Listed Building: NUMBER 11 AND ATTACHED WALLS (1376029)

CHESTER CITY (IM) SJ4066NE ABBEY SQUARE 595-1/2/13 (North side) 28/07/55 No.11 and attached walls (Formerly Listed as: ABBEY SQUARE (North side) Nos.7-11 (Consecutive)) GV II* Town house, now Church of England Retreat House. c1760, a little later than Nos 7-10 (qv). The house was developed on a lease, probably of 40 years, from the Dean and Chapter of Chester Cathedral. Flemish bond orange brick with grey slate roof. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys and cellar. Painted stone plinth; boot-scraper by 4 apron steps of stone to door of 4 fielded panels above a large panel incised with St Andrew's cross in case of painted stone with eared architrave flanked by panelled pilasters carrying pediment on acanthus consoles; PAX HUIC DOMUI; SIT PAX INTROEUNTI; SIT IN HAC HABITANTI; SIT ET EUNTI PAX is painted on the frieze, and on the pediment the Diocesan arms dated 1925. Boarded door to basement, east, under rusticated wedge lintel with false keystone; first-storey sillband; rusticated quoins to the east corner. The first storey has 2 recessed 12-pane sashes west of the door and one crowded between entrance and basement door; the second storey has 2 tripartite sashes of 4;12;4 panes, inserted; the third storey has 3 recessed 6-pane sashes in square openings; the first and second storeys have painted stone sillbands and the third storey has painted stone sills; all have plain wedge lintels. Painted stone cornice beneath brick parapet with plain stone coping. The rear with a semicircular bow has 3 recessed sashes per storey, all unequal, of 15 panes to first and second storeys and 9 panes to the third storey; second and third storey sillbands of painted stone; plain wedge lintels; hipped roof. INTERIOR: the interior could not be inspected fully, but features are noted to be intact. The hall has a panelled embrasure with shutters. The open-well open-string stair in Chinese style is similarly detailed to that in No.7 (qv) with 'Chinese Chippendale' balustrade, shaped brackets, curtail step with rose, swept rail, bolection panels to stairwell, probably of plaster, and a domed lantern. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the damaged rear garden wall is of coursed sandstone. (Burne RVH: Chester Cathedral: London: 1958-: 218-21). Listing NGR: SJ4053266566