Phoenix Tower
PHOENIX TOWER, CITY WALLS
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1376157
- Date first listed:
- 28-Jul-1955
- List Entry Name:
- Phoenix Tower
- Statutory Address:
- PHOENIX TOWER, CITY WALLS
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-09-23
- Reference:
- IOE01/09243/23
- Rights:
- © Ms Naomi J. Hughes. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1376157
- Date first listed:
- 28-Jul-1955
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 06-Aug-1998
- List Entry Name:
- Phoenix Tower
- Statutory Address 1:
- PHOENIX TOWER, CITY WALLS
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:
- PHOENIX TOWER, CITY WALLS
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 40610 66712
Details
CHESTER CITY (IM)
SJ4066NE CITY WALLS 595-1/2/110 Phoenix Tower 28/07/55 (Formerly Listed as: City Walls & Towers incl. foundations of SE angle Roman Fortress wall & tower)
GV I
Also known as: King Charles' Tower. North-east corner tower on City Walls. Probably of C13 origin, altered 1613, damaged 1644-6 during the Civil War, largely rebuilt 1658 and during C18; repaired C19 and C20. Red coursed sandstone with pyramidal grey slate roof. EXTERIOR: 4 stages, the lower 2, of 14 and 12 courses refaced in tooled sandstone, are beneath the level of the wall walk and have a diminishing batter, solid or with no access to the interior. The upper stages are of eroded coursed rubble with a coved string above each stage. The third stage has a round-arched boarded door to the wall-walk, loops and an external iron-gated stone stair of 3 winders and 13 rectangular steps carried on a corbelled half-arch projecting beyond the plane of the wall. Above the doorway to the lower chamber the carved phoenix dated 1613 is the emblem of the City Guild of Painters, Glaziers, Embroiderers and Stationers who occupied the tower as a meeting place. The fourth stage has a boarded door and four 3-light casements leaded with octagonal and lozenge panes. A plaque above the door states that King Charles stood on the tower on 24th September 1645 to see his army defeated at Rowton Moor. The roof has leaded hips and an ornate weather-vane. INTERIOR: the lower chamber is octagonal with cornice and radial ribs to vaulted ceiling. The upper chamber has exposed roof structure. The north-east tower of the legionary fortress underlies the present tower. (Cheshire Sites and Monuments Record: Collens J: Chester City: 3000/1/12 & /2/7).
Listing NGR: SJ4061066712
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 470151
- 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 25-Jun-2026 at 21:38:22.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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