Gamull House

Gamull House, Lower Bridge Street, Chester

A town house of medieval date, not closely datable, substantially altered in the 17th, 18th and 20th centuries. The building is constructed of sandstone with some timber framing and brown brick in irregular bond, under a grey slate roof with ridge parallel to the front, hipped to the north and gabled with a stack to the south.

The building comprises an undercroft at street level, a great hall of two-storey height at former Row level, and a service wing of two storeys. Three small single-storey shops, probably of 18th-century date and subsequently altered, are built against the southern bays of the undercroft and have no visible external features of special interest.

An external stone stair parallel with the front contains 15 steps leading to an access gallery in place of the former Row to Gamull House and the property to the south, with a simple parapet. The bay north of the stair has a camber-arched four-pane window to each side, replacing a small-pane door in a camber-arched brick opening, with some painted stonework and painted brickwork.

The second storey features a recessed door to the great hall in a case of fielded panels with egg-and-dart architrave, with replaced tall windows of 40 panes (three south and two north of the door). A string of one brick course oversailing two courses runs across the facade. There are two high-level four-pane oval windows south of the door and one above it, plus two small six-pane sashes to the upper storey of the service wing north of the door. The rear is faced in probably 19th-century brickwork, with a stack on the south gable.

Interior features include a large longitudinal oak beam in the undercroft with reset joists, some replaced. The shops contain brick barrel vaults of 18th-century type. The great hall preserves a three-board oak door on iron hinges opposite the entrance, marking the former screens passage, with a doorway at the east end of the south wall leading to the former solar, requiring a 0.29-metre step up. The south wall exposes part of two oak rails and a moulded tie-beam. There are two high-level three-light casements, now blocked, one with mullions replaced in oak and the other with ovolo mouldings matching the doorway to the former solar, apparently of 15th-century date.

The west wall features an ornate sandstone open fireplace of early 17th-century character with bulgy decorated pilasters carrying a carved frieze and cornice. The screens passage door is to the north, with a later secondary door south of the fireplace. A high-level three-light stone-mullioned casement is positioned south of the fireplace. The north wall similarly exposes part of a rail and a moulded tie-beam. Four early 17th-century carved consoles carry an apron shelf positioned unexplained at high level above the fireplace. The barrel-vaulted plaster ceiling, probably replaced, is simple but displays eight richly-carved pendants hanging from concealed trusses. Surfaces of the service wings are covered.