Listed Building: SHIPGATE HOUSE (1376399)

CHESTER CITY (IM) SJ4065NE SHIPGATE STREET 595-1/6/242 (North West side) 28/07/55 No.2 Shipgate House GV II* Town house, now offices. Some internal features probably late C17 but facade rebuilt mid C18. Stone-dressed irregular Flemish bond red-brown brick with hipped grey slate roof, ridge parallel with front. EXTERIOR: basement and 3 storeys; double-fronted. The brick plinth with flush quoins and moulded stone cap has 3 steps down to door of 3 fielded panels and a small-pane cross-window left of main entrance; external L-shaped stone stair of 5 and 4 steps on brick support to door of 6 fielded panels with fanlight of shaped panes in case with fluted pilasters and pedimented hood on modillion brackets; 2 flush 12-pane sashes; the second storey has a stone floor-band and 3 flush sashes of 12 square panes; the third storey has a stone floor-band and 3 flush pane sashes; the windows have stone sills and gauged brick heads with keystones; a stone cornice beam, on modillions; boldly-projecting boxed eaves with a moulded cornice, returning to the south-west side. The rear is altered. INTERIOR: the basement has probably C17 external walls of coursed sandstone and 6 chamfered oak cross-beams; the second bay has a former inglenook pierced to provide a doorway with an oak bressumer to No.4 Shipgate Street (qv). The first storey has a simple passage, a round arch on fluted antae to stair-hall which has a refaced basket-arch under landing; 6-panel door to west front room. Open-well closed-string oak stair has square newels, 2 barleysugar balusters per step, straight rails of moulded rectangular section and panelled dado with panelled pilasters. The second storey landing has oak beams; the front room has oak shutters in embrasures, fluted frieze and moulded cornice. The open-well stair continues to third storey and attic. The third storey has 3 oak beams parallel with the front and 2 angled beams beneath the hips. The attic has angled struts, principal rafters, purlins and rafters of oak. The II* grading is for the facade and stair. Listing NGR: SJ4063665812