Description

CHESTER CITY (IM)

SJ4066NW ABBEY SQUARE
595-1/1/8 (West side)
28/07/55 No.3
(Formerly Listed as:
ABBEY SQUARE
(West side)
Nos.1 AND 2-6 (Consecutive))

GV II*

Town house, now office. Probably 1771-2 for Samuel Hostage as
leaseholder from Dean and Chapter. Flemish bond brown brick
with pale headers; grey slate roof steeper than that to Nos 1
& 2 (qv).
EXTERIOR: cellar and 3 storeys. Painted stone plinth. 2 stone
steps to door of 6 fielded panels with radial-bar fanlight in
Roman Doric timber case with fluted pilasters and open
pediment. 2 flush sashes per storey, now of 4 panes; painted
stone sills to first and third storeys and sillband to second
storey; painted rusticated wedge lintels with false keystones;
moulded painted stone cornice; brick parapet with stone
coping; one chimney visible. The rear looks across a short
yard to the back of the buildings east of Northgate Street.
INTERIOR: the cellar has a 2-panel door, stair with newel and
rail of C17 type, quarry floors and, under the house, walls
largely of brick; brick wine-bins; some chamfered oak beams. 3
stone steps in opening with stone reveals in east wall lead
down to lower cellar under pavement of Abbey Square which has
coursed sandstone walls beneath a probably C18 segmental
barrel vault of brick, reputedly an ecclesiastic court cell.
The first-storey front room has broad panels beneath
dado-rail, eared fire-surround of carved wood with festoon
frieze and embellished cornice, door of 6 fielded panels in
eared architrave, panelled shutters and plaster cornice. The
stair-hall has round archway with fluted pilasters. The south
rear room has a probably Georgian range of cupboards against
the east wall, panelled dado and fire surround with eared
architrave; the north rear room has a late Georgian
fire-surround in a blocked earlier broad opening with a
cambered oak bressumer on sandstone piers with lambs tongue
stops to chamfers; a 2-tier corner cupboard has fielded panels
and old hinges. The narrow-well open-string stair has curtail
step, rose, 3 column-on-vase balusters per step, moulded swept
rail and panelled dado with bolection panels above.
The second-storey front room has door of 6 fielded panels,
panelled embrasures with eared architraves, fire surround with

eared architrave and modillion cornice. The rear south room
has door of 4 fielded panels on HL hinges, a simple eared fire
surround and a basket-arched alcove. The landing with chinois
balustrade overlooks the stairwell; the narrow stair to the
third storey is offset, and has winders. The third storey
rooms have 2-panel doors; a simple eared fire surround. A
narrow attic stair, similar to that to the third storey; a
2-panel attic door.
(Dean and Chapter of Chester Cathedral: Leases: 1771-1846: EDD
10.07.13; Burne RVH: Chester Cathedral: London: 1958-:
218-20).

Listing NGR: SJ4049566512

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17552068

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

• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)