Northgate Street



Northgate Street, along with Bridge Street, Watergate Street and Eastgate Street, is one of the four original streets built inside Roman Chester. All four streets meet at the High Cross. Braun and Hogenberg's map of 1581 shows that the area was fully occupied with buildings. The main feature of later development has been the amalgamation of plots to create larger holdings, and the development of former gardens to fill in the "backlands" to either side of the street.

Over the years Northgate street has been home to many taverns, inns and places of entertainment ChesterWalls.info has a list of vanished pubs in Northgate Street. In Roman Chester the street was the "Via Decumana", and ran from near the cross to the Northgate. Roman Northgate street had to take a "dog leg" to avoid the "Principa" (Headquarters Building), which stood on the site of St Peter's Church. Across Roman Northgate Street from the Principia stood the "Praetorium" which was the private accommodation of the Roman Legate - the most important man in the Roman City. Eastgate Street North Row and the Northgate Street East Row have been collectively known in the past as Pepper Alley Row (1894), from the name of the alleyway towards St. Werburgh's churchyard - it is probably an instance of the modern use of 'pepper' for a rowdy person, a hooligan. The Row was the site of The Butter Shops from 1280 to 1590 - It was Baxter Row or Baker's Row from 1293 to 1502 - also "le Cokesrows" (the cook's row) from 1330 to 1449. Pepper Alley Row belonged to Reginald de Thlene of Leen Lane in 1330. Another name for Pepper Alley Row is The Dark(e) Row (1591 to 1650) - the earlier form of this name was "le Dirke Loftez" (1488), or "le Darke Loftes" (1541).

Further from the High Cross, the character of Northgate Street changes. It widens out with a modern shopping center and the Town Hall on one side and the Cathedral precincts on the other. After that things change again, with the street continuing to the Northgate itself and very little of Chester's typical "mock Tudor".

=Listed (and other) Buildings in Northgate Street=

Northgate Street Rows
Seacome says of it:


 * "In Northgute strect the Rows now extend nearly from the Cross to the Fish Market on the west side and to Smith's Entry on the east. That on the west is named Shoemaker's Row and that on east appropriately enough Broken Shin Row. These as well as the Watergate street Rows are chiefly formed of wood and retain all the inconveniences of antiquity unsophisticated by the innovating hand of modern improvement".



Commercial News Rooms


An impressive Neo-Classical building (built 1807) designed by Thomas Harrison. On the front facing Northgate Street the lower storey consists of a rusticated three-bay arcade, set behind which are modern shop fronts. The walkway in front of the shop-fronts is not an original feature but was inserted somewhat crudely in the 1960's. In the upper storey are four Ionic pilasters dividing it into three bays, each of which contains a 24-pane sash window. The Strangers Companion in Chester (Batenham - 1827) describes it thus:


 * The Commercial Buildings next attract notice which were erected for and now occupied as a subscription news room the back of the same premises are rented as a public subscription library and on the ground floor are two handsome shops.

Seacome, a bookseller of Chester by trade, tells us a little more in 1828:


 * ..a handsome pile of architecture having a highly finished stone front of the Ionic order situated on the west side of Northgate street adjoining St Peter's Church The ground floor is occupied by two handsome shops the first floor by the Commercial News Room and the second by the City Library. The COMMERCIAL News ROOM is a spacious apartment 45 feet long by 26 wide having a fire place at each end. There are 100 proprietors or this Institution by whom every facility is given to the introduction of strangers of respectability. Earl Grosvenor and the Mayor are Honorary Members with the privilege of introducing an unlimited number of strangers. The liberty of attending the room is also allowed to the Members for the City and County. A variety of London and provincial newspapers are taken and filed here as also reviews magazines and other periodicals. Adjoining the News Room are the keeper's apartments, Committee Room and room in which the files are deposited. The CITY LIBRARY occupies the room over the News Room. This Institution which owes its origin to the late Mr Peter Broster Mayor of Chester in l79l is at present divided into 120 proprietary shares. The collection of books which is extensive valuable and well selected was removed from its original situation in White Friars street in 1815. We may here observe that the limitations in the rules of this Institution having operated almost to the entire exclusion of tradesmen a GENERAL PUBLIC LIBRARY was instituted in 1817 towards the establishment and support of which Mr Fletcher proprietor of the Chester Chronicle Mr Fielden of Mollington, Captain Henderson, Dr V Whittell and several other gentlemen most liberally contributed. It is situated in a handsome room in Fletcher's Buildings, Bridge street.





The Committee of the Commercial News Room, which belonged to its proprietors, commissioned the building, which was built in 1807, and formed the basis from which the present Club developed. The Sun Inn stood on its site and the Committee built the [Commercial Tavern], now the Commercial Hotel, St Peter's Churchyard. In the Churchyard the rear wall of the building has been altered to remove the shop windows. In 1815 the contents of the city library were moved into the building, but later transferred into the Mechanics' Institute, before the creation of the city's free public library in 1877. There are only twelve clubs in existence in this country (excluding Scotland) whose foundation dates back earlier than the Chester City Club.

