Listed Building: NUMBER 5, 7 AND 9 STREET (1376336)

CHESTER CITY (IM) SJ4066SE NORTHGATE STREET AND ROW 595-1/4/278 (West side) 10/01/72 Nos.5, 7 & 9 Street (Formerly Listed as: NORTHGATE STREET (West side) Nos 5-9 (odd) Row) GV II* 3 shops with accommodation, now 2 shops and part of a larger shop. 1900. By John Douglas as architect and owner. With Nos 11-31 (odd) (qv) they form an enterprising and assured Neo Vernacular range which includes shops by H Beswick and J Strong. No.9 was partly rebuilt after fire damage in 1914. Timber frame with plaster panels; slate roofs with gables to street. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys in vivacious late C16 manner. Arcade of 6 bays, raised 2 steps above street pavement, has moulded timber posts on shaped sandstone plinths and 3-centred timber arches with richly-carved spandrels and keys; modern shopfronts of no interest; bressumer carved with running pattern is dated 1900. The second storey has shaped plaster panels beneath 2 canted oriels of 5 lights to each shop, with shaped mullions and moulded transoms, each on 4 brackets divided by carved panels; leaded glazing with shaped panes; ogee heads to lights surmounted by richly-carved panels. a niche between the two oriels of each shop contains a carved figure: Justitia on No.5, St Crispin on No.7 and unidentified on No.9. Carved bressumers on shaped brackets carry the 3 jettied gables which have shaped panels, carved bargeboards and ornate finials, that to No.9 damaged. The rears are concealed. INTERIORS: Nos 5 & 7 have cellars with no features of interest in succession to former undercrofts; No.9 has brickwork of a partly medieval undercroft. Nos 5-31 (odd) are collectively known as `Saddler's Row' and were previously listed as Row numbers. (Improvement Committee Minutes: Chester City Council: MB 1899; Chester Rows Research Project: Harris R: Northgate Street: 1989-). Listing NGR: SJ4051866334