31 and 33, White Friars

A pair of late 18th-century town houses, numbers 31 and 33, located on the south side of White Friars in Chester. The houses are built on cellars of probable medieval origin. They are constructed of brown brick in an English garden wall bond, with grey slate roofs running parallel to the front.

The exterior is arranged over three storeys with a single bay to each house. Each house has a cellar vent beneath a timber lintel. The front doors are of six fielded panels with plain overlights, set within pilastered doorcases that have simple friezes and cornices. The window openings have no sills and cambered brick-on-end heads. The first storey has two flush 12-pane sashes, while the east window of the second storey is also a flush 12-pane sash. The west sash of the second storey has replaced bars. The third storey windows consist of a flush 12-pane casement to the east and a horizontally-sliding sash to the west. A painted cornice runs along the top, and there are chimneys on the ridge and behind both gables, with the rear east chimney being shortened. A later single-storey wing extends from the rear of each house. The rear of number 31 has casements of two 6-pane lights to the first and third storeys, and a flush 12-pane sash to the second storey. The rear of number 33 has casements of two 2-pane lights to the first and second storeys, and a 12-pane horizontally-sliding sash to the third storey.

The interior of number 31 was not inspected, but is likely similar to and less altered than number 33. Number 33 has a cellar with probable medieval sandstone front, east, west and rear walls, along with later brick partitions. The original floor and ceiling structure are obscured by later additions. A sandstone staircase with winders through 180 degrees is present, along with a two-panel oak door covered externally. The first storey contains the lower half of a former two-panelled front door, now used as a gate, alongside two-panel oak doors to the rear rooms and rear wing. Two oak beams and an oak bressumer are visible within a former range recess. The closed-string dogleg stair has covered steps, square and oblong newels, a balustrade with Chinese or Japanese inspired diagonal struts, and a moulded handrail. The second storey retains some plain beams, while the third storey has probably renewed two-panel doors.