When the Commercial News Rooms were first built the ground floor fronting onto Northgate Street was occupied by the "Rowton and Morhall's Bank" (founded in 1805 and various known as Chester Bank; Rowton & Morhall; Chester & Shrewsbury Bank; Shrewsbury Bank; Rowton, Morhall & Co) which stopped paying due to becoming insolvent on the 10th July 1810. A surviving banknote from the Chester Bank actually shows the Commercial Newsroom on the note. One might think that with several names and banknotes showing what was in effect a drinking club the Chester Bank was a little suspect, but it appears to have been brought down by the failure of another bank - Brickwood & Co., of London, itself possibly brought down by the failure of Cole & co, and the collapse of much trade (especially with the West Indies) during the Napoleonic Wars. Brickwood and Co.'s name appears on the Chester Bank's notes, presumably as guarantor.

An investment based economy existed at the time, but world events could change prices rapidly. In 1806 the stunning victory at the twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt by Napoleons army over the Prussian army (less than three weeks after mobilizing, and even with a one of advanced preparation) kept the Prussians off the battlefield in Europe for seven years until 1813 and gave Napoleon control of Europe except for Britain and Russia. With its well-informed and wealthy membership, and a conveniently placed bank, the Commercial New Rooms would have been the sort of place where business was done and considerable sums of money changed hands. Moreover, during the wars prices for farm products were high, and both landlords and tenants enjoyed a period of prosperity which presumably increased their consumption of the goods and services provided by Chester. With some ups and downs Chester continued to develop as a regional retail center and people like Charles Brown, a prominent member of the City Club and owner of Browns department store, became very rich.



The Chester Heritage Trail waymarker states that “World events were first heard here”, but the Trust is wrong in saying that the Commercial Hotel was the only pub desigbed by Thomas Harrison - as his own house has now become "The Architect", a pub.


 * Number 1:
 * Chester City Club on Wikipedia;
 * Chester City Club

Shoemakers Row
The Rows were first recorded in 1293 near the Cross at the centre of the city. One of them, Ironmongers' Row, lay immediately north of St. Peter's church, and may have originated in four shops which abutted the church by the 1220s. Whether the term Row already had the specialized meaning of 'elevated walkway' in the 1290s is uncertain, and the earliest unambiguous instance of such a usage is in 1356. Ironmongers' Row was nevertheless probably elevated above the street, since Northgate Street is known to have had undercrofts by the 1280s and commercial premises above them by the 1340s.

The Strangers Companion (Batenham -1827) describes it so:


 * The rows in this street are very much confined and not so much frequented as in the other streets neither are they so interesting that on the left hand is called Shoemaker's Row from what circumstance we cannot learn but probably owing to the Crispin brotherhood formerly making it their market place or residence.



Thomas Hughes (1858) writes as follows:


 * To this succeeds Shoemaker's Row extending about a hundred yards along the left side of the street The Row upon the right hand used formerly to be known as Broken shin Bow from the rugged and uneven character of the thoroughfare and the manifest dangers that threatened the shins of those who ventured along it Originally it is said to have been double its present length but modern innovation that wolf in sheep's clothing has here as elsewhere played terrible havoc with ye good olde citie. A little higher up than this latter named Row we may profitably turn round and survey from this slight eminence the lower part of the Street we have just traversed together with curious architecture of the houses in Shoemaker's Bow. The scene is a picturesque one with its oddly carved beams and overhanging gables which look as if ready to fall down on the beholder



For some reason, one particular view of Shoemakers Row seems to be a favourite with artists. Four views all made from the same spot are shown on the right. First there is an uncoloured lithograph view sketched by G. Pickering and published by John Seacome, Bookseller, Chester. This is dated from about 1845 and shows the "Legs of Mann" Tavern. Second there is The Shoemakers Row as pictured by Thomas Hughes (1858) in a lithograph is believed to be by J. Pickering, engraved on stone by G. Hawkins and first published in 1852 by T. Catherall, Eastgate Row. Chester. Third, a line engraving published by T. Catherall, Chester. Circa 1880. Later coloured by hand. Last, Louise Rayner's Shoemakers Row (probably dating from the 1870's or later). Several of the images use similar elements of composition with a horse-drawn cart in essentially the same place in each image. Rayner embellishes some of the plainer facades with a bit of extra "mock Tudor".

From 1877, the City Council started to acquire property in what had then become Shoemakers Row. Property was also acquired by Charles Brown, a prominent member of the City Club and owner of Browns department store. In 1894 he submitted plans to extend the Club to the plot next door, using the Architect H. W. Beswick, a pupil of T. M. Lockwood. Beswick's original design included a Row, however the City Council Improvement Committee requested that the shop under the Row be removed and an arcade at street level created instead. Eventually, #3-31 Northgate street were rebuilt as part of road-widening scheme with John Douglas initially designing buildings #5-13. Unfortunately, while there was some adherence to Douglas' design, other architects were involved and there is some divergence from Douglas' original conception.



Beswick's Number 3 has timber framing and pebble-dash with slate roof, in the Free Vernacular Revival style. While it appears to have three stories it actually only has two with the large upper room over what appears to be two floors said to be styled after the hall at the Old Leche House. This large room was intended to be dining room of the City Club. The arcade of one bay of Number 3 has posts in a Jacobean Classical manner.

Nos #5-31 (odd) has at various times also been collectively known as `Saddler's Row', 'Corvisors Row' or 'Cordwainers Row'. Numbers 5-9 were built around 1900 by John Douglas acting as both architect and developer. An arcade of six bays spans three medieaval properties supporting an upper storey with oriel windows. Each pair of windows is separated by a niche containing a carved figure. Number 9 is believed to have been the site of the "Sun Tavern" from at least 1675 to 1900.



