Tudor House

Tudor House, Nos. 29 and 31 Lower Bridge Street, Chester

Undercroft and town house, now functioning as shop and town house. Probably built in 1603 with rear extension in the early to mid-17th century, and further detailed alterations made in the 18th century and later. The building is constructed in sandstone, brick and timber framing with plaster panels, and is roofed in grey slate with a ridge set at right angle to the front.

The building rises to four storeys plus cellar. The lower two storeys are brick-faced to the front, incorporating an oak corner-post. The shopfront is painted brick with an oak door in a Tudor-arched case, flanked by 19th-century two-pane shop windows with head-boards inscribed "TUDOR HOUSE". An erroneous date-plaque marked "1503" sits above the door. The second storey contains flush sashes—one of 12 panes to the north and two of 16 panes—beneath a jetty-beam with strapwork-carved fascia supported on four brackets (one renewed) with a central beam-end. The third storey displays two three-light mullioned and transomed leaded casements set proud of the wall-face, with three small panels to each window and a narrow panel between them; the walls between windows and corners carry S-shaped braces in a centralised pattern with two intermediate rails. The fourth storey jetty is similar to the third, featuring a three-light mullioned leaded casement with four arched and decorated panels beneath and two rows of four panels with S-shaped braces to each side. The jettied small-framed gable rises above, decorated with convex-lozenge and curved braces above a dentilled bressumer on shaped end-brackets; the bargeboards have been replaced.

The south side, facing Hawarden Castle Entry, slopes up sharply. The lower part of this wall, probably early 17th-century work, is sandstone rubble. Posts survive within the brick walling of the second storey. The lower rear wing is framed independently; small framing appears on the third and fourth storeys, including a blocked casement with closely-spaced lozenge-section mullions by the front corner of the fourth storey. The rear gable of the main block is pebbledashed, and the rear of the rear wing is small-framed. A south lateral chimney serves the building. The timber frame of the south side was reconstructed in 1973-74.

The cellar, located in the east part of the south bay, is rock-cut with a sump in the middle, stone steps to the south-west, and earlier steps leading to a blocked entrance to the west. A brick barrel-vault dates from the 18th century. The undercroft contains a central wall running front to back with openings. The north bay contains a cross-beam measuring 270mm by 270mm and a damaged cross-beam 280mm by 260mm, with joists. The south bay has beams, joists and a replaced stair; a replaced fireplace stands against the south wall. The west beam of the fourth bay east is probably continuous with the corresponding beam (280mm by 260mm) in the north bay. The storey is much repaired but not altered in plan.

The Row was enclosed in 1728 by Roger Ormes, now forming two rooms. The north room is plastered. The south room has a dado rail and plain oak joists running front to back; door and window positions in the framed east wall show the earlier pattern before the Row was enclosed, now allowing borrowed light through leaded panes to the room behind. This rear room features a stop-chamfered beam running front to back, a stop-chamfered post, and small-panelling to the north wall. The back room has an open fireplace with carved fascia (brought in from elsewhere), six-panel oak doors of 17th-century type, and a chamfered beam running front to back with stop to the front. The stair balusters are altered, though barleysugar balusters to the landing remain visible from the undercroft. The stair to the third storey, contained in a closed well, has shaped splat balusters to the landing.

The fine front chamber features complete small-panelling of oak with oak embrasure-benches, a three-panel plaster ceiling divided by two cross-beams, each panel decorated with cornice, three varied plaster roses, and small uniform corner-decorations; a post supports the centre of the rear cross-beam. A large brick fireplace has oak Corinthian pilasters on each side. Behind the chamber is a small bedroom with timber-framed walls showing wattle-and-daub construction; it contains a rebuilt brick fireplace in the south-west corner, a reeded ceiling cornice, and a leaded casement. The back room displays some visible timber framing. An oak stair to the fourth storey, probably re-positioned, has shaped splat balusters.

The roof structure of the rear room of the third storey, featuring an independent front truss, clearly demonstrates that the rear wing was added later. The fourth storey contains two rooms. The front room displays the gable truss and an inner truss against it. The central truss has five struts to the principal rafters; the east truss has a central post and two curved struts; windbraced trenched purlins frame the structure. Dendro-dating of the timbers has confirmed the early 17th-century dating.