Listed Building: THE GEORGIAN HOUSE (1376118)

CHESTER CITY (IM) SJ4065NE CASTLE STREET 595-1/6/90 (North side) 28/07/55 No.20 The Georgian House (Formerly Listed as: CASTLE STREET (North side) No.20) GV II* Town house, now displayed as such by the Grosvenor Museum. Mid to late C18. Brown brick in Flemish bond to front and, older, in English bond and irregular bond to east side and rear; hipped grey slate roof, ridge at right angle to front. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 3 bays. Stone step to door of 2 short panels, 2 long panels, 2 short panels and 2 long panels with 4-pane overlight in bolection case of painted stone; 2 flush 12-pane sashes east of door. Painted stone second storey floorband; three 12-pane flush sashes. Third storey floor band; three 12-pane flush sashes. All sashes have painted stone sills and gauged brick flat arches with projecting keystones. Cast-iron rainwater pipe, west; painted stone frieze and cornice; a lateral chimney on each side. The east side has an unbroken vertical joint 5m back, by the chimney. The brickwork behind the joint is older than the front; floorbands towards front of 3-course brick, towards the rear a higher band to the second storey and a C17 band of 1-course, a band of console-shaped corbel-bricks and 2 oversailing courses; a tall, nearly-flush stair sash of 21 panes with cambered head and no sill cuts the bands; a blocked window to each storey, with the third storey floorband raised above the head of the former second storey window; an inserted nearly flush 16-pane sash to first storey. The first storey and second storey floorband of the rear are rendered; the second and third storey each has two 12-pane flush sashes; the third storey floorband carried through from the east side; a casement of two 8-pane lights in gable to attic. The windows have no sills; the sashes have gauged-brick heads. INTERIOR: steps down branch to front and rear cellars, the former barrel-vaulted and with a brick chute from Castle Street. The surfaces of both cellars are covered with waterproof render. The first storey front room has doors of 6 fielded panels from hall and stair hall; full panelling with one row beneath dado rail and a tall row above; cast-iron grate; cornice. The hall and stair hall have patterned tile floors, a panelled basket-arch of painted timber, doors of 6 fielded panels to No.22 (qv) and to kitchen which has a late C19 range with cambered oak bressumer and a door of 6 fielded panels to rear; a chamfered cross-beam. The rear east room has corner flue, 2-panelled ceiling with broad cross-beam and cornice to each panel. The stair hall has a corniced 2-panel ceiling. The oak open-well closed-string stair with square dropped newels, 2 heavy barleysugar balusters per step and straight, moulded rectangular rails, rises in 9 flights to both upper storeys and attic. The second storey has ceiling of 2 corniced panels to landing, fully panelled front room with softwood broad-boarded floor, door of 6 field panels in panelled case, marble fireplace, cornice. 2 doors in west wall of landing, one of 6 fielded panels, the other plain panels. Door of 6 fielded panels to fully panelled rear room; door of 6 fielded panels to east rear room which has all surfaces covered. The third storey has 2-panel door, corner fireplace and 2 chamfered beams front-to-back. One door of 6 fielded panels and door of 2 fielded panels in west wall of landing; plain beams to ceiling. The back west room has door of 2 fielded panels, corner fireplace and a chamfered cross-beam. The east room has chamfered cross-beam and corner fireplace. The attic has oak purlins. Listing NGR: SJ4050065923