Bluecoat School and Former Chapel of St John Baptist
BLUECOAT SCHOOL AND FORMER CHAPEL OF ST JOHN BAPTIST, UPPER NORTHGATE STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1375966
- Date first listed:
- 28-Jul-1955
- List Entry Name:
- Bluecoat School and Former Chapel of St John Baptist
- Statutory Address:
- BLUECOAT SCHOOL AND FORMER CHAPEL OF ST JOHN BAPTIST, UPPER NORTHGATE STREET
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-04-16
- Reference:
- IOE01/06867/21
- Rights:
- © Dr John L. Wishlade. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1375966
- Date first listed:
- 28-Jul-1955
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 23-Jul-1998
- List Entry Name:
- Bluecoat School and Former Chapel of St John Baptist
- Statutory Address 1:
- BLUECOAT SCHOOL AND FORMER CHAPEL OF ST JOHN BAPTIST, UPPER NORTHGATE STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- BLUECOAT SCHOOL AND FORMER CHAPEL OF ST JOHN BAPTIST, UPPER NORTHGATE STREET
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 40381 66701
Details
CHESTER CITY (EM)
SJ4066 UPPER NORTHGATE STREET 1932-1/6/275 (West side) 28/07/55 Bluecoat School and former Chapel of St John Baptist (Formerly Listed as: UPPER NORTHGATE STREET The Bluecoat School) (Formerly Listed as: UPPER NORTHGATE STREET Church of Little St John)
GV II*
Chapel, orphanage and school, now youth centre. Founded 1700 by Bishop Stratford and built 1717. Stone-dressed orange brick; hipped grey slate roof. U-shaped. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys; symmetrical; plinth. Central block has pedimented entrance bay with 2 bays to each side; second and fourth bays recessed. Central bay has through passage in basket-arched painted-stone Tuscan case carrying shouldered round arched niche with statue of Bluecoat boy 1854 by Edward Richardson. A basket-arched 19-pane sash in pilastered case to each side of entrance; a narrower bay to each side has door of 6 fielded panels in pilastered case with blank panel above. Second-storey floorband; blank panel to entrance bay; 2 square 6-pane sashes to each side have simple stone cases with keys. Cornice; clock in central pediment; parapet with simple stone cap. Central octagonal belfry cupola has round-arched bell-openings and copper roof. Projecting south and north wing, each with 2 basket-arched 16-pane sashes to court in ground floor and 2 square 6-pane sashes to first floor, all in cases as in central block. Front of south wing has basket-arched window to former Chapel of St John, arch breaking floorband, with 2 mullions, central glazing bar, 2 horizontal bars and impost transom; case with panelled pilasters. North wing has basement window projecting above plinth and window of 46 panes, including fanlight, in case matching that to chapel. The south face has 6 fixed lights of 16 panes with 1-pane hopper inserts; 6-pane first floor sashes above, all in cases as to the front; plinth, floorband, cornice and parapet. The north face, similar to south face, has a door and windows also to basement, facing Canal Street. The rear is simply expressed. Long, narrow area to basement has quarter-landing and 10 steps, now concrete, down to basement; access to central passage bridges area. Wrought-iron
railing to area has round knob-topped balusters on painted stone plinth. Brick reveals to passage arch with panelled imposts; keystone. The ground floor has 2 segmental-arched 12-pane flush sashes and an altered, deeper, 15-pane sash north of passage; a square bay window of 4;4;8;4;4-panes with pilaster mullions of stone; 2 segmental-arched 15-pane sashes and bay window, as to north, south of passage. Brick floorband; 11 recessed 9-pane fixed lights to second storey in segmental-arched openings; cornice parapet and plain stone coping; 2 lateral chimneys. INTERIOR: most details are removed. Recessed 2-panel shaped double gates with wrought-iron spikes in central through-passage. Cellars at rear with some barrel and groined vaulting in brick. A few doors of 6 fielded or 6 plain panels. A dogleg oak stair at junctions of south and north wing with central wing, with turned newels, stick balusters and oak rails. One or 2 rooms have cornices. The former Chapel of St John Baptist is stripped of features and sub-divided.
Listing NGR: SJ4038166701
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 469945
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 04-Jun-2026 at 05:44:12.
Download a full scale map (PDF)© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2026. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.
End of official list entry