Listed Building: NUMBERS 69 AND 71 STREET THE OLD CUSTOM HOUSE INN (1376449)

CHESTER CITY (IM) SJ4066SW WATERGATE STREET AND ROW 595-1/3/398 (South side) 28/07/55 Nos.69 & 71 Street (The Old Custom House Inn) (Formerly Listed as: WATERGATE STREET No.69 Ye Olde Custom House Inn) (Formerly Listed as: WATERGATE STREET No.67 premises immediately adjoining Ye Olde Custom House Inn) GV II 2 undercrofts and town houses, now combined as a public house. East house dated 1637, with probably earlier undercroft; west house probably C18; interior and some external features altered, and the former Row passage was enclosed 1711. Restored coursed sandstone to lowest storey of east house, with timber small-framing and plaster panels above; west house has rendered lowest storey with irregularly bonded brickwork above; grey slate roofs. EXTERIOR: at former Row level and above the 2 former houses are separated by a narrow small-framed bay. The east house, with gable to street, has undercroft, 2 full storeys and attic; the lower link and the west house have ridges parallel with street. Undercroft of east house has boarded beer-drop door, with leaded 5-light transomed window above; recessed porch, left, with moulded hood and 5 steps up to bar; bressumer with running vine-leaf and grape panel and initials T W A; a row of 7 narrow rectangular panels; oriel chamber window of 7 transomed lights, leaded glazing and cornice, 2 rows of 2 arched panels to each side; 2 small lights to each side of oriel above transom; link bay between Nos 69 & 71 has 3 rows of 2 arched panels; jetty on brackets, above oriel, has carved front and datemark 1637; row of 11 arched panels between jetty and tie-beam; 3-light mullioned casement in gable has herringbone struts to each side and above; plain bargeboards. West house has door to bars, left, with recessed flight of 6 steps; two 3-light leaded windows, right; plain facia; tripartite recessed sash, 2;4;2 panes, to second storey; 4-pane recessed sash to third storey; plain stone sills and gauged brick arches; chimneys behind link between houses and on each gable of west house (No.71). Former cottage to Weaver Street behind east house (No.69) of late Georgian Vernacular character is now rear quarters of the public house, with flush plinth of coursed rubble sandstone, irregular bond brickwork and grey slate roof; 2 steps; framed and boarded door, left; two 16-pane near-flush sashes under cambered brick heads; 2 half-dormers to upper storey in inserted gables; 12-pane unequal sash, left; modern 6-pane gable right; rear gable rendered. Rendered rear wing to west house (No.71). INTERIOR: the structure is largely concealed; coursed rubble sandstone walls of the undercroft measuring 4.9 x 10.8m with a rear stone staircase survive; the plan of the licensed rooms is altered, but some oak beams survive; there is a carved stone fireplace with Classical surround of painted wood in the north east room; the structure of the upper storeys is stated to be concealed by plaster. (Chester Rows Research Project: Brown AN & Grenville JC & Turner RC: Watergate Street: Chester: 1988-; Bartholomew City Guides: Harris B: Chester: Edinburgh: 1979-: 105). Listing NGR: SJ4033366215