King Street

Between the "Pied Bull" and the "Red Lion" on Northgate Street is one end of now elegant-looking King Street. This was formerly known as "Barne Lane" as it once led to a large Tithe Barn belonging to the Abbey. King Street was known as ‘Barne lane’ throughout much of the medieval period. First mentioned in 1238 as venella prope grangiam abbatis Cestrie by 1265 it had acquired the name ‘bernelone’. The name suggests the presence of barn or grange belonging to the abbot on or near the street, believed to be at the Crofts. On a list of street names produced by Richard Dutton mayor of Chester in 1567 it was still called thus. It first appears clearly on the John Speed map of 1610, having been omitted by earlier map-makers. By 1656 it was suppposedly called King Street, although the Lavaux Map of 1745 still names it Barne Lane.

On the King Street wall of the Pied Bull is what looks like a sculpture based on the "Chester Imp" at the Cathedral. This is a part of the "Chester Imp Trail" and, not, as some seem to think, a "Fire Insurance Mark".



Roman King Street
Evidence of possible Roman cultivation soils were recorded during archaeological investigations at King Street in 2003. The earliest deposits recorded comprised a greyish brown clayey silt interpreted as possible cultivation soil horizons at a depth of approximately 0.9-1m below present ground level. The earliest deposits in a second trench comprised a layer which contained a moderate amount of Roman ceramic building material, bone and pottery interpreted as a yard surface. A linear feature on a north south alignment was then cut into this layer, interpreted as a possible gully.

Medieval King Street
A survey of the cellars at No 24 & 26 King Street in 1975 indicated they probably predated the 19th century townhouses currently occupying the site. The opportunity to examine the cellars arose during the adjacent Northgate Brewery excavations and following a thorough cleaning of the masonry it was suggested they were significantly earlier in date that the buildings above. Although no reliable dating evidence was produced the construction of the cellars indicated a late medieval date. The above ground structures presently consist of a pair of mid 19th century three storey townhouses heavily restored in the mid 1970s.

Post Medieval King Street
No 1-3 King Street consists of a pair of two storey cottages built around 1800 but since heavily restored. Much of the original interior has been removed. They are of brown brick in English garden wall bond with a grey slate roof with a ridge parallel to the street.

No 6 King Street is a mid 18th century small town house. Built of brown brick in English garden wall bond with a grey slate roof, it is three storeys high and a single bay wide.

No 8 King Street is a mid 19th century three storey, small, town house. It was heavily restored in the 1970s. The front facade is rended.

No 5-9 King Street consists of two wide fronted town houses of a late 17th to 18th century date with later alterations including the subdivision of No 5 into two properties. They are of stone dressed brick with evidence of cellars below.

No 10-14 King Street consists of three small three storey town houses of a 17th-18th century date. They are of brown brick with Flemish bond to the front and rendered to the rear. All were significantly restored in the 1970s.

11-19 King Street are a terrace of five town houses of an 18th century date but extensively altered in the 1970s. The buildings are three storeys with a cellar and grey slate roof with a ridge parallel to the street.

No 16 King Street consists of a small three storey town house of a mid 19th century date. It is of brown brick in Flemish bond. It has been significantly remodelled.

No 18 King Street consists of a small three storey town house of a late 18th century date. It is of brown brick with a Flemish bond and a grey slate roof

No 19a King Street is a former showroom and warehouse of mid to late 19th century date. Built in the Classical style there is a painted, rusticated ground floor with hard red brick above and a grey slate roof with a ridge parallel to the street. The building is of three storeys with a central sash window and diagonally boarded double vehicle doors to the east and late 20th century hardwood glazed showroom doors to the west. To the rear there are large two storey storage buildings.

No 20-22 King Street consists of two small three storey town houses of an early 19th century date, built in brown brick with Flemish bond. The roof is grey slate with a ridge parallel to the street.

No 21-25 King Street consists of three small town houses of a late 17th-18th century date, but largely restored in the 1970s. The houses are two storeys with an attic level and brick cellar below. They are built of brown brick in irregular bond with a grey slate roof parallel to the street. No 21 has a two brick barrel vaulted cellars.

No 27 King Street is a mid 19th century cottage or town house of three storeys with a cellar below. It is built of brown brick with an English garden wall bond with a grey slate roof parallel to the street.

No 29 King Street is a small cottage or town house of a 17th century date but heavily altered in the 20th century. The facade is rendered on the ground floor with false timber framing on the upper floors and a brown brick gable end.

A small quantity of post medieval pottery was recovered during alterations to No 28-30 King Street in 1976. The buildings are one and half storeys, brick built with a grey slate roof. The works were required in order to renovate the two 17th century cottages. The finds included several fragments of 17th-18th century pottery, mainly kitchen ware as well as some clay (smoking) pipe fragments.

No 32-34 King Street consists of a pair of town houses built in the early to mid 18th century but re-fronted in the 1840s. They are of brown brick with a Flemish bond. The roof is grey slate at No 32 and red tile at No 34. There is a brick barrel vault to the rear of the 18th century cellars at No 32.

No 36 King Street is a mid 19th century town house of brown brick in Flemish bond. The house is three storeys with barrel vaulted brick cellar.