A Block

A Block, Chester Castle

Barracks and Court of Exchequer, now the regimental museum of the 22nd Cheshire Regiment. Built in 1810, as dated on two rainwater heads marked GIIIR. Designed by Thomas Harrison of Chester. The building is constructed of Cuyper sandstone ashlar from the Manley quarries and Bunter sandstone ashlar, with slate roofs and lead flashings.

The structure comprises two-storey ranges forming three sides of a rectangular courtyard, with an enclosing wall.

The main facade facing Castle Square consists of nine bays. A high projecting plinth supports monolithic half-columns of Greek Doric form between the bays and at the ends, which in turn support a projecting plain entablature with parapet above. The parapet rests on a slightly projecting plinth and is divided by projecting piers. Between the floors and set between the half-columns is a series of plain panels with moulded surrounds forming a decorated band.

At ground floor level, the central doorway is a double entrance with three-panel doors and rectangular overlights, set within a shouldered surround with a pedimental overdoor supported by fluted consoles terminating in roundels. Ground floor sash windows to either side of the doorway are 3 by 4 panes (as are all ground floor windows throughout the block), each set within aedicular surrounds of compressed entablature supported by fluted consoles. First floor windows are sash windows of 3 by 2 panes.

An archway adjoins the front at the right, joining with a lateral colonnade of the Assize Courts block of rusticated stone with a segmental arch. A dentilled cornice and central panel to the parapet with moulded surround complete this feature.

The left hand end comprises three bays. Central double doors have a fanlight over and fluted consoles supporting the overdoor. Sash windows to either side are 3 by 4 panes. A panel with moulded surround sits between floors. Three first floor windows are 3 by 2 panes. The entablature above supports a plain undivided parapet.

To the left of this section is a slightly recessed block of three bays with two ground floor windows. A plain band separates the floors, and three first floor windows are located above. An ashlar wall to the left has a slightly projecting plinth and moulded cresting, ramped at the end nearest the building. This wall continues to form a rectangular enclosure with a canted northern end. The gateway to the centre of this northern end has a slightly projecting surround and segmental head with voussoirs and projecting springers.

The right hand end contains three bays with ground floor windows of 3 by 4 panes; the window at the right was originally a doorway. A panel with moulded surround between floors is surmounted by an entablature and parapet as before. First floor windows are 3 by 2 panes. To the right are four slightly recessed bays. A door in the third bay from the left has a rectangular overlight. A plain band separates the floors. Adjacent to this section is the enclosing courtyard wall, which ramps up by the block. Double doors in this wall sit adjacent to the block.

The rear elevation has ground floor of Bunter sandstone ashlar and upper floor of Cuyper sandstone. Six bays to the centre sit above a basement area. Ground floor sash windows are 4 by 6 panes with doors to right and left. First floor windows match this pattern, except for one of 3 by 4 panes at the extreme left and one of 3 by 2 panes between the fourth and fifth bays. Projecting wings of three inner-facing bays flank either side. The right hand wing has ground floor sash windows of 4 by 6 panes on both ground and first floors. The left hand wing has one ground floor doorway to the right of two sash windows on the first floor of 4 by 6 panes. To the left of this is an extension of two bays with blank walling at ground floor and two sash windows of 4 by 6 panes on the first floor. Dated rainwater heads with plain downpipes serve the re-entrant angles of the wings.

The building is of major importance as an element in the composition formed by the Assize Court Block, Propylaea, and A and B Blocks.