Description

BIRKENHEAD

SJ3288NE CHESTER STREET
789-1/14/45 (North West side)
28/03/74 Sessions Court

GV II

Sessions Court. Dated 1885-1887. By T.D.Barry and Son.
Ashlar-faced, roof not seen. Enriched classical style, with
entrance elevation to Chester Street comprising high basement,
and principal storey of 3 bays with advanced outer bays and
continuous colonnade. Central bay has entrance in rusticated
basement, paired doors with low relief panels dated 1887 in
architrave with foliate swags and rosettes and caryatids,
flanked by 2 windows each side. Corinthian order to paired
pilasters and columns of principal storey with heavy modillion
cornice and alternating panels and balustrading to parapet
over. Paired Corinthian shafts carrying segmental pediment
over mullioned and transomed window in advanced outer bays,
with low relief figures over. Tripartite window behind the
collonade over, and 3 oculi above. 2 lantern towers each side
of central bay with cast-iron screens to segmental arches and
pedimented cap are linked by high parapet with free-standing
sculpted figures. Return elevations have 3 square-headed
windows to ground floor, ornate pedimented heads to tripartite
windows of first floor. Lower rear ranges to Mortimer and
Brandon Streets of 7 recessed bays with central door in
concave moulded architrave, 2-pane sash windows to ground
floor, pedimented windows above. Balustraded cornice with urns
above, and axial chimney stacks. These ranges have terminal
pavillions which balance the return of the main elevation and
a low stone flanking wall runs between these two advanced
outer bays. Behind these side ranges is a high central block,
the court itself, which is lit by a series of round arched
windows divided by plain paired pilasters with rams heads.
There is an enriched parapet over the cornice on north
elevation only.

Listing NGR: SJ3270288938

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26497309

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)