The Row at Numbers 11-13, 2 steps above pavement level and below the medieval Row level, has a 2-bay arcade of hollow posts, with fronts carved in late C16 manner, concealing cast-iron or steel columns on red sandstone bases which carry non-structural richly-carved segmental arches of painted timber on carved brackets. One thing which stands out in this Row is Douglas' attention to meticulous detail when it comes to woodwork, as compared with some of the other architects who worked on The Rows. Douglas had first-hand experience of the building crafts while he worked for his father (a country builder) and learned traditional carpentry, before becoming the pupil of E. G. Paley a Lancaster church architect.

Numbers 15-17 (built circa 1909 - No.17 is on the site of the former "Cross Keys" Inn.) were designed by James Strong, a pupil of Douglas and his work is perhaps over-fussy as compared with that of Douglas. The short undercrofts which still survive at #15-17 were probably the paired under-crofts of a single medieval house.

Number 19 retains some medieval masonry but was almost wholly rebuilt c1900 probably by John Douglas.

Numbers 21-23 date from 1897 by H Beswick for Charles Brown. There were no medieval undercrofts, but the cellar of No.21 contained a Roman pit; while the cellar of No.23 has some remains from Roman Principia, in the form of Roman columns and bases from the north arcade of the basilica.

Number 25, formerly the Woolpack Inn has a long narrow cellar undercroft of sandstone is which is largely medieval, but may have Roman, or reused Roman, stones immediately above the bedrock at the east end of the north wall, the Row and upper storeys were rebuilt, probably in 1903, by John Douglas.



The Dublin Packet (Number 31) facing Town Hall Square is probably early C19, but altered, the frontages to Northgate Street were rebuilt 1902 by John Douglas. Niches above the capitals on number 27 contain carved figures, three of these are in Elizabethan costume playing instruments, one with hands removed and the two above the corner post holding scrolls inscribed, (presumably with reference to the effigy of Edward VII above), "THE KING HIMSELF IS SERVED BY THE FIELD" and "THE PROFIT OF THE EARTH IS FOR ALL". Number 29 bears the Chester City motto "ANTIQUI COLANT ANTIQUUM DIERUM" (The elders worship the Ancient of Days), "as granted by William Flower Esq Norroy Principal Herald and King of Arms of the North of England - 22nd Elizabeth 1580 and confirmed by Richard St George Esq Norroy King of Arms in his Visitation 1613".

Somewhere in this Row we also have to fit in the "Eagle and Child" between 1540 and 1721. This was the tavern at which the last Minstrel Court was held. The last Minstrel Court was held in 1756, but it is not known whether the Court moved with the tavern (to Foregate Street) or stayed in the "Leg's of Mann" which appears to have occupied the site of the Eagle and Child after 1721, until 1782 - when the Legs of Mann moved to the later site of the Commercial Newsrooms. It looks like the Legs of Mann survived the Commercial Newsrooms, by moving yet again, as it's sign can still be seen in drawings from the 1840's.


 * Number 3;
 * Number 5-9;
 * Numbers 11-13;
 * Numbers 15-17;
 * Number 19;
 * Numbers 21-23:
 * Number 25;
 * Numbers 27-31:
 * Shoemakers Row on Wikipedia;

Broken Shin Row


This is the Row opposite Shoemakers Row. Thomas Hughes (1858) describes it as follows, possibly referring to the two Batenham engravings reproduced on the left:


 * This view is a direct continuation northwards from the one just described. In grotesque, though, it must be confessed, not appropriate fashion the new here obtrudes itself upon the old, as if determined to jostle it right out of existence: and the threat implied has in the present day been amply fulfilled, for the old buildings here portrayed have all passed away, and been replaced by newer but, alas! we must add much less interesting structures. This picture well exemplifies the process by which many of those ancient rows which at one time lined our Chester streets, have been utterly obliterated to serve personal greed and advantage, the two "broken shin row" and a very" apropos" name it was in our childhood`s days, when we were accustomed to play in it, to the imminent risk of precious young limbs aforetime, it had been a public thoroughfare, running, like its opposite neighbour, Shoemakers row over the cellar shops below, and continuing south wards in front of the tall ungainly new building next door, and so beneath the over hanging gables adjoining, until it united itself, by steps with the other row described in the preceding article. The whole of the four main streets of the city were, as we have just stated adorned with similar rows, and must, two centuries ago have abounded in picturesque outline and detail, highly attractive to the wondering traveler by stage wagon, packhorse or flying machine, at that time, and long after the only means of transit from place to place.



Hughes' reference to a "flying machine" is seemingly anachronistic, the powered aircraft only having first flown in 1904. However, the term is much older, referring both to propeller-driven balloons and even earlier to mechanisms by which actors might appear to fly in a specially rigged theater.

Batenham (1827) also describes it using the term "grotesque":


 * The remainder of this street has nothing very remarkable with the exception of a few old houses on the left near the bottom embellished with antique carvings mouldings and grotesque ornaments. The row on this side is not at all frequented as a thoroughfare and is rather low and dark and consequently very private .



