4, 6 And 8, Nicholas Street

These three town houses, at numbers 4, 6, and 8 Nicholas Street, were built around 1781. They were designed by Joseph Turner of Chester, as indicated by a plaque on number 8. The front is constructed of brown brick in a Flemish bond pattern, with a roof of grey slate.

The buildings are three storeys high, with each house originally having two bays. Number 4 has a modern recessed shop front with square piers, a frieze, and a moulded cornice, likely made of artificial stone. Numbers 6 and 8 each feature a recessed five-panel door with a six-pane overlight, set within a tall doorcase with a frieze and cornice supported by panelled pilasters. The original tripartite recessed sash windows have been replaced, but retain painted stone sills. The windows have plastered wedge lintels, likely originally facing gauged brick heads with cambered soffits. A sill band is present on the second storey, and a similar band on the third. Number 4 has two recessed twelve-pane sash windows. Numbers 6 and 8 each have a twelve-pane sash window and a recessed tripartite sash with a 2/4/2 pane configuration. Six nine-pane recessed sashes are located on the third storey. A lead rainwater head and pipe are positioned between numbers 4 and 6. A moulded cornice and a low parapet of painted stone top the buildings. Brick chimneys are located at the south end of each house.

The houses are shorter than numbers 10 to 26 on Northgate Street, with which they form a terrace. The north gable-end of number 4, rebuilt after the demolition of number 2, is plain. The rear of the properties have been altered, although some sixteen-pane sashes remain.

The interior of number 4 includes doors with five fielded panels in cases with panelled architraves, a shuttered window embrasure, and a ceiling cornice on the first storey. A four-flight open-string dogleg staircase features shaped brackets, intertwined serpentine rods between the balusters (two per step), and a swept rail. Simple fireplaces from the early to mid 19th century are also present. Number 6 has a first-storey cornice and a similar dogleg staircase with shaped brackets, slender plinthed and tapered newels, three stick balusters per step, and a swept rail. The second-storey front room in number 6 boasts a cornice with a festoon frieze, fielded panel doors, and likely early 19th century wooden fire surrounds, which have been painted. The interior of number 8 was not inspected.