Number 15 Street Numbers 17 And 19 Row

CHESTER CITY (IM)

SJ4066SE BRIDGE STREET AND ROW 595-1/4/60 (East side) 28/07/55 No.15 Street and Nos.17 & 19 Row (Formerly Listed as: BRIDGE STREET No.15 Street & Nos.17 & 19 Row)

GV II*

Formerly known as: No.19 BRIDGE STREET. Undercroft and town house with later rear wing, possibly a former separate dwelling; now an undercroft shop, 2 Row shops; one shop and the third and fourth storeys vacant 1990-1991. Early to mid C14, C18 and altered C20. Sandstone, brick; grey slate roof at right angle to street, hipped to front. EXTERIOR: 4 storeys including undercroft and Row; one bay extended a little south between C14 and C18. A poor late C20 shopfront to the street; south pier and 11 steps to Row, of sandstone; the north pier is covered; Cast-iron railing to Row front and return to steps has circlets between paired upper rail; a slender moulded central cast-iron column with a second column behind; the stone south pier is rendered; the north pier is brick; the stallboard 1.70m front to back was formerly sloped and boarded, now level and tiled; flagged Row walk; modern shopfronts; plastered ceiling; the boxed Row-front bressumer has a modillion cornice. The upper storeys of Flemish bond brown brick have flush sashes with painted stone sills and wedge lintels, 2 of 12 panes to the third storey and one, tripartite of 8;12;8 panes, to the fourth storey; parapet with plain stone cap; a lateral chimney set back, north. INTERIOR: the undercroft floor may have been lowered; the walls are wholly lined. There are 2 early to mid C14 double-chamfered bluntly-pointed cross arches of sandstone carrying probably medieval flat oak joists. The front part of the Row storey is lined; the front part of the third and fourth storeys could not be inspected, but some mouldings are reported. The passage to the rear wing has a stone and brick stair, north, to a small cellar barrel-vaulted probably C18 in brick. The semi-elliptical oak stair to the third storey has plinthed stick balusters and a swept rail; a tripartite stair sash of 4;12;4 panes. The third storey has softwood boarded floors, 2 panelled basket archways across the passage, doors of 5 fielded panels, a classical fireplace, probably of good quality but painted, with a cartouche and swags on the mantel frieze in the room behind the stair; a corner fireplace in the rear room.

The principal area of interest is the medieval undercroft, probably largely intact although the walls are lined. (Chester Rows Research Project: Harris R: Archive, Bridge Street East: 1989-).

Listing NGR: SJ4055666241