Soughton House

Soughton House, Nicholas Street Mews, Chester

Two town houses, now offices, situated on the Grey Friars in Chester. The buildings date between 1745 and 1789, stated to be circa 1780 but displaying features characteristic of the mid-18th century. They have undergone some alterations since construction.

The buildings are constructed in brown brick laid in Flemish bond to the west and east elevations, with irregular bond to the south. The roof is covered in grey slate with two ridges at right angles to Grey Friars.

The houses comprise a cellar and three storeys. No.3 Grey Friars is positioned at right angles to Grey Friars, facing west, while Soughton House adjoins Nicholas Street Mews and faces east. Both are finished with painted stone sills, some of which have been replaced. Most windows on the west and south elevations have cambered brick heads, whereas those facing Nicholas Street Mews are plastered as wedge lintels.

No.3 Grey Friars features a slightly projecting porch with a panelled door (four fielded panels above two flush panels) and a simple radial-bar fanlight in a pedimented case. Adjacent to the north is a three-storey canted brick bay containing a nearly flush 16-pane sash to the front and a 12-pane recessed sash in the north face at first storey level, recessed 12-pane sashes on each face at second storey, and nearly flush 6-pane sashes on each face at third storey. The parapet has plain stone coping.

The west face of Soughton House is partly obscured at first storey level. The second storey displays two nearly flush 12-pane sashes and the third storey a pair of flush 6-pane sashes beneath a broad cambered head. The south face has irregular fenestration: three 12-pane sashes towards the east end of the first storey (one recessed, two nearly flush), a tall 18-pane stair sash and two recessed 12-pane sashes (one a horned replacement) at second storey, and two small inserted casements at third storey.

The east face has sillbands at first and second storeys. At first storey there are two bricked-up openings: a recessed 12-pane sash and a recessed tripartite sash of 4;12;4 panes. The second storey contains two recessed 12-pane sashes and a tripartite sash of 4;12;4 panes. The third storey has two recessed 6-pane sashes and a similar pair of sashes beneath a long lintel. A moulded cornice runs along the east elevation. A single-storey north wing has a painted stone plinth at street level, a door of four fielded panels above two flush panels with a plain radial-bar fanlight in a pedimented doorcase, a sillband, and a tripartite sash of 4;12;4 panes.

The interior of No.3 Grey Friars contains a cellar (not inspected). The first storey has two doors of six fielded panels and three doors of three fielded panels. The dogleg stair of four flights has an open string, shaped brackets, tapered octagonal newels, stick balusters and swept rail, all painted. The second storey features three doors of three fielded panels and cornices to the west room, with a three-panelled ceiling to the middle room. The third storey has one door of two fielded panels and two doors of six fielded panels (probably replaced). The interior of Soughton House could not be inspected.