Love Street

Hemingway, writing in the 1830's, claimed that:


 * "the environs of Frodsham Street, Love Street, Steam Mill Street, Watergate Street, Northgate Street, Commonhall Street, Cuppin Street, Pepper Street, and Lower Bridge Street were all of inferior grade"

..or worse, while Handbridge as a whole was dismissed as "almost exclusively inhabited by the lower orders".

Forest House
Forest House was built as a town house for the Barnston family of Crewe Hill, south-east of Farndon (see River Dee for more detail on Crewe Hill). The date of its construction in uncertain; one source states 1759, others say in the 1780s. It was at one time "possibly the finest Georgian house in Chester", and a prominent landmark in the city. Only the central block now remains. During the 19th century it was used as auction rooms, then a furniture depository (some of the signage can just be made out on the gable-end), and following which it was used as a night club and bar.

Roger Barnston was colonel of the Chester Local Militia. Born 29 Nov 1739, he died February 1837. The Blue Plaque on the building reads:


 * "Roger Barnston (Born 1739. Died here 1837) High Sheriff of Cheshire 1800 and DL of County. Re-formed Cheshire Militia on Roodeye in 1803. Entertained Duke of Wellington here in 1817."

Hemingway (in 1831) writes (rather defensively):


 * "On the 23rd of December the Duke of Wellington by invitation paid a visit to Combermere Abbey the seat of his friend arid companion in arms Lord Combermere. A knowledge of this fact having transpired a numerous meeting of the gentry and principal tradesmen of the city was held at the Exchange when it was unanimously resolved to invite the hero of Waterloo to a grand public dinner. A deputation being appointed to wait upon his grace to obtain his consent the following Wednesday the 27th was fixed upon when his grace accompanied by Lord Combermere and suite arrived within our walls. He took up his quarters at the Albion Hotel from whence he made a short excursion to the castle inspected that building armoury etc and afterwards proceeded to the Exchange where a most sumptuous banquet had been prepared. Colonel Barnston presided at the festive board which was surrounded by about 150 guests amongst whom were Lords Combermere Hill and Kenyon, Sir WW Wynn, Sir James Lyon, Sir HM Mainwaring, Col Thomas Cholmondeley, Major General Beckwith and other individuals of distinction. During the evening and indeed white he remained in Chester his grace received every mark of respect that could be shewn to a character whose eminent services in the field of honour had entitled him to the gratitude of his country .It has been spoken of as a subject of regret that the usual compliment of presenting the duke with the freedom of the city was omitted but I am inclined to think that this omission arose solely from a mistake or misapprehension in some of those individuals whose business it was to attend to the necessary proceedings and not to any intentional disrespect."

It is notable that the then MP for Cheshire, Grosvenor, was considered an "enemy" by Wellington and eventually, a few years later after Wellingdon became Prime-Minister, helped to vote him out of office. However in 1828 Hemingway had moved his newspaper editorship from the Courant to the pro-Grosvenor Chronicle, and so may be being a little disingenuous.

A grandson, Major Roger Barnston served in the Crimean War, and later in India, where he died, at the age of 31, on 23 December 1857 from wounds sustained at the Siege of Lucknow in the Indian Rebellion. He has a memorial near Farndon.

Priory Place
The cottages at Priory Place date from 1898 and were built by the philanthropic Chester Cottage Improvement Company (CCIC) which sought to provide model dwellings for working people. The cottages are built from stone-dressed brown brick and are very well detailed with blue diapering, hipped grey slate roofs and stone mullion windows. Chester Cottage Improvement Co., in which the duke of Westminster took a leading role, was formed in 1892.

sources and links

 * 1-5 Priory Place on British Listed Buildings;