Listed Building: NUMBER 52 STREET (1376102)

CHESTER CITY (IM) SJ4066SE BRIDGE STREET AND ROW 595-1/4/54 (West side) 10/01/72 No.52 Street (Formerly Listed as: BRIDGE STREET (West side) No.52) (Formerly Listed as: WHITEFRIARS No.2) GV II Includes: No.2 WHITE FRIARS. Undercroft and town house, now shop and office, on site of the service bay of the large medieval town house whose hall is in Nos 48 & 50 Bridge Street (qv); above undercroft level the service wing was demolished for a Georgian Town House, probably c1760; some C20 alterations. Brown brick in Flemish bond to Bridge Street and English garden wall bond to White Friars; grey slate roof at right-angle to Bridge Street, hipped to front. EXTERIOR: 4 storeys. The shopfront to Bridge Street is late C20. The second storey, replacing the Row, has 2 nearly flush 12-pane sashes with painted stone sills, rusticated wedge lintels and fluted keystones; the third storey has 2 similar but taller sashes; the fourth storey has a central tripartite sash of 3;9;3 panes; painted stone cornice; low, lead-covered parapet. The long south face to White Friars has cast-iron vents and a small-paned window to the cellars; the first storey has a short return of the shopfront, the entrance to No.2 White Friars has 4 stone steps to door of 5 fielded panels, a looped radial-bar fanlight in a pedimented doorcase with fluted pilasters and a short internal stair to the stair-hall; nearly flush sashes with painted stone sills and cambered brick heads, one of 12 panes and three, tripartite, of 4;12;4 panes, one being taller; the third storey has a 12-pane sash, a tall sash to the stair with a 12-pane lower leaf and a 15-pane upper leaf, a tripartite sash of 4;12;4 panes and a 12-pane sash; the fourth storey has a 4-pane sash and two 9-pane sashes; a lead rainwater pipe and head; a stone-capped parapet; a large lateral chimney near the Bridge Street corner and a chimney set back near the rear. INTERIOR: the cellar to No.52 Bridge Street, rock-cut, is largely Georgian with Flemish bond brickwork, but has some medieval stonework in rear wall; the basement of No.2 White Friars at former undercroft level is largely Georgian with brick barrel-vaults and brick-arched wine-bin; chamfered joists. No.2 White Friars occupies the whole of each storey at former Row level and above. The second (formerly Row) storey, front room has a rehung broad 5-panel door, panelled dado and embrasures, a Greek Doric fireplace and a plaster cornice; a C20 partition. The second room has a 5-panel door, simple panelled dado, blocked corner fire-breast and plaster cornice. The stair-hall has a round archway with panelled pilasters and moulded arch-arrises, to the front passage; the open-string stair has a narrow open well, open string, shaped brackets, fluted newels, 2 stick balusters per step, swept rail and probably altered dado with fluted pilasters. The room behind the stair has chimney-breast, rail but no panels to dado, fitted cupboard in chimney-corner and 2 chamfered oak beams. the next room has a painted chamfered beam. The third-storey front room has panelled window-embrasures and plaster cornice; the second room has a 5-panelled door, corner fireplace, simple dado panelling and plaster cornice; the landing has archway to front passage as in the second storey; the room behind the stair has 5-panel door, embrasures with panelled shutters, fireplace and plaster cornice; the 2 small back rooms have 5-panel doors. The fourth-storey front room has a 5-panel door and a chamfered softwood beam hacked as key for former plaster; the second room has a 5-panel door, corner fireplace and two 5-panel doors towards the stair; the room behind the stair has a 5-panel door and fitted cupboards in the chimney-corners; the next room has 5-panel doors to passage and back room; the 2 small back rooms have 5-panel doors; that to the north has a cast-iron Gothick window with inset 4-pane opening light. Some HL hinges and old latches. Parallel-sided glazing bars and features including oak beams suggest that part of the building may be early C18. (Chester Rows Research Project: Harris R: Archive, Bridge Street East: 1989-). Listing NGR: SJ4053966112