Hunter Street



Hunter Street runs downhill from Northgate Street to St Martin's Way. As recently as 1825 (see this 1825 Map) this was largely open ground behind the backs of buildings in Princess Street and King Street. Even later maps show significant areas not yet built-upon well into the 20th Century.

Roman Hunter Street
Roman remains were discovered during the constuction of the original Odeon cinema - the initial dig unearthed some interesting Roman and medieval remains, which were put on show in the upper lounge and remained until the cinema closed. Little is known of this part of the Roman fortress, but further excavation was possible when the Odeon was being converted into Storyhouse. Amongst the Roman finds were fragments from a diverse range of pottery vessels dating to between the late 1st and 4th centuries AD, along with fragments from ceramic roofing tiles. Some of the tiles were stamped during manufacture with the mark of the Twentieth Legion, whilst others bore the paw prints of animals as they walked across the soft clay of the tiles before the tiles were fired. Archaeologists investigating the site in preparation for its conversion also found two Roman road surfaces – with the earlier one made of small pebbles and the later one comprising sandstone cobbles on top. A building to the north of the road may have served as the private quarters for a Roman general or other high-status individual.



Freemasons Hall
Until its demolition in 2007, Hunter Street was the home to Freemasons Hall. The history of Freemasonry in Chester can be traced back several hundred years, when Lodges were originally ‘Operative’ (i.e actual Stonemasons), but few records exist. However, the Initiation of Elias Ashmole at Warrington in Cheshire in 1646 is recorded in his diary and papers of the ‘Old Chester Lodge’ around the same period are in the British Museum. Following the formation of Grand Lodge in London 1717, Cheshire was the first Province to be recognised in 1725 when three ‘Time Immemorial Lodges’ were registered and the title ‘Provincial Grand Master’ first used.



The Freemasons Hall, which faced on to Hunter Street, was built in 1909, and demolished in June 2007. In the "Demolition Method Statement" it was stated that "items of architectural salvage will be recovered, stored safely and passed to the client for incorporation into the new development", so the building should not be entirely lost. The Hall was home to four separate "lodges": Deva, Memory, Bridgegate and St Marys. While some sources state that these were the four "founding lodges" Memory was consecrated in 1921 and Bridgegate in 1944. Deva Lodge had been established in 1837, changed it's name to Deva in 1839 and ceased to meet arounf 1856. The new Deva Lodge was formed in 1910. Bridgegate Lodge has an interesting history, as the Bridgegate in Chester once bore a plate inscribed "AL 5782" as noted by Hanshall:


 * "On a tablet over the western postern arch is inscribed: This Gate was begun April mdcclxxxii Pat tison Ellames Esa Mayor and finished December THE SAME YEAR ThOS PaTTON Estt MaYOR Thos Cotgreave Esa Henry Hesketh Esa Joseph Turner Architect. On a Tablet on the eastern side. This Gate having been long inconvenient was taken down adm dcc lxxxi Joseph Snow Esa Mayor Thos Amery Henry Hegg Murengers Treasurers. Much form was observed in laying the foundation of this Gate. The first stone was placed in its situation by the Mayor and the Lodges of Freemasons attended on the occasion. A brass plate sunk in the stone bore this inscription: Pattistm Ellames Esq Mayor of this City Chester laid this stone in the year of the Christian era 1782 as D Provincial Grand Master of Free and Accepted Masons. A numerous procession of Brethren attended - AL 5782."

Storyhouse
One of the original Oscar Deutsch chain of Odeon Theatres. The Odeon Chester was built in 1936 to the design of Robert Bullivant. Like the Odeon York, the building of this theatre was beset by delays due to the proposed placement within historic city walls and the discovery of Roman archeological remains. It opened on 3rd October 1936 with Ned Sparks in “Two’s Company”. Seating was proivided for 1,628; with 1,080 in the stalls and 548 in the circle. The Odeon Theatre’s at Chester and York are both different from other Odeon’s being built at the time, in that they did not have the distinctive Odeon ‘Moderne’ look externally due to the ruling of the Royal Fine Arts Commission not allowing the usual cream tiled facia. The exterior was executed in a plain brick with horizontal and vertical channeling. The signage was again different to the usual Odeon signs being rather larger and in "Trajan" lettering. The interior was very much in the Moderne Streamline style with clean simple lines directing the eye to the screen. The Odeon was closed on 14th June 2007. It was purchased by Chester City Council in 2012 and has been altered to create "Storyhouse" - an 800-seat theatre, a small 100-seat single screen cinema and a library within the building.

Chester City Mission Building
The Chester City Mission building dates from 1829 and is believed to be the oldest City Mission building in England. The City Mission relocated here from its premises in Princess Street in 2007, when those were demolished. The mission was founded in 1845 on the model of the London City Mission by laymen from several denominations. Paid full-time missionaries and voluntary assistants held evangelistic cottage meetings, organized thrift clubs for the poor, and undertook charity work, notably in Handbridge and Boughton. In the 1850s and again briefly from 1870 four missionaries were employed, but the number was usually two and never more than three after 1872. The headquarters were at first in a barn off Upper Northgate Street, from 1853 in a room over a shop in Crook Street, and later in a mission hall built by Miss M. A. Walker next to the premises in Crook Street in 1881. In 1854 the organization opened a mission to canal boatmen, which was later hived off and operated as the Boatmen's Bethel. It came back under the wing of the mission in 1920, from 1924 most services were held in Crook Street, and after 1929 there was only one paid missionary. In 1959, when Crook Street was being redeveloped, the mission moved to the former ragged school in Princess Street, which was given to it by the city council. Thereafter the mission still undertook charitable work but from 1989 could not afford a full-time superintendent and its premises lay under the threat of the redevelopment of Princess Street. It secured instead the part-time services of the experienced former head of the Liverpool City Mission and the promise of the present site in Hunter Street