This is still an "unfrequented" part of The Rows. Numbers 4-8 are all brick buildings dating from around 1810-30 and the interiors were extensively remodeled during the "Dark Row Project" (1003-05). Number 4 has a twisted baluster staircase from around 1700, and still looks much as it did in Batenham's drawing from c1816, which also shows that 6-8 each replaced a seventeenth century timber framed building. Number 10 is an early nineteenth century brick building, and while the English Heritage listing records a C19 fascia-board painted "CHEESE:ESTABLISHED 1740:FACTOR" there is no sign of this today. Number (12-14) is a Vernacular revival brick building with a half timbered facade, erected in 1912-13 by R. W. Boden for Walker and Knight. Work at the rear of this and Number 16 in the 1930's revealed a Roman hypocaust, likely to have belonged to the Praetorium, but demolished an under-croft. The narrow alleyway off Northgate Street here goes by the name of "Leen Lane", and probably marks the northernmost boundary of the Praetorium. Northgate Row East ends at this point.

Numbers 18-20 was rebuilt in 1936 for the Chester United Gas Company.

Numbers 22-24 has two medieval undercrofts. These appear to have been originally shorter, but were at some point extended to encroach on the street, probably when the Row were built hereabouts. There is no sign of the Row in this building today. The original building was altered C18 and later and became a town house which was rebuilt probably C18 and c1840. Up to 1924 the frontage to Northgate Street was similar in form to Nos 44 & 46, Nos 48 & 50 and Nos 54 & 56 Watergate Street (qv) with steps to the former Row level in a tall recessed porch; the porch was taken out in 1924 or 1930, but the face to the upper two storeys is probably early C19, as shown in the engraving by Batenham, c1820. This type of porch may indicate that a row had once been present. It was converted to electricity showrooms and offices 1924 by P. H. Lawson for Chester City Council and enlarged in 1930 by F. C. Saxon. The facade of the lower two storeys is a rare survival of the front of an inter-war municipal electricity showroom and is inscribed CITY OF CHESTER in raised Roman capitals.


 * Number 10;
 * Rosies (12-14);
 * Number 16; 10 sandstone hypocaust pillars stand in situ at the north-east corner of the shop.
 * Numbers 18-20;
 * Numbers 22-24;
 * Numbers 26-28 The shops replaced 2 low 2-storey buildings shown c1820 on Batenham's engraving.

Music Hall Passage




Louise Rayers's "The Dark Row" is often said to be "Pepper Row" in Eastgate Row North, which enjoyed a poor reputation and was the home to "The Boot Inn". However, it may be that the painting shows Music Hall Passage - although the placement of the lamp and the general resemblance could be a co-incidence, it seems the best fit in Chester.

Numbers 32-34 form an entry from Northgate Street to the building which was originally the Chapel of St Nicholas, built c1300 for Simon de Albo, abbot of St Werburgh's, Chester. It was used for a period as the church of the parish of St Oswald, then closed as a church and conveyed to the Mayor and Assembly of Chester 1488. It was altered, with an upper floor inserted around 1545, and used as the Commonhall and Wool Hall. The building was used for staging plays from c1750, converted as the New Theatre 1773 and the Theatre Royal 1777-8, being converted as a hall for concerts and entertainments by James Harrison as the Music Hall 1854-5. St Nicholas was used as a cinema mid C20, before being converted to a supermarket, after which it has been used as shops.

Batenham (1827) writes:


 * A few paces below this we arrive at the Theater which from its very secluded situation requires a close examination to discover. It's entrance is nearly opposite the fish shambles by a common kind of gate way having the words "Theater Royal" above "to direct enquiring eyes". The history of this being somewhat remarkable deserves insertion for it has undergone many changes as perverse as they are curious. It was built by the monks of St Werburgh as a chapel for the use of the parishioners and dedicated to St Nicholas themselves wishing to keep an undivided possession of the cathedral in which the parish church was situated but some time after the people returned to their old place of worship and the chapel was sold to the corporation who fitted it up as a common hall they however having better accommodated themselves it was again disposed of the ground floor became a waggoner's warehouse and the other part has been appropriated to its present use. The performers resort hither during part of the winter season and in the race week and the house is occasionally let for an exhibition a lecture or any other purpose of entertainment that may he required.

Seacome (1828) adds a little more detail about the differences between the theater and the Corporation:


 * The Chester Theatre was erected by a Company of Proprietors in 1773 on the site of St Nicolas Chapel Northgate street and opened the same year under the management of Messrs Austin and Heaton. But in 1777 the Mayor thought proper to issue an edict against the further continuance of dramatic performances therein and this too at a period when bullbaiting was annually practised at the Cross in presence and under the patronage of the Corporation. In this emergency the proprietors were necessitated to call to their aid the power of the crown and they obtained a patent dated 16th May 1777 in the name of J Townshend Esq constituting their theatre a Theatre Royal. The Theatre as originally fitted up was calculated to contain about 100 but Mr Lewis the Lessee of the Liverpool Theatre took a lease of it in the Spring of 1828 and by raising the ceiling obtained room for an additional tier of boxes by which and other enlargements the house is now capable of containing 170 and is altogether one of the most elegant and commodious of any out of the Metropolis. The proscenium of the theatre is supported by six white fluted pilasters with fillets of burnished gold and Corinthian capitals in burnished and dead gold having a vaulted front ornamented with the royal arms with lemon coloured pannels and scroll gold omameuts. The stage doors are ornamented with gold heading and the side wings and scenery are of a description very superior to what is usually displayed in provincial theatres. The ceiling has an octagonal sky coloured cove in the centre with lemon coloured corner pannels. The fronts of the boxes are white and lemon-colonred divided into pannels by gold heading and the pillars which support the upper tiers are white with crimson pillasters and gold beading. The present prices of admission to the different parts of the house are Boxes 4s Pit 25 6d Gallery 1s.

