Numbers 54 And 56 Street

CHESTER CITY (IM)

SJ4066SW WATERGATE STREET AND ROW 595-1/3/416 (North side) 10/01/72 Nos.54 & 56 Street (Formerly Listed as: WATERGATE STREET Nos.54 AND 56)

GV II

Undercroft and town house, now shop and 2 vacant flats in October 1991. Origin probably c1300 but refronted and largely rebuilt c1840 and rooms on the third and fourth storeys relined late C20. Some sandstone; Flemish bond brown brick; slate roof with brick parapet. EXTERIOR: 4 storeys. The rendered front to the undercroft has a plinth, a glazed door with a large pane above a pair of smaller panels, a plain shop window, a small window and, next to the east party wall, a tall round-arched porch containing eleven steps to the storey at former Row level, with a door of 6 fielded panels beneath an ornate overlight with a roundel and 6 oval panes flanked by four curved daggers. The sashes are recessed, with one to the Row storey and 2 to the third storey of 16 panes and 2 of 8 panes/4 panes to the fourth storey. A sillband of painted stone to the third storey; the other sashes have painted stone sills; all have wedge lintels. All openings have been removed from the lowest storey of the rear gable end; the middle storey has 2 recessed 16-pane sashes with painted sills and gauged brick heads; the top storey two 8/4 pane sashes with cambered heads. INTERIOR: the undercroft east wall of coursed sandstone c1300 has damaged corbelled stone steps formerly to Row level, now within a cupboard; c.f. Chorley Old Hall, Chorley C.P., Macclesfield Borough. 2 flat oak beams. Stair hall with basket arches; stair-well with 2 rounded niches and domed lantern of iron; dogleg open-string stair has brackets, reeded stick balusters, winders and swept handrail with wreath at base. (Chester Rows Research Project: Brown AN & Grenville JC & Turner RC: Watergate Street: Chester: 1988-: 33).

Listing NGR: SJ4037866253