Listed Building: GAMULL HOUSE (1376310)

CHESTER CITY (IM) SJ4065NE LOWER BRIDGE STREET 595-1/6/237 (West side) 28/07/55 Nos.52-58 (Even) (Formerly Listed as: LOWER BRIDGE STREET (West side) Nos 52-60 (even) & No 1 Gamull Terrace (Gamull House)) GV II* Includes: No.1 Gamull House GAMULL TERRACE. Town house, then shops, school and hall, now cafe, 3 shops and restaurant. Medieval not closely datable, altered C17, C18 and C20. Sandstone, some timber framing and brown brick in irregular bond; grey slate roof, ridge parallel with front, hipped to north and gabled with stack to south. EXTERIOR: undercroft at street level, great hall of 2-storey height at former Row level and service wing of 2 storeys. 3 small one-storey shops, probably C18 altered, are built against the southern bays of the undercroft and have no visible external features of special interest. An external stair parallel with the front has 15 stone steps leading to an access gallery in place of former Row to Gamul House and property south; simple parapet. The bay north of stair has replaced small-pane door in a camber-arched brick opening with a camber-arched 4-pane window to each side; a little painted stonework and painted brickwork. The second storey has recessed door to the great hall in a case of fielded panels with egg-and-dart architrave; replaced tall windows of 40 panes, 3 south and 2 north of the door. String of one brick course oversailing 2 courses; 2 high-level 4-pane oval windows south of door and one above the door; 2 small 6-pane sashes to upper storey of service wing north of door. The rear is faced in probably C19 brickwork. Stack on south gable. INTERIOR: the undercroft has large longitudinal oak beam with reset joists, some replaced. The shops have brick barrel vaults of C18 type. The great hall has 3-board oak door on iron hinges opposite entrance, marking former screens passage, doorway with 0.29m step up at east end of south wall to former solar; the wall has part of 2 oak rails exposed and moulded tie-beam; there are 2 high-level casements of 3 lights, now blocked, one with mullions replaced in oak, the other with ovolo mouldings matching doorway to former solar, apparently C15. The west wall has an ornate sandstone open fireplace of early C17 character with bulgy decorated pilasters carrying carved frieze and cornice; the screens passage door is north and there is a later secondary door south of the fireplace; a high-level 3-light stone-mullioned casement south of fireplace. The north wall has part of a rail exposed and a moulded tie-beam as that to south. 4 early C17 carved consoles carry an apron shelf, unexplained, high above the fireplace. The barrel-vaulted plaster ceiling, probably replaced, is simple, but with 8 richly-carved pendants visible, presumably hanging from concealed trusses. Surfaces are covered in the service wings. (Chester Rows Research Project: Grenville J: Lower Bridge Street, West: 1988-; Bartholomew City Guides: Harris B: Chester: Edinburgh: 1979-: 138). Listing NGR: SJ4060465928