2-8 Bridge Street, 2-8 (part) Bridge Street Row West, 1-3 Watergate Street and 1 Watergate Row South

1, Watergate Row South, Chester

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Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1376056
Date first listed:: 10-Jan-1972
List Entry Name:: 2-8 Bridge Street, 2-8 (part) Bridge Street Row West, 1-3 Watergate Street and 1 Watergate Row South
Statutory Address:: 1, Watergate Row South, Chester

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Date:: 2002-03-13
Reference:: IOE01/04931/34
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:: 1376056
Date first listed:: 10-Jan-1972
Date of most recent amendment:: 06-Aug-1998
List Entry Name:: 2-8 Bridge Street, 2-8 (part) Bridge Street Row West, 1-3 Watergate Street and 1 Watergate Row South
Statutory Address 1:: 1, Watergate Row South, Chester
Statutory Address 2:: 1-3, Watergate Street, Chester
Statutory Address 3:: 2-8 (part), Bridge Street Row West, Chester
Statutory Address 4:: 2-8, Bridge Street, Chester

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:: 1, Watergate Row South, Chester
Statutory Address:: 1-3, Watergate Street, Chester
Statutory Address:: 2-8 (part), Bridge Street Row West, Chester
Statutory Address:: 2-8, Bridge Street, Chester

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 40508 66259

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Enhancement on 19 September 2024 to amend the name, address and description, add references to selected sources and to reformat the text to current standards.

SJ4066SE 595-1/4/36

CHESTER CITY (IM) BRIDGE STREET Nos 2-8 BRIDGE STREET ROW WEST Nos 2-8 (part) WATERGATE STREET Nos 1-3 WATERGATE ROW SOUTH No 1

(Formerly listed as BRIDGE STREET AND ROW (West side) Nos.2-8 (even) Street and Nos.2-6 (even) & 8 (part) Row) (Formerly Listed as: WATERGATE STREET No 1 Street & No 1 Row) (Formerly Listed as: BRIDGE STREET Nos 2-8 (even) Street & Nos 2-8 (even) Row) (Formerly Listed as: WATERGATE STREET No 3 Street & No 3 Row)

10/01/72 GV II* Number 2-8 Bridge Street, 2-8 (part) Bridge Street Row West, 1-3 Watergate Street, and 1 Watergate Row South was constructed in 1892 on a corner plot. It comprised six townhouses above a Row and undercroft at street level with four units to Bridge Street and three to Watergate Street. The block was commissioned in 1892 by Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, First Duke of Westminster, a major landowner, property developer and former MP for Chester. Grosvenor owned substantial property in the City Centre and the designs were completed by his principal architect, Thomas Meakin Lockwood. Lockwood established a practice in Chester in the 1860s and his work came to dominate the City’s architectural scene towards the end of the C19, particularly in his use of the nationally popular Vernacular Revival style.

Other examples of his work can be seen in several projects along Bridge Street, most notably the opposing corner building on Bridge Street (number 1 Bridge Street, 1 Bridge Street Row East and 2 Eastgate Street) which was constructed in 1888 and also commissioned by Grosvenor. No above-ground historic fabric is understood to have survived Lockwood’s redevelopment, and the 1892 scheme itself replaced several earlier buildings which had been developed on the plots of the medieval ‘Staven Selds’, including an early-C19 brick building which extended further north into Watergate Street. The building’s shopfronts and interiors were altered in the C20 and the early-C21. The Row and upper floors are now occupied by a hotel with individual shop units to the undercroft at street level. The building is of yellow sandstone and red Ruabon brick with blue diapering flanked by timber framing with plaster panels. The roofs are of brown clay tile.

EXTERIOR: the building is of four storeys, including the street level undercroft and Row. There are four bays to Bridge Street and three to Watergate Street with a canted corner to the street junction which incorporates stone steps to the Row. To either side of the corner, the two bays to each street are of ashlar stone to the lower two storeys with stone-dressed brick above. These bays have, at Row level, an arcade with one round and one elliptical arch to Bridge Street and two elliptical arches to Watergate Street with Renaissance-style architraves, moulded bands, pediments and cartouches. At eaves level there is one Dutch gable to each street. The third bay to Watergate Street, the fourth storey of the second bay to Bridge Street and the upper two storeys of the third and fourth bay to Bridge Street are timber-framed with close studding of oak, jetties to each storey and herringbone struts to the gable with a richly carved frieze, console brackets and grotesque heads. At number 3 Watergate there is an oak-framed hip-roofed porch to the Row level, which shelters an S-shaped stair to the street.

The Row openings to number 2 and 4 Bridge Street have splat balusters, those to the other bays have wooden turned vase balusters, all are painted. The shopfronts are largely modern to both streets and to number 2 Bridge Street Row. There are five Row casement windows, which are partly leaded, and four part-glazed panelled doors in panelled cases.

The windows to the bays with brick upper storeys have moulded stone surrounds, mullions and transoms. The timber-framed bays have oriel windows, some with round-arched middle lights. All the windows are leaded. There are cast-iron rainwater-heads, pipes and brackets and a wrought-iron sign bracket to each street, that to Watergate Street has a bronze eagle's head. The rear of the property is not visible.

INTERIORS: the interiors have been much altered. There is an open-well stair in 6 Bridge Street and some original fireplaces, six-panel doors and cornices.

Listing NGR: SJ4050866259

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:: 470042
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Brown, A, The Rows of Chester: The Chester Rows Research Project, (1999), pp 69 and 118.

Legal

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