Hughes (1858) is his usual effusive self:






 * '''..let us proceed a little further in order to examine yonder stately looking pile only just completed to wit the New Music Hall. Perhaps no structure within the city has undergone greater or more numerous changes of character than the shell of the one we are now surveying. The first we hear of it is as the Chapel of St Nicholas built it is supposed early in the fourteenth century. About this time we read that the monks of St Werburgh (monks were greedy dogs!) wishing to have the whole Cathedral to themselves transferred the parish Church of St Oswald then as now occupying the south transept of the Cathedral to this Chapel of St Nicholas which latter had perhaps been built with that idea looming in the future. But the parishioners and corporation repudiated the change and after much litigation recovered then old parish Church so the chapel of St Nicholas was speedily deserted After being to let for some fifty or sixty years we next hear of it as the Common Hall of the city removed here from Common hall Street in 1545 In this service it remained the arena of law if not of justice for the two do not always go hand in hand until 1698 when the magisterial chair was removed to its present resting place in the Exchange. The third phase in its existence was its conversion into the warehouse of a common carrier and into a mart for the sale of wool the name it then bore was the Wool Hall. Again was St Nicholas the victim of transformation for at least as early as the year 1727 the walls which once echoed forth the sounds of prayer and praise were made to ring with the ribald jests of a common playhouse. Thirty years afterwards there were two Theatres open at one time in Chester one here and the other at the Tennis Court in Foregate Street but about 1768 the latter establishment was closed up and its "galaxy of talent" transferred to the Wool Hall. In 1777 the necessary patent from the crown was obtained for the licensing of the premises and the Wool Hall forthwith developed into a Theatre Royal. We will not stay to run over the numerous stars which have from time to time graced this theatrical firmament it is enough to know that this light of other days has faded away and that so far as this building is concerned the Chester Theatre exists only as matter of history. In 1864-5 the Theatre was wholly obliterated and the building in great part taken down but the massive buttresses and sidelight arches of the original ecclesiastical structure were suffered to remain and are yet plainly visible upon the north and south sides of the building. And now comes the last scene of the drama the scene we are now contemplating. On the ruins of the fallen Theatre and on the foundation walls of the ancient Chapel of St Nicholas modern enterprise has raised a pile more in unison with its first estate and far more worthy its close proximity to the Cathedral the New Music Hall. The Hall has been erected from the designs of Mr James Harrison architect whose other important works about the city we have already noticed. Its peculiar position beset with heavy private buildings on three of its sides prevented much attention being paid to the exterior but the east front being comparatively free has afforded Mr Harrison an opportunity for displaying his professional skill. Seen from the other end of St Werburgh's Place the handsome Tudor windows and porch of this front have a rich and truly picturesque effect our artist however has chosen a nearer view in order to give strength and definition to his sketch. In addition to a refreshment room ladies waiting and retiring rooms and other offices the interior presents to us a large and noble hall 108 feet long 40 feet wide and 60 feet high capable with its two handsome galleries of accommodating an audience of 1400 people. Its spacious orchestra adorned with an organ of superior excellence by Jackson has ample room for 250 performers. The neatly panelled roof resting upon shafted cross beams tastefully ornamented gives to the Chester Music Hall a richness and elegance wholly unapproached by any similar room in the city. The Hall is in every respect a credit alike to the architect and to the city and it is not too much to add that Mr J. D. Williams the builder and decorator of the structure has done his part of the work faithfully and well. One man only was killed during the progress of the works by an accidental fall from the ceiling of the Hall. It was opened Nov 26 1855 with a grand concert at which Clara Novello and others officiated.'''

The Theatre Royal was managed as part of a circuit which included Newcastle, Lancaster, Whitehaven, and Preston. The programmes included Shakespeare, Garrick, Sheridan, and Otway, new comedies and farces, and pantomime, and all the leading actors of the day trod its boards between the 1780s and the 1820s, among them Edmund Keen, Sarah Siddons, and Joseph Grimaldi. Charles Dickens gave a talk here on January 22, 1867 (he stayed at the Queen Hotel)and later described Chester and the Theatre Royal as follows:




 * “I have seldom seen a place look more hopelessly frozen-up than this place does. The hall is like a Methodist chapel in low spirits, and with a cold in its head. A few blue people ahiver at the conners of the streets. And this house, which is outside the town, looks like an ornament on an immense twelfth cake baked for 1847”

Dickens was both exhausted and unwell at the time, afflicted by gout, Erysipelas, neuralgia, cardiac symptoms, and bleeding piles. His feet so swollen that he could not walk unaided for some weeks. To add insult to injury, the takings in Chester were worst of any of his tours.

Many other famous names gave lectures, including explorer Roald Amundsen and Winston Churchill, who spoke on the Boer War in 1901. Films were shown from the early part of the 20th century and from 1915 it was known as Music Hall Pictures. Chester Music Hall Ltd reconstructed the hall and ran the 820-seat cinema from 1921. The first film was Charles Chaplin’s "The Kid" and Chester’s first ‘talkie’ was "The Singing Fool" starring Al Jolson in 1929. The cinema closed in 1961. At present St Nicholas is occupied by "Superdrug", and the frontage on Northgate Steet is clearly dated 1993. The back of the shop is where Harrisons work can be best seen. For conversion to the Music Hall, Harrison added the canted east porch with central doorway and a square-headed window of 2 trefoil-headed lights in each oblique face; hoodmoulds and a moulded string-course carried up over the door and window opening. Harrison inserted 2 windows similar to those in the porch in the east wall of the chancel above, and at a higher level a mullioned and transomed 3-light window. The visible mediaeval fabric (probably of 1488) is on the south side, in Music Hall Passage.


