Agricola Tower

SJ 4065 NW 4/609

CHESTER CASTLE, INNER BAILEY, Agricola Tower

GV I

Castle gate-tower with chapel to first floor. Late C12/Early C13 with additions and alterations after 1302 and refacing by Thomas Harrison of 1818 with further repairs of 1923 and 1952. Bunter sandstone ashlar with metal roof. Three storeys. South-western front: Central pointed gate arch with stepped reveals and voussoirs now glazed. Slightly projecting turrets to right, clasping buttress at left, common to the other two corners. Both have some stonework of pre-1818 date. Signs of later gabled abutment to tower. Offset above lower stage. Pointed lancet to first floor with voussoirs and iron grille. Rectangular windows to right hand staircase turret. Battlemented parapet with chamfered coping. A C19 single storey provost block adjoins to the left (not included in this item). Right hand reveal: projecting staircase turret to left has one blocked light. Central second floor square window. Left reveal: blind and entirely refaced in 1818. Rear: projecting buttresses to left and right of centre. Blocked arch to recessed central wall. One rectangular ground floor window. First floor lancet to chapel and blocked window to second floor. Interior: Entrance ground floor passageway altered after fire of 1302. Sexpartite vault with chamfered ribs resting on chamfered attached pillars with simple chamfered abacus capitals and chamfered bases supported on raised plinth. Pointed arch to stair turret at south of south-eastern wall. First floor: (Chapel of St Mary de Castro). Three round wall pillars with moulded bases and water leaf capitals to south-eastern and north-western walls supporting two quadripartite vaults with keel-moulded ribs. Pointed altar recess to north-eastern wall. Aumbry with pointed arch to right of this. Pointed door arch to right of centre of south-eastern wall set in projecting portion of wall has keel moulded surround.

Sources: Frank Simpson - "Chester Castle AD 907-1925". Journal of the Archaeological and Historic Society, Chester and North Wales. New Series, Vol.XXVI, Part II.

Nikolaus Pevsner and Edward Hubbard - The Buildings of England : Cheshire.

Listing NGR: SJ4043365749