A courtyard 35 years
in the making.
The story of Rufus Court: from a derelict wasteland behind Northgate Street to Chester's most loved independent courtyard.
How we got here.
A restoration that started half a century ago, and a courtyard that's been growing ever since.
The beginning: a gift shop on the city walls
Rod Cox and Pauline Thompson's Thompson Cox Partnership opens a gift shop on Chester's historic city walls, in what is now Books on the Walls. It's the first step in a long-term vision to restore the derelict buildings behind Northgate Street.
At this point, the area behind the walls is a mixture of dilapidated structures and overgrown wasteland. Few people see what it could become.
Permission to restore a Grade II-listed building
Seven years after opening their first shop, the Thompson Cox Partnership secures planning permission to restore the rest of the Grade II-listed city walls building and convert it into shops, workshops and residential flats.
The restoration work begins in earnest: careful, considered, and determined to blend the modern with Chester's ancient fabric.
Rufus Court opens, 21 June 1991
On the summer solstice, 21st June 1991, Rufus Court is opened to the public by comedian and broadcaster Bob Monkhouse. What was once a patch of derelict and dilapidated buildings behind Northgate Street is now a vibrant, Civic Trust Award-winning courtyard.
Rod Cox and Pauline Thompson's vision, a multi-use independent space that respects Chester's historic city walls while creating something genuinely new, becomes a reality. The 6ft weeds are replaced by grass. Chester's largest beer garden appears from the mess. And a new chapter for independent Chester begins.
Alexander's Live also opens its doors on the same day, celebrating its own 35 years in 2026.
2026
35 years of independent trading
Over three and a half decades, Rufus Court grows and evolves. Always independent, never corporate. Businesses come and go, but the character of the courtyard endures: good food, interesting shops, live music, and a community of traders who care about what they do.
Rod and Pauline's sons, Rufus and Alex, continue to own and manage the courtyard, stewarding its ethos of independence and quality.
The 35th anniversary: Solstice Festival
On 21st June 2026, exactly 35 years to the day, Rufus Court and Alexander's Live celebrate together with the Solstice Festival: a free, family-friendly day of live music headlined by Gilad Atzmon's Organology, with a full line-up spanning jazz, blues, Brazilian music, folk and more.
Sixteen independent businesses now trade in the courtyard. The next chapter is already underway.
Two thousand years
of history underfoot.
The Roman Wall provides a backdrop for Rufus Court's blend of ancient and modern.
The fields behind what is now Rufus Court once served as Roman barracks. Chester (Deva Victrix) was one of the most significant Roman fortresses in Britain, and Northgate was at the heart of it. The city walls that frame the courtyard today are built on Roman foundations.
When Rod Cox and Pauline Thompson chose this location, they weren't just working with neglected Victorian buildings. They were working with one of the most historically layered sites in England. The resulting courtyard wears that history lightly but proudly.
Alexander's Live.
Opening on the same day as Rufus Court, 21 June 1991, Alexander's has been at the heart of the courtyard ever since. Originally inspired by the jazz cabarets and blues cellar bars of the American south, it has grown into one of the most respected independent music venues in the north of England.
Over 35 years, Alexander's has hosted some remarkable names: