25, Castle Street

CHESTER CITY (IM)

SJ4065NE CASTLE STREET 595-1/6/99 (South side) 28/07/55 No.25

GV II

Town house, now office. 1707. Irregular bond brown brick with grey slate hipped roof. EXTERIOR: cellar, 2 storeys and attic; double fronted, almost symmetrical. Rendered plinth with covered opening to cellar; rusticated quoins to central bay and to the corners. 4 stone steps to door of 8 fielded panels in eared bolection-moulded timber case; a replaced 12-pane recessed sash in each side-bay, the west bay rendered; the east bay has flat gauged-brick arch and no sill. The west corner is rounded, corbelled out to the square under a moulded cornice carried round the west side to St Mary's Hill. The window-opening above the door is blocked in recessed brickwork; the east bay has a replaced 12-pane sash, the west bay a similar sash and a blocked opening, all with flat gauged brick arches, projecting keystones and no sills. A moulded cornice beneath modillion-cornice eaves. A bull's-eye window with surround inscribed DOMINUS ILLUMINATIO : ANNO DOMINI 1707 in tympanum of modillion pediment to central bay; a slate-cheeked hipped dormer recessed above each side-bay. The west side is rendered; a recessed 16-pane sash to the first storey and a 12-pane sash to the second storey, both with painted stone sills; a slate-cheeked hipped dormer, set back. The small rear wing has a flush door with simple overlight, a nearly flush 12-pane sash to each storey and a brick chimney. INTERIOR: the cellar has bedrock floor, brick walls, 2 cross-beams, one of oak, chamfered, and cross-beam supporting corner chimney above. In the upper storeys most doors are covered, but architraves are visible. The first storey east front room has full timber cornice, window architrave, corner breast and beam from front to back. The hall has HL hinges to front door and timber cornice to east wall. The front west room has architraves to windows, a corner breast and a chamfered beam, bar-stopped to front. Round archway with panelled pilasters and intrados to stair hall. Good open-well painted stair, probably oak, has capped square newels, closed string, 2 substantial barleysugar balusters per step, straight moulded rectangular rail and dado with bolection moulded fielded panels. The panelled west front room has one row beneath dado rail and one above it, a painted carved timber

fire surround and panelled embrasures with benches. The front east room has suspended ceiling and dry-lined walls, probably concealing the original surfaces; corner fireplace. The back east room has a corner breast. The front attic rooms have 3 oak arched braces to collar roof, oak purlins and diagonally-set ridge-tree. The back room has a corner breast.

Listing NGR: SJ4052765907