 * Number 32-34 Northgate Street;
 * St Nicholas on English Heritage;
 * St Nicholas on Wikipedia;
 * The Theatres Trust gives a useful history;

The Town Hall/Market Square
Seacome describes the market as follows:


 * The state of the markets was until very lately highly discreditable to the city of Chester The meat market consisted of a collection of covered wooden stalls crowded together on the north of the Exchange and universally kept in a very filthy condition and a similar nuisance on the south side of the Exchange served for a fish market whilst vegetables fruits and flowers were scattered in complete confusion throughout the piazza and along the front of the building.

The Exchange


The Exchange, known at first as the "new common hall", was erected between 1695 and 1698 at the corporation's expense but with contributions from William III, Peter Shakerley (former governor of the castle and a Tory M.P. for Chester from 1698), Francis Gell (projector of a plan to improve the Dee naviga tion), and the estate of Thomas Cowper of Overleigh Hall. It stood south of the site of the "shambles" in the wide middle section of Northgate Street almost opposite the Cathedral. The building, of brick with stone quoins and elevated on pillars, was adorned in 1712 with a life-sized statue of Queen Anne 'curiously gilt and painted' placed over the main entrance in the south front. The lower storey formed an open piazza with a coffee house, initially in the south-west corner, but later moved to the north-east corner. The main apartments were in the upper storey, which comprised 'a fine magnificent room styled the common hall of pleas', with to the south the portmote court, 'extremely ornamental, wainscotted with oak and adorned with figures of carved work', and to the north the sheriffs' court. Those apartments later functioned as an assembly or banqueting room, a court room, and a council chamber.



From the very beginning, the Exchange has seen some turmoil over the years. Cooke writes:


 * "In the year 1698 the citizens were convened, and, by some artful means, persuaded to elect the whole body, and then to vote that they should continue in their offices, according to ancient custom. Thus was entirely destroyed the ancient privilege of annual elections in the corporation."

Of the approach of the elections of 1736, Cooke writes:


 * "It was apprehended that the corporation, having the power of making freemen in their own hands, might procure as many votes as they wanted. Some of the aldermen, having assembled together in the Pentice, at a late hour, on the Tuesday night preceding the election, suspicion arose that the whole night was to be employed in admitting to the freedom of the city as many of their party as they could conveniently introduce. A mob presently assembled about the Pentice, where they broke open the door, assaulted and drove out the aldermen, and damaged considerably the windows and furniture."



The following day: "a large body of colliers, and other countrymen, were brought from the neighbourhood of Wrexham, by the direction and under the influence of Mr. W. W. Wynne. The citizens hearing of their approach, retired into the castle, and there armed themselves with old swords, helmets, and breast-pieces; and, thus formidably accoutered, sallied forth to meet their foes. A bloody encounter ensued in Bridge-street; and the Welshmen, after several of them were dangerously wounded, were soon routed and put to flight". The election occurred and (as Cooke continues:


 * "no sooner were the books closed, and the mayor and his attendants retired from the hustings, than they were obliged to retreat into the Exchange Coffee-house. They were, however, not here secure, for the mob broke in, seized the sword and mace, and, chairing their favourite candidate, bore him to his house in triumph."

In 1756 the Exchange, which had already been strengthened by the addition of 'several strong pillars', was showing signs of collapse. It was secured by enclosing the ground floor to house the row of shops, on which work continued until 1759, and in 1801–2 was further adapted to plans by Thomas Harrison to provide for the court rooms and offices formerly in the Pentice.

Batenham (1827) describes it as follows:


 * "The Exchange is the large handsome building .. supported in the centre by a range of pillars and by a few shops on the west side which were unfortunately obliged to be put there to strengthen it it is in length about 126 feet in breadth about 46 and was erected in the year 1698. In it are contained the Town Hall, a large Assembly room, the Mayor s office and others. The exterior is finished with stone facings angles and cornices and surmounted with a neat cupola and has a fine statue over the south entrance of her Majesty Queen Anne besides which in two large panels are carved the arms of the Earldom and that of the kingdom before the Hanoverian quartering. The whole of this fine sculpture was unfortunately much injured during the election contests of 1784 and 1812."

Hughes (1858) writes:


 * "But what is yon new looking structure overlooking the Marketplace? New did you say? Why it is not very far from a couple of hundred years since that building, the Exchange, first delighted the eyes of the old fashioned citizens. True the stone work has been lately restored and the bricks newly pointed but practically this is the same Exchange which in 1698 was completed at a cost of £1000, Roger Whitley the then Mayor being a large contributor. The statue embellishing yonder niche on the south front is a graceful representation of Queen Anne of glorious memory in her coronation robes, a work which must have emanated from no mean chisel. The superstructure of the Exchange stood originally upon four rows of stone columns the ground floor being otherwise entirely open but in 1756 just a hundred years ago owing to some well grounded fears for the safety of the structure the lower tiers of shops etc. were erected as an extra support to the fabric the greater portion of these are now occupied as police offices, lock-ups etc. On the higher story are the Assembly Room the Penitice or Council Chamber and the spacious Town Hall. The Assembly Boom was a popular resort in the last generation when corporation feasts redolent of venison and primest turtle were perpetually being discussed there but its many a long day since these savoury viands graced the aldermanic board."



