Description

CHESTER CITY (EM)

SJ4066 LOVE STREET
1932-1/6/189 (East side)
10/01/72 Forest House

II

Part of a substantial town house, now night club. Late C18,
altered. Red-brown brick and ashlar; grey slate roof.
EXTERIOR: the probably former central block, to the rear from
Love Street, has basement and 3 tall storeys. The present
front, formerly the right wing when the house faced an oval
forecourt to Foregate Street, is of 3 lower storeys of 3 bays.
The face to Love Street has damaged central doorway of stone,
now roughcast with pedimented panel above round-arched case
with hollow chamfered rusticated jambs, voussoirs and triple
keystone. The altered ground floor to each side retains some
of stone plinth; inserted shopfront left. The first floor has
2 recessed 12-pane sashes in bay to each side of entrance. The
second floor has 2 similar sashes in the projecting entrance
bay, and 2 to each side. Central broken pediment and cornice
with modillions; round window in pediment.
The right side to Forest Street has blank ground floor; the
first floor has 2 damaged recessed 12-pane sashes to first
floor, 2 intact to the second floor and broken modillion
pediment with round window.
The main block rises behind the frontage to Love Street, with
2 recessed 12-pane sashes to the second floor and a great
rectangular flush chimney with row of 14 flues. The right end
of the block to Forest Street has altered basement with
damaged steps to ground floor; 3 replaced French windows with
6-pane overlights; a round-arched doorway with replaced door
under radial-bar fanlight. The first floor has 3 recessed
12-pane sashes; the second floor has 3 shorter 6-pane sashes;
round attic window in broken pediment gable.
The left side, formerly front, has rusticated stone ground
floor with round-arched former doorway and boarded-up
round-arched sash to each side; a blocked opening to basement
beneath each window. Frieze at first floor with vase-balusters
in 3 panels; 3 recessed 12-pane sashes with stone architraves
and cornices, that to central sash on consoles. The second
floor has 3 recessed 6-pane sashes to stone architraves;
circular window with architrave in broken pediment-gable. The
rear is almost unpierced; boxed eaves; a central flush chimney
with row of 10 flues.
INTERIOR: most surfaces in accessible rooms are covered, with
probably dry lining to walls and low false ceilings. Part of a

pair of Ionic columns is visible left of entrance lobby, with
a small octagonal room behind retaining some panels,
architraves and the frieze; round-arched recesses on 2
cardinal sides and 3 of the oblique sides; a saucer-shaped
dome. There is said to be a similar upper room, not now
accessible. Other features of interest are possible.
HISTORICAL NOTE: apart from the former Bishop's Palace in the
Groves (qv), this was the largest Georgian town house in
Chester, occupied by Colonel Roger Barnston of Churton in the
early C19.
(Bartholomew City Guides: Harris B: Chester: 1979-: 160).

Listing NGR: SJ4099566367

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Forest House, Chester at Wikipedia
• Forest House, Chester official website
• Wikidata Q5468983

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

• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings