Number 17 Street Number 9 Row The Boot Inn

The Boot Inn, Chester: A Medieval Undercroft with Mid-17th Century Upper Storeys

This Grade II* listed building comprises an altered medieval undercroft with mid-17th century upper storeys, now functioning as a shop at undercroft level and a public house at Row level. The structure occupies a prominent position on the north side of Eastgate Street and Row in Chester's historic city centre.

The building is constructed of sandstone, timber frame with plaster panels, and is roofed with grey slate. It rises three storeys, organised as a single bay across both street and Row levels.

The Row level displays heavily restored timber framing characteristic of Chester's famous covered shopping rows. A heavy moulded rail is set on shaped splat balusters, probably replaced in the late 19th century. The Row features a sloped boarded stallboard extending 2.55 metres from front to back, with a stone-paved walk beyond. The bressumer (the horizontal beam supporting the Row front) is heavily repaired, carved, and supported on oak Atlantes figures, probably renewed in the late 19th century. Repaired chamfered posts and joists line the structure, with a heavily restored public house front facing the Row. A wrought-iron inn-sign bracket projects from the facade.

The third storey elevation contains a particularly notable shallow canted five-light mullioned and transomed oriel window, set on four animal-shaped brackets above five ornate panels. Close-studded panels flank each side, with rails at transom level. V-bracing rises above, while reversed-taper pilasters at the corners carry the jettied gable on figure brackets. The tie-beam face is carved, and the structure includes panelled herringbone strutting, moulded bargeboards, and a truncated drop-finial. The east side shows exposed timber framing—a V-braced panel above a small leaded window—with a protrusion above eaves level. The lower part of the east party wall of the rear yard is of medieval stonework.

The cellar lies wholly beneath street level, cut into the bedrock with brick-lined upper walls. Stone flags form the floor, mostly screeded, with two large oak cross-beams spanning to a largely renewed ceiling.

The street-level shop retains some internal lining, but medieval coursed sandstone remains visible beneath a barrel-vault of apparently 18th-century form in the rear bay, though the vault could be earlier in origin. An inserted partition separates the shop from the stockroom. The barrel-vaulted stockroom has medieval coursed sandstone walls with lined lavatories behind.

The remainder of the undercroft, now housing The Boot Inn's beer cellars, contains two parallel longitudinal barrel vaults with medieval sandstone walls to the east, west and north, and part of the dividing wall.

The Boot Inn at Row level preserves an intact, though restored, oak frame spanning six bays. Bay posts and beams are of substantial scantling, though some mortice-holes suggest possible re-use of earlier timbers. A displayed wattle-and-daub panel remains in situ. Until 1988, an east passageway existed but has been thrown in with the bar, with no evidence it formed part of the 17th-century structure. The open-well stair at the west side of the second bay is renewed, likely in its original position. The lobby to the rear bar is paved with stone flags removed from the undercroft. A 19th-century range occupies the open recess against the west wall, while an oak alcove settle, probably 18th century, stands against the east wall.

The third storey contains a fine parlour over the Row, lined with mid-17th century oak panelling on three internal walls. The panelling displays four rows of vertically-proportioned panels topped by one row of broad panels, with a ceiling of four panels featuring classically moulded cornices. Timber framing in the rear rooms includes a good trenched purlin truss, visible in situ.