13, White Friars

CHESTER CITY (IM)

SJ4066SW WHITE FRIARS 595-1/3/450 (South side) 28/07/55 No.13

GV II

Town house, now office. Probably C18 and early C19, but cellars suggest probably late medieval origin. Brown brick, Flemish bond to front; grey slate roof has ridge parallel with street. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys with a symmetrical 3-window front. Rendered plinth; recessed sashes with painted stone sills and wedge lintels. The first storey has 2 stone steps to door of 4 raised cross-shaped panels above 2 flush panels in pedimented timber case with fluted pilasters, and a looped radial-bar overlight; a 16-pane sash to each side. The second storey has three 16-pane sashes; the third storey has 3 narrower 12-pane sashes; lead rainwater head and round pipe; painted stone cornice; west gable chimney. The altered rear has a 24-pane stair window and miscellaneous sashes. INTERIOR: the cellars have quarry-tile floor, some probably late medieval coursed sandstone masonry in walls largely of C18 brickwork, chamfered oak beams, flat oak joists, some chamfered, and a wood stair. The hall has a round archway with panelled intrados to stair. Most doors have fluted architraves with carved ornaments, mostly lions' heads, in their corners. The front west room has a fluted dado-rail, a simple fireplace, a cross-beam with pecked panels, frieze, cornice and a basket-arched opening, with pecked panels in soffit, to rear room which has a Regency fireplace with carved pilasters and frieze, a simple dado-rail and panels in the canted cheeks to a recessed broad window with sub-panels and architrave; a cornice. The door to the front west room is removed, the rear west room has a 5-panel door. 6-panel door to the front east room which has sub-panels to window and a chamfered cross-beam. The open-string dogleg stair has panelling beneath the first flight, shaped brackets, curtail step, cruciform newel and balusters with intersecting serpentine rods around a central concave lozenge in each panel, all of cast-iron, and a wreathed and swept mahogany rail with a contrasting hardwood strip. The second storey front room has a 6-panel door, sub-panels to windows, a simple fireplace and a good 3-panel plaster ceiling with panelled longitudinal beams and moulded cornices with vine-and-grape motifs. The stair has a round arch to the

second storey landing. The small room in front of the stair has sub-panels and architrave to window, a simple fireplace and a chamfered cross-beam. The rear east room has a corner fireplace, 2 panelled cross-beams and a moulded cornice. The rear west room has a corner fireplace in timber surround, a 6-panel door, a panelled cross-beam and frieze and cornice. The third storey has 2-panel doors, round arch to landing. A front room has panelled ceiling with cornices; a 2-panel door between the front rooms; the rear east room has a corner breast and a chamfered cross-beam; the rear west room has corner breast and chamfered cross-beam.

Listing NGR: SJ4048366083