Numbers 15 and 17 Street

Numbers 15 and 17 Northgate Street, Chester

This building was constructed in 1909 as a shop with storage above, forming part of the reconstruction of a group known as 'Shoemakers' Row' (numbers 3 to 31 Northgate Street), which was rebuilt between 1897 and 1909. The redevelopment was undertaken to address concerns about insanitary conditions in the congested Northgate area and was carried out in conjunction with a municipal road widening project at the end of the 19th century. The scheme reflected a renewed interest in vernacular style architecture. The building was designed by architect James Strong in the Vernacular Revival style. Strong had trained under John Douglas, the prolific Chester architect, and went on to become City Architect for Chester Corporation, designing the fire station on Northgate Street in 1911.

The new building was constructed on the site of the Cross Keys Inn and incorporates a pair of short sandstone undercrofts which probably belonged to a single medieval townhouse. The rebuilding of Shoemakers Row lowered the Row element of the building to just above street level, with the medieval undercrofts now surviving below street level and functioning as cellars. The building comprises concealed metal framing with timber framing and plaster panels, topped by a clay tile roof.

The exterior consists of three storeys above the pair of joined medieval undercrofts. The Row at ground level is positioned two steps above the pavement and features an arcade with four stanchions concealed within painted timber hollow posts with Classical mouldings to their heads and feet. The posts sit on yellow ashlar piers and carry a bressumer to the jettied second storey, supported on moulded timber brackets to the front and sides.

The second storey comprises three bays with close-studded timber framing beneath continuous leaded glazing. There is a five-light oriel window with moulded mullions and transoms to each side bay, and a three-light mullioned and transomed casement window with a fixed light to each side above transom level to the middle bay.

The third storey is jettied with close-studded timber framing. It features three hipped half-dormers with three-light windows with moulded mullions and rainwater hoppers with cornices. Each end of the roof ridge has a red brick chimney with a stone plinth and two diagonal flues with corbelled brick caps. The rear elevation is of brick.

The interior includes the short undercrofts, which were probably the paired undercroft of one medieval house. Remains of a stair leading from the undercroft of 17 Northgate Street to the Row of number 15 survive. An earlier pit, probably Roman in date, is located by the north wall of number 17. The second storey has a plaster cornice in the front room and the broad openwork arches of two former arcades from which the posts have been removed.