As the Exchange was known to be in disrepair by 1839, the building must have been renovated so that Hughes could see it "as new" in 1858 (the Corporation borrowed £800 in 1856 for repairs to the Exchange). However, it was destroyed by fire just a few years later on 30th December 1862. But it did last long enough to appear in McGahey's "View from a balloon" as shown in some of the preparatory sketches for the view (see above left).



Most of the important contents including the city records and all except two large paintings were, however, saved. The ruins of the Exchange were cleared after the fire and its site was taken into an enlarged Northgate Street. Until the new Town Hall opened on an adjoining site in 1869 the council met in the Chester Savings Bank in Grosvenor Street and its staff were housed in premises in Lower Bridge Street. The statue of Queen Anne was removed to Bonewaldesthornes Tower, where it is further discussed (see: "what happened to Queen Anne?").

It has been said that one of the pillars from the Exchange now stands in the center of the Abbey Square. Hemingway (1831) tells the story as follows:


 * "In 1766 it was discovered that all the west side of the Exchange had given way and was likely to fall Mr Turner an architect was sent for from Whitchurch to survey it. In consequence the row of large stone pillars was removed from the centre more towards the east side and a row of shops built along the west side. In removing these pillars one of which stood at the corner of Mr Broster's shop now Mr Pover's was broken off at the top and the corporation made a present of it to the dean and chapter to make an obelisk to be erected in the centre of the Abbey square where it now stands."

As Hemingway is writing well before the Exchange was burnt down it seems that the alternative version - that the pillar came from the burned-out Exchange cannot be true.


 * Hanshall gives a detailed description of the Exchange on pages 267-268 of The history of the county palatine of Chester;

The "Town Hall" Side
Hughes is less than impressed by the Market Square of his day:


 * ..we are once more in Northgate Street and may stay to give "one withering glance" at those melancholy looking buildings either side: the Fowl, Butter and Butchers Markets of the city. Hideous as specimens of architectural taste, destitute of convenience or comfort in use, furthermore heavy and cheerless to look upon these Markets have of themselves nothing to rivet the attention of the sightseer.



Fortunately, in 1863, a new Market Hall was built, and the "Town Hall side" of the market square used to be dominated by the baroque-revival frontage of Chester's "traditional" Market Hall. From the 1860s, ever-larger sums were borrowed for capital works. The biggest items were £11,000 in 1863 for the Market Hall, £35,000 in 1867 and 1870 for a new Town Hall after the Exchange was destroyed by fire (the balance of the cost coming from insurance), and £50,000 over the period 1873-9 for sewerage works. Even the smaller amounts spent on buying up property for extending the markets were large by earlier standards, so that by the time of the 1884 Improvement Act the council had raised a little over £120,000 in loans. Of £101,000 outstanding in 1878-9, the main source was public works loans, accounting for 46 per cent; private individuals had advanced 30 per cent, the governors of the Chester infirmary 11 per cent, and the trustees of the Owen Jones charity 10 per cent.

The Market Hall was an airy building with a high glass roof supported on iron pillars and sheltering traditional "stalls". Unfortunately this was demolished in the 1960's to be replaced with the first version of "The Forum" - a particularly ugly shopping center with the new market hall tucked away at the back. The latest version of "The Forum" (1995) is barely better, and is itself planned for redevelopment. The only remaining part of the Victorian Market Hall is a small portion of stonework in the corner of the Market Square by the Dublin Packet.

A trip under the arch that remains of the Market Hall leads to the "Roman strong-room". Chester’s Roman strong-room was excavated by archaeologists during the late 60s (when the Market Hall was being demolished around them) and would originally have been under the rear part of the "Principia".

The Town Hall: of which more can be discovered on the Town Hall page, was opened for public use in 1869, on October 15th by the Prince of Wales - later King Edward VIII. The Architects were Messers Lanyon, Lynn, and Lanyon of Belfast. As the original contractor, Mr Clark, died, work was suspended until arrangements were made with Mr. Hughes, builder of Aldford, to carry out the contract. The tower is 160 feet high. The ground floor was mainly occupied by the Police Offices, from which corridors run to a range of prison cells, kitchens, and other offices, Above these are the Public Hall, the Magistrate Court (the courtroom ceased to be used for Quarter Sessions in 1972 or as a Magistrates Court in 1991 when a new Magistrates Courthouse was opened in Grosvenor Street). The Town Hall is still used by officers, but today. most locally based Council departments are housed in the adjacent Forum, which was opened in 1973. However, the Town Hall is still regarded as the symbolic expression of civic government, having changed very little in external appearance since 1869.

Number 39 is the "Coach and Horses", ad although it is a listed building there is little to comment on. During one of the mystery play seasons, the boy playing a rather major part in one of the plays nipped in for a pint during the intermission and (still dressed in white robes) was promptly accosted by the police for under-age drinking. He uttered the startling reply "You can't nick me - I'm Jesus". After a further exchange of words (and the intervention of a few other customers who had taken the same opportunity for a drink in the intermission), he was released and was able to return to the stage for the second half of the play.

