Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 18 May 2021 to correct an error in the name and address and to reformat the text to current standards

SJ4066SE
595-1/4/161

CHESTER CITY (IM)
EASTGATE STREET AND ROW (North side)
No.33 Eastgate Street (National Westminster Bank)

(Formerly listed as No.33 Street (National Westminster Bank)

(Formerly Listed as: EASTGATE STREET (North side) No.33) (Formerly Listed as: ST WERBURGH STREET No.3 Westminster Chambers)

23/05/67

GV
II*
Includes: No.3 ST WERBURGH STREET.

Bank, Dixons or Parrs, now National Westminster. 1859-60. By George Williams. Yellow sandstone; roof concealed.

EXTERIOR: a symmetrical facade of three storeys, correctly composed and detailed. The rusticated first storey has a high pierced plinth between two porches with round archways: that to the east, the main entrance, has shaped double three-panel doors; that to the west, a little narrower, leads by thirteen stone steps to the east end of the Row. The upper storeys are set back behind a four column Corinthian blank portico; containing three tall two-pane unequal sashes with architraves and pediments on consoles to the second storey, a third storey sillband and three two-pane sashes in architraves. One window-bay to each side of the portico has similar sashes to each storey, under a straight cornice on consoles to the second storey and with architraves to the third storey. Modillion cornices to pediment and eaves; panelled parapet with vase-balusters; attic course above pediment. The east side to St Werburgh Street is more simply expressed. The first storey has the rusticated east side of the entrance porch, a lateral chimney with a round arch on brackets above a small-pane window at its base and three triplets of round-arched small-pane windows with radial-bar fans to the banking hall. The second storey has a floor-string and eight unevenly-spaced recessed sashes, three of eight-panes and five of twelve-panes, in eared architraves. The third storey has three recessed eight-pane sashes and, in the lower northern portion, five shorter nine-pane sashes above the twelve-pane sashes of the second storey; cornice returned from the Eastgate Street frontage. The northernmost bay, formerly No.3 St Werburgh Street, Westminster Chambers, is probably 1867-8 by John Douglas, designed in conjunction with No.31 Eastgate Street and 25 Eastgate Street Row (qv) in Vernacular Revival style, of red sandstone and timber frame with plaster panels with grey-green slate roof, gable to street. The first storey of sandstone has a three-light mullioned and transomed leaded casement under a label-mould and a twelve-panel door with overlight in Tudor-arched surround with carved spandrels and lable. Stone brackets to timber-framed second storey with close studding and one rail at transom-level of the six-light mullioned and leaded casement; a small leaded casement at each corner beneath the boldly jettied third storey which has close studding with carved braces and shaped panel-heads and two three-light leaded casements.The gable, like the third storey, is jettied on two shaped brackets; panelled herringbone strutting; moulded bargeboards.

The attribution to John Douglas is tentative; he negotiated with Chester City Council to set a building line back in St Werburgh Street in exchange for permission to jetty the verge at the same time that he submitted plans for rebuilding for James Dickson of, probably, No.31 Eastgate Street/25 Row which abutted the yard of No.3 St Werburgh Street.

INTERIOR: the banking hall has a richly panelled ceiling supported by four Ionic Columns; the secondary entrance is through No.3 St Werburgh Street; the upper storeys are stated to be modernised internally. (Improvement Committee Minutes: Chester City Council: 14/6/1867).

Listing NGR: SJ4063466342

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• 33 Eastgate Street, Chester at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q4635204

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

• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)