Listed Building: SOUGHTON HOUSE (1376253)

CHESTER CITY (IM) SJ4066SW GREY FRIARS 595-1/3/190 (North side) 10/01/72 No.3 (Formerly Listed as: NICHOLAS STREET MEWS Soughton House) (Formerly Listed as: GREYFRIARS No.3) GV II Includes: No.2 Soughton House NICHOLAS STREET MEWS. 2 town houses, now offices and when inspected in May 1990 one unoccupied house. Between 1745 and 1789 and stated to be c1780 but with features which look mid C18; some alterations. Brown brick in Flemish bond to west and east, but irregular bond to south; grey slate roof with 2 ridges at right angles to Grey Friars. EXTERIOR: cellar and 3 storeys. No.3, at right angles to Grey Friars, faces west; Soughton House, to Nicholas Street Mews, faces east. Painted stone sills, some replaced; most windows to west and south have cambered brick heads; those to Nicholas Street Mews are plastered as wedge lintels. No.3 Grey Friars has a slightly projecting porch with door of 4 fielded panels above 2 flush panels and a simple radial-bar fanlight in a pedimented case abutting, north, a 3-storey canted brick bay containing a nearly flush 16-pane sash to front and a 12-pane recessed sash in the north face to the first storey, a recessed 12-pane sash to each face in the second storey and a nearly flush 6-pane sash to each face in the third storey; parapet with a plain stone coping. The first storey of the west face of Soughton House is not fully visible; the second storey has 2 nearly flush 12-pane sashes and the third storey a pair of flush 6-pane sashes under a broad cambered head. The south face has irregular fenestration: three 12-pane sashes towards east end of first storey, one recessed and 2 nearly flush; a tall 18-pane stair sash and 2 recessed 12-pane sashes, one a horned replacement, to the second storey; 2 small inserted casements to the third storey. The east face has first and second storey sillbands; 2 bricked-up sash openings, one recessed 12-pane sash and one recessed tripartite sash of 4;12;4 panes to the first storey; 2 recessed 12-pane sashes and one tripartite sash of 4;12;4 panes to the second storey; 2 recessed 6-pane sashes and a similar pair of sashes under a long lintel to the third storey; moulded cornice. A 1-storey north wing has a painted stone plinth meeting street level, south; a door of 4 fielded panels above 2 flush panels and a plain radial-bar fanlight in a pedimented doorcase, a sillband and a tripartite sash of 4;12;4 panes. INTERIOR: No.3 Grey Friars has a cellar, not inspected, first storey with 2 doors of 6 fielded panels and 3 doors of 3 fielded panels; the dogleg stair of 4 flights has open string, shaped brackets, tapered octagonal newels, stick balusters and swept rail, all painted; the second storey has 3 doors of 3 fielded panels; cornices to the west room and the 3-panelled ceiling of the middle room; the third storey has one door of 2 fielded panels and 2 probably replaced doors of 6 fielded panels. The interior of Soughton House could not be inspected. (De Lavaux A: Plan of the City and Castle of Chester: Chester: 1745-; Weston Samuel (Surveyor): Survey of the Ancient and Loyal City of Chester: Chester: 1789-). Listing NGR: SJ4030966078