Listed Building: NUMBER 33 STREET NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK (1376236)

CHESTER CITY (IM) SJ4066SE EASTGATE STREET AND ROW 595-1/4/161 (North side) 23/05/67 No.33 Street (National Westminster Bank) (Formerly Listed as: EASTGATE STREET (North side) No.33) (Formerly Listed as: ST WERBURGH STREET No.3 Westminster Chambers) GV II* Includes: No.3 ST WERBURGH STREET. Bank, Dixons or Parrs, now National Westminster. 1859-60. By George Williams. Yellow sandstone; roof concealed. EXTERIOR: a symmetrical facade of 3 storeys, correctly composed and detailed. The rusticated first storey has a high pierced plinth between 2 porches with round archways: that to the east, the main entrance, has shaped double 3-panel doors; that to the west, a little narrower, leads by 13 stone steps to the east end of the Row. The upper storeys are set back behind a 4 column Corinthian blank portico; containing 3 tall 2-pane unequal sashes with architraves and pediments on consoles to the second storey, a third storey sillband and three 2-pane sashes in architraves. One window-bay to each side of the portico has similar sashes to each storey, under a straight cornice on consoles to the second storey and with architraves to the third storey. Modillion cornices to pediment and eaves; panelled parapet with vase-balusters; attic course above pediment. The east side to St Werburgh Street is more simply expressed. The first storey has the rusticated east side of the entrance porch, a lateral chimney with a round arch on brackets above a small-pane window at its base and 3 triplets of round-arched small-pane windows with radial-bar fans to the banking hall. The second storey has a floor-string and 8 unevenly-spaced recessed sashes, 3 of 8 panes and 5 of 12 panes, in eared architraves. The third storey has 3 recessed 8-pane sashes and, in the lower northern portion, 5 shorter 9-pane sashes above the 12-pane sashes of the second storey; cornice returned from the Eastgate Street frontage. The northernmost bay, formerly No.3 St Werburgh Street, Westminster Chambers, is probably 1867-8 by John Douglas, designed in conjunction with No.31 Eastgate Street and 25 Eastgate Street Row (qv) in Vernacular Revival style, of red sandstone and timber frame with plaster panels with grey-green slate roof, gable to street. The first storey of sandstone has a 3-light mullioned and transomed leaded casement under a label-mould and a 12-panel door with overlight in Tudor-arched surround with carved spandrels and lable. Stone brackets to timber-framed second storey with close studding and one rail at transom-level of the 6-light mullioned and leaded casement; a small leaded casement at each corner beneath the boldly jettied third storey which has close studding with carved braces and shaped panel-heads and two 3-light leaded casements. The gable, like the third storey, is jettied on 2 shaped brackets; panelled herringbone strutting; moulded bargeboards. The attribution to John Douglas is tentative; he negotiated with Chester City Council to set a building line back in St Werburgh Street in exchange for permission to jetty the verge at the same time that he submitted plans for rebuilding for James Dickson of, probably, No.31 Eastgate Street/25 Row which abutted the yard of No.3 St Werburgh Street. INTERIOR: the banking hall has a richly panelled ceiling supported by four Ionic Columns; the secondary entrance is through No.3 St Werburgh Street; the upper storeys are stated to be modernised internally. (Improvement Committee Minutes: Chester City Council: 14/6/1867). Listing NGR: SJ4063466342