9, White Friars

CHESTER CITY (IM)

SJ4066SW WHITE FRIARS 595-1/3/448 (South side) 28/07/55 No.9

GV II

2 town houses later recast as one, now office. c1720 with cellars probably of late medieval origin. Brown brick in Flemish bond to front, with grey slate roof hipped to the front. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 4 windows. Painted stone sills and cambered brick window heads. The first storey has boot-scraper recess, 2 replaced 2-pane horned sashes, one flush sash with glazing bars removed and a door of 6 fielded panels in a panelled case with eared architrave and shaped cornice. The second storey has 2 flush sashes with glazing bars removed and 2 replaced recessed horned sashes. The third storey has 4 flush sashes with glazing bars removed, the east 2 set lower than the others. The central rainwater head, with upper part of pipe, is lead inscribed JJ 1720; the west rainwater head inscribed FWM 1725 and the pipes are lead. Some upper brickwork, east, is rebuilt; painted stone cornice; chimney removed; rear extended. INTERIOR: the cellar walls, recently plastered, are probably partly of stone; concreted floors; a stop-chamfered oak beam; a sandstone stair with winders. The first storey front room, east, is oak-panelled with a dado rail, one row of fielded panels beneath it and a tall row above it; panelled overmantel; cornice. The west front room has a painted timber Roman Doric column, probably one of a former pair, and a panelled ceiling with painted bar-and-ogee-stopped chamfered beams. The thick central wall was evidently formerly a party wall. The rear rooms have no visible features of interest. There are 2 stairs, that formerly to the east house more simple than that to the west. The dogleg east stair has square newels, closed string, covered steps and alternately column-on-vase and barleysugar balusters; the dogleg west stair has open string, shaped brackets, covered steps, 3 column-on-vase balusters per step, one in 3 spirally-moulded, curtail, wreathed and swept rail and fluted pilasters to panelled dado. The second storey front room has a bar-and-ogee-stopped chamfered cross-beam.

Listing NGR: SJ4050066088