Description

CHESTER CITY (IM)

SJ4065NE CASTLE STREET
595-1/6/90 (North side)
28/07/55 No.20
The Georgian House
(Formerly Listed as:
CASTLE STREET
(North side)
No.20)

GV II*

Town house, now displayed as such by the Grosvenor Museum. Mid
to late C18. Brown brick in Flemish bond to front and, older,
in English bond and irregular bond to east side and rear;
hipped grey slate roof, ridge at right angle to front.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 3 bays. Stone step to door of 2 short
panels, 2 long panels, 2 short panels and 2 long panels with
4-pane overlight in bolection case of painted stone; 2 flush
12-pane sashes east of door. Painted stone second storey
floorband; three 12-pane flush sashes. Third storey floor
band; three 12-pane flush sashes. All sashes have painted
stone sills and gauged brick flat arches with projecting
keystones. Cast-iron rainwater pipe, west; painted stone
frieze and cornice; a lateral chimney on each side.
The east side has an unbroken vertical joint 5m back, by the
chimney. The brickwork behind the joint is older than the
front; floorbands towards front of 3-course brick, towards the
rear a higher band to the second storey and a C17 band of
1-course, a band of console-shaped corbel-bricks and 2
oversailing courses; a tall, nearly-flush stair sash of 21
panes with cambered head and no sill cuts the bands; a blocked
window to each storey, with the third storey floorband raised
above the head of the former second storey window; an inserted
nearly flush 16-pane sash to first storey. The first storey
and second storey floorband of the rear are rendered; the
second and third storey each has two 12-pane flush sashes; the
third storey floorband carried through from the east side; a
casement of two 8-pane lights in gable to attic. The windows
have no sills; the sashes have gauged-brick heads.
INTERIOR: steps down branch to front and rear cellars, the
former barrel-vaulted and with a brick chute from Castle
Street. The surfaces of both cellars are covered with
waterproof render. The first storey front room has doors of 6
fielded panels from hall and stair hall; full panelling with
one row beneath dado rail and a tall row above; cast-iron
grate; cornice. The hall and stair hall have patterned tile

floors, a panelled basket-arch of painted timber, doors of 6
fielded panels to No.22 (qv) and to kitchen which has a late
C19 range with cambered oak bressumer and a door of 6 fielded
panels to rear; a chamfered cross-beam. The rear east room has
corner flue, 2-panelled ceiling with broad cross-beam and
cornice to each panel. The stair hall has a corniced 2-panel
ceiling. The oak open-well closed-string stair with square
dropped newels, 2 heavy barleysugar balusters per step and
straight, moulded rectangular rails, rises in 9 flights to
both upper storeys and attic. The second storey has ceiling of
2 corniced panels to landing, fully panelled front room with
softwood broad-boarded floor, door of 6 field panels in
panelled case, marble fireplace, cornice. 2 doors in west wall
of landing, one of 6 fielded panels, the other plain panels.
Door of 6 fielded panels to fully panelled rear room; door of
6 fielded panels to east rear room which has all surfaces
covered. The third storey has 2-panel door, corner fireplace
and 2 chamfered beams front-to-back. One door of 6 fielded
panels and door of 2 fielded panels in west wall of landing;
plain beams to ceiling. The back west room has door of 2
fielded panels, corner fireplace and a chamfered cross-beam.
The east room has chamfered cross-beam and corner fireplace.
The attic has oak purlins.

Listing NGR: SJ4050065923

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17552173

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

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)