archaeologists spotted it in the remains of the old prison under the building, without any digging.

According to the university, the wall probably belonged to a bridge over the ditch around the castle's inner ward, built around 800 years ago. Historians had believed Harrison removed this part of the medieval castle. None of this affects hearings or access to the courtrooms.

Other Courts Near Chester Crown Court

Several nearby courts are easy to confuse with this one. Check the court name on your letter against the list below before you travel.

• Chester Magistrates' Court: Grosvenor Street. Hosts Crown Court hearings in its Court 2 as well as its own magistrates' lists.
• Chester Civil and Family Justice Centre: Civil, family, housing and money claims. No criminal cases.
• Warrington Crown Court: A separate Crown Court in the north of Cheshire with its own list.
• Chester Magistrates' Court, CH1 2XA (0.2 km away)
• Chester Civil and Family Justice Centre, CH1 1DF (0.3 km away)

Questions About Chester Lists, Parking and Buildings

People searching for Chester Crown Court listings tend to ask about tomorrow's list, names, parking and which building to use.

Each answer below rests on the official court record or the lists stored by this site, and none is legal advice. For anything about your own case, ask your solicitor, the Witness Service or the court office.