Chester Library: built in 1914 as the Westminster Coach and Motor Works for J.A Lawton & Co to the designs of the architect Philip H. Lockwood; its shiny pickish-buff terracotta was designed and made by Dennis Ruabon. Surprisingly, it is not a listed building. The façade is dated 1914, but appears to be based on an earlier building for the carriage-builders J A Lawton & Co that was burnt down on July 1st 1910 (following an earlier fire in 1903). Their building was two storeys high, but otherwise apparently similar to the existing design. Cars were sold on the site until the 1970s, and a new library was built behind the façade to an award-winning design by the Cheshire County Council Department of Architecture in 1981-4. The first public library to be set up in Chester was the City Library in Whitefriars in 1773. The subscription was one guinea. It had very few novels having mainly erudite tomes on history, geography, law and philosophy.

Outside Number 45, the Shropshire Arms (an unlisted Vernacular Revival public house) are some red phone boxes. These are the famous red "K6" design of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935. Between 1868 and 1876 his grandfather George Gilbert Scott "almost entirely recased" Chester cathedral. In addition to extensive additions and alterations to the body of the church, Scott remodelled the tower, adding the turrets and crenellations - something which is echoed in his grandson's design for Battersea Power Station.

Much more on the history of the Market can be found at:
 * Chester Market;
 * Chesterwalls.info - also on the Market;
 * Roman strong-room by ChesterTourist;
 * Town Hall at English Heritage.
 * Number 39
 * The phone boxes are listed too!

The "Abbey" side

 * The Cathedral


 * Barclay's Bank: formerly part of the King's School


 * The Abbey Gateway: c1300. The front room above the arch, evidently formerly a robing room, has ranges of cupboards with fielded panels to doors, built against 2 walls; the panel to the upper cupboard above the doorway has an armorial painting inscribed EDMUND CHESTER; the armorial panel immediately north of the doorway is inscribed SAMUEL PEPLOE LLB, Chancellor. The painter was probably of the Randle Holmes family. Virtual Chester has a panoramic view.

Abbey Square is the best quadrangle of Georgian houses in Chester, with a pair of earlier, more modest, 17th century dwellings and the access down a short flight of steps to the cloisters and refectory. The two Georgian terraces were built by clergymen, often well-to-do in those days, for Cathedral clergy. The square's layout is not in fact a rectangle, as it tapers quite sharply to the south. This lengthens the apparent perspective toward the Cathedral, but shortens it to the north so that the terrace looks closer (the trees on the central lawn tend to conceal the illusion, particularly in summer).


 * The Little Abbey Gateway: dates from the 14th century.


 * Number 3: formerly part of the King's School which included the Cathedral Choir School. Just on the corner is The Elephant.


 * Number 30


 * Numbers 36-38

Pub Side

 * Numbers 53-55: Folliott House, built for James Folliott in 1788 and originally twice as large. Bricked-up former interior windows and doors can still be clearly seen on the blank wall. Folliott may have had some connection with the slave trade as he placed the following newspaper advert in 1770:


 * RUN AWAY - A NEGRO MAN, named HOPE, the Property of Sir James Campbell, Bart. He carried off with him several Things of Value, and was drest in an old Green Shooting Jacket and Waistcoat, a pair of new Leather Breeches, Silver Knee and Shoe-buckles, and an old Gold-lac’d Hat, of his Master’s. He is about Nineteen Years of Age, thin Make, yellowish Complexion, about 5 feet 9 inches high, speaks very good English, and is marked on the right shoulder ISC. Whoever secures him, and lodges him in any Gaol, etc. will receive Five Guineas Reward, from Mr. James Folliott, Chester.

The building now houses the Chester Asian Council.


 * Numbers 54-56: the shopfronts of c1900 have wood frames, leaded glazing above the transom with the City Arms of Durham, Salisbury, Newcastle, London, Chester, Carlisle and York.


 * Number 57: The Pied Bull a historic coaching inn. On the pillar at the front of the inn is a 1763 coaching sign giving the distances to London, Worcester, Ludlow, Bristol and Bath.


 * Red Lion: former landlady claimed that the cellar was "definitely haunted".


 * Numbers 62-64


 * Numbers 63-65: This property is the best example, other than in the Rows, of a medieval town house in Chester. Until recently it was the "Blue Bell" restaurant. The first record of "The Bell" is in 1399 when it was an inn. The extension at the front was erected in 1684 by Elizabeth Halliwell as a barber's shop, which remained until the 1920s. During the 18th century, this extension also served as a stage coach ticket office. The small window high on the building was used to sell tickets to passengers sitting on top of the coach.


 * Numbers 66-74


 * Number 73: the former fire station and now Chez Jules.

Shop Side

 * Numbers 90-98


 * Numbers 100-102
 * Numbers 104-110
 * Numbers 128-132
 * Numbers 134-138


 * Liverpool Arms


 * The Northgate

Beyond Northgate

 * Toll Cottage: house and workshop on site of former City gaol.


 * Canal Bridge


 * Bridge of Sighs: this footbridge was used to take prisoners from the City gaol (previously on the site of the Toll Collage at No.1 Upper Northgate Street) to the former Chapel of St John in the south wing of St John's Hospital for prayers prior to execution. It has been suggested that friends of such prisoners frequently staged attempts to free them when they were taken for their last walk by the road route. In 1793, in order to foil such attempts, the authorities built this small bridge, seen today without it's rails.


 * St John's Hospital:

sources and links

 * Amusing "mash-ups" of Northgate Street;