1 Bridge Street, Chester, is located at the junction of Bridge Street and Eastgate Street at Chester Cross in the centre of the city of

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's coun ...

, England. Its architecture is that of the black-and-white revival, it incorporates part of the

Chester Rows Chester Rows are a set of structures in each of the four main streets of Chester, in the United Kingdom, consisting of a series of covered walkways on the first floor behind which are entrances to shops and other premises. At street level is a ...

, and is recorded in the

National Heritage List for England The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, a ...

as a designated Grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

. Because of its prominent position and its black-and-white architecture, the historian Simon Ward has described it as an "iconic" building.

History

The building was designed by Thomas Lockwood, and built in 1888 for the 1st Duke of Westminster, although by 1889 it was owned by Chester City Council. The building is now occupied by shops. The citation in the ''National Heritage List'' describes the building as "the best liked of T. M. Lockwood's buildings in Chester, well executed in his most flamboyant style".

Architecture

The building is in four storeys, including an

undercroft An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room, often brick-lined and vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since medieval times. In modern usage, an undercroft is generally a ground (street-level) area which is relatively open ...

, whose floor is below street level, and an attic. It extends for one bay down Bridge Street and for one bay along Eastgate Street. At its corner is a flight of seven steps leading from the street to the row level above which is an octagonal turret. Above the steps is a canted,

mullion A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid sup ...

ed and transomed,

oriel window An oriel window is a form of bay window which protrudes from the main wall of a building but does not reach to the ground. Supported by corbels, brackets, or similar cantilevers, an oriel window is most commonly found projecting from an upper ...

. Over this are three pargetted panels under a four-light canted

casement window A casement window is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges at the side. They are used singly or in pairs within a common frame, in which case they are hinged on the outside. Casement windows are often held open using a ca ...

. The roof is curved and surmounted by a

weather vane A wind vane, weather vane, or weathercock is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word ''vane'' comes from the Old English word , ...

. On each side of the steps at street level are modern shop fronts. Above these, at the front of the Rows, are

balustrades A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...

behind which are sloping stall boards, then the walkway and shop fronts. On Bridge Street at the third storey level are decorative panels and a three-light window. Above this is a

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aest ...

d dormer with more panels and another three-light window. On Eastgate Street at the third storey is a six-light window with panels above and below. There is again a dormer with panels, one of which includes the

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

of the Grosvenor family.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Grade II* listed buildings in Chester Commercial buildings completed in 1888 Shops in Chester 1 Bridge Street Timber framed buildings in Cheshire Grade II* listed retail buildings

History

Architecture

See also

References