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THE OLD PALACE

THE OLD PALACE, THE GROVES

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1375949
Date first listed:: 27-Jul-1955
List Entry Name:: THE OLD PALACE
Statutory Address:: THE OLD PALACE, THE GROVES

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Date:: 2001-05-21
Reference:: IOE01/04052/07
Rights:: © Mr Michael J Tuck. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1375949
Date first listed:: 27-Jul-1955
List Entry Name:: THE OLD PALACE
Statutory Address 1:: THE OLD PALACE, THE GROVES

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: THE OLD PALACE, THE GROVES

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Cheshire West and Chester (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SJ 40847 66064

Details

CHESTER CITY (EM)

SJ4066 THE GROVES 1932-1/6/148 (North side) 28/07/55 The Old Palace

GV II*

Palace of the bishops of Chester, later YMCA hostel, now offices. Dated 1751, with C19 and C20 alterations. Stone-dressed red brick; hipped grey slate roofs. EXTERIOR: cellars and 3 storeys of 11 windows to main block. Stone plinth; quoins with concave rustication. Canted projecting entrance bay, probably later C18, has replaced door flanked by a 12-pane sash in each oblique face; three 12-pane sashes left of entrance bay and 5 to right. The first floor has 12-pane sashes, with 3 to entrance-bay; the second floor has 6-pane sashes. The sashes are recessed two-and-a-quarter inches; the entrance bay has simple painted stone sills and rubbed brick flat arches; other sashes have well-moulded sills of painted stone and rusticated wedge lintels with ornate keys. First-floor band; first-floor sillband to entrance bay; rainwater pipe with moulded lead head to each side of entrance bay, that to left dated 1751. Modillion cornice; 8-course brick parapet has stone corner blocks and coping. The left end has irregular pattern of sashes, most probably replaced. The right end of the main block has an inner-corner door to the ground floor; three 12-pane sashes to first floor and three of 6 panes to second floor, detailed as on main face of front. A one-bay right wing apparently of the original build; a probably mid C19 one-storey heavily stone-dressed lobby projects between the original building and a 3-storey 5-window recessed wing detailed as the entrance bay of the main block; the right end is canted, with a 12-pane ground floor sash in each face, one to each oblique face of the first and second floors. The exterior of the building other than the front door is virtually unaltered by C20 changes of use. INTERIOR: partly sub-divided, c1980, for office use, but retaining features of interest. A good open-well open-string stair of 6 flights but, if earlier description was correct, with turned balusters replacing the Chinese Chippendale balustrade then mentioned. A stone back stair with iron stick balusters and rail; a replaced secondary stair; some original 6-panel doors. A room with panelling, now painted and probably restored, on the ground floor, with one row of panels below dado and a tall row above dado; an excellent main room, now boardroom, on first floor with plasterwork intact including a

coved ceiling with exuberant mid C18 decoration; a good deal of minor features of C18 plasterwork; some fireplaces and overmantels. HISTORICAL NOTE: built for Bishop Peploe mid C18 according to Pevsner, but according to Harris occupied as the Bishop's Palace 1870, when the former palace in the Cathedral Precinct was replaced by the King's School, to 1921. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Hubbard E: Cheshire: Harmondsworth: 1971-: 165-166; Bartholomew City Guides: Harris B: Edinburgh: 1979-: 145).

Listing NGR: SJ4084366069

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 469928
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Hubbard, E, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, (1971), 165-166
Harris, B, 'Bartholomew City Guides' in Chester, (1979), 145

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.