16, White Friars

CHESTER CITY (IM)

SJ4066SW WHITE FRIARS 595-1/3/441 (North side) 28/07/55 No.16

GV II

House, then Chester Rural District Council Offices, now a municipal office. Late C18, altered internally and extended to rear. Flemish bond brown brick; the hipped grey roof, behind parapets, has 2 ridges parallel with the street. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 5 windows. Painted stone plinth; 2 renewed steps to door of 1;2;2;1 panels, the lower 3 fielded and the upper 3 now glazed, and a 4-pane radial-bar fanlight in a Roman Doric stone doorcase with 3-quarter columns, frieze and pediment; 2 recessed 12-pane sashes to each side have lower leaves altered; painted stone sills; the windows to all storeys have gauged-brick flat arches. The second storey has a sillband and 5 recessed 12-pane sashes; the third storey has a sillband and 5 recessed 6-pane sashes; a lead rainwater pipe; full cornice of painted stone. The C18 rear is largely hidden by the C20 extension, but the large stair-sash with radial-bar fan in round-arched head is visible. INTERIOR: a stone-flagged brick, barrel-vaulted, cellar is probably all C18. The hall has skirting, replaced door in round archway with fluted corner pilasters, architraves and fanlight with glazing bars removed; plain frieze and modillion cornice; the stair hall has round archway to rear with fluted pilasters; the east and west front rooms have cornices; the west rear room has a cornice, the east room a recessed 16-pane sash largely concealed from without and a cornice; the former kitchen in the rear wing has basket-arched recesses for range and cupboards, now empty; the former back kitchen has a quarry-tile floor. The open-well stair has open string with shaped brackets, covered steps, square newels with urn-finials, renewed stick balusters and swept oak rail with wreath. The second storey landing has skirting and modillion cornice, the front passage has skirting and cornice; the west rooms were joined, with a new dado, to form the Rural District Council Chamber; the rear passage has a cornice. The stair to the third storey is like that below, but with probably original reeded balusters; most doors are replaced but architraves are retained. An internal boxed gutter runs from the back to the front of the building.

Listing NGR: SJ4045466097