Pepper Street

Category : Street Category : Article





The record of the "names of the streets and lanes in the days of KIng Edward III" lists Pepper Street as follows:


 * "PEPPER STREET goeth out of Bridge street upon the south side of the church of Saint Michael and putteth over Fleshmonger's lane to Wolfield gate in the walls of the said city the which gate some time had a hollo grate with a bridge putteth upon Souter's loode and up Saint John street and Saint John's lane this gate was closed up for so much as a young man in the summer season take a mayres daughter haire out of Pepper street as she was playing at the hall amongst other maidens and fled with her away and after he married the same maid."

The rest of that story is discussed under "Wolfgate".

Both the Wolfgate and Pepper Street were decayed and inconveniently narrow by the 1960's, when the Newgate was cut through the walls and Pepper Street was widened.

Former Methodist Chapel
There is only one remaining building of architectural note in Pepper Street, and that is the old "New Connection" Church. It opened in 1835 having been designed by William Cole, and closed shortly after World War One, when the building was sold. For many years the chapel was hidden inside the facade of a later motor garage and was only "rediscovered" during conversion work in 1984, when another part of the building became a "Habitat" store (now closed). As of 2014 it was vacant (and being rapidly overgrown with Buddleja davidii (Buddleja). It has been said that in 1836 Joseph Hemingway considered this the most handsome chapel in Chester. However, in his "Panorama" (1838) Hemingway notes the following, after writing about one Methodist church:


 * "The other stands in Pepper street it is built of stone in a neat style and was erected in 1827 Mr Sim is the pastor but the congregation is small".

However he later adds:


 * "This body of people have lately erected a place of worship in Pepper street which in point of elegance and dimensions is superior to any other dissenting chapel in the city it is fronted with stone and supported by four beautiful fluted pillars. The building was begun in September 1834 and opened for service August 23rd 1835 At the various services connected with the opening the collections amounted to 264 7s id a sum larger in amount than ever was known on a similar occasion in the city."

An aircraft factory is perhaps the last thing you would expect in Pepper Street, but parts of the Spitfire were manufactured here during WW2, when the motor garage was used for that purpose.

Almshouses
To the East of the St Micheal's Church, in Pepper Street, stood William Jones’ almshouses, established in 1658 for 6 women and 4 men, all of whom had to be:


 * “a poor and old inhabitant, unmarried, decayed and impotent” and swear that they did not indulge in “any Sins or Vices such as Adultery, Drunkenness and Swearing”.

Links and Sources

 * Listed building record at British Listed Buildings;
 * Virtual Stroll has some photo's;
 * proposed new development;