Building record 10640/6 - Abbey of St Werburgh - Abbot's Lodgings

The former Abbot’s lodgings of the Abbey of St Werburgh, now the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary (CHER 10641) were built over the undercroft (part of the west monastic range, see CHER 10640/2)., but as the importance and prosperity of the abbey increased over time, their residence was extended by building over the ‘south’ and western monastic ranges. The use of the term ‘south range’ in the available literature is somewhat confusing, as south of the cloister is the church; in this case, it refers to that area south of the west range, and projecting westward from the church (1, 2). The south range built during the thirteenth century, probably during the abbacy of Hugh Crylle and does not seem to have been particularly grand in the beginning (5). It stretched from north-west tower of church to a tower located on the edge of Northgate St. The north-west tower was used as wine cellar, partly partitioned off from church. At first the lodgings included a great hall and chamber over the cellarium, as well as a chapel over the abbot’s passage. Those rooms lay largely or entirely within the claustral west range and were approached by a porch from Abbey Court and a spiral staircase in the cloister (5). They were soon augmented by a range running westwards from the north-west tower of the abbey church to a tower on Northgate St. and containing at ground floor level a wine cellar in the tower, a beer cellar, a serving hall, a pantry, and a gateway leading from the ‘gallery’ in front of the abbot’s garden into the courtyard. Above, on the first floor, were a second hall and chamber and a dining room. That extension probably dates from the time of Earl Ranulph III (1181 – 1232) (5). A further range, running northwards along Northgate St. to the abbey gateway, contained the abbot’s kitchen, the porters lodge, and other rooms. Of all that there survive only the blocked remains of the gateway next to the pantry, and the ‘beer cellar’, an aisled vaulted chamber in the main range immediately west of the church (5). In the plan of the Abbey at the Dissolution, there appears to be a bay window on the south side of these rooms; this may have been converted to an entrance after the abandonment of the rooms over the undercroft. Next to the Great Dining Room were probably the Butler's chamber, the new pantry and buttery, but their exact positions are unknown. Finally, at the west end was the tower. In the 1541 survey, there is a reference to two cubicles in the tower. A gallery ran across the north side of the south range. The west range of the lodgings also dates to the thirteenth century and extended from the tower to the Abbey Gateway and included the Abbot's kitchen, a larder, bakehouse, almonry and a porter's lodge (2). The south range was rebuilt by Bishop Keene in1752. A view by Batenham dated1817 shows that between Keene's building and the Abbey Gateway, were the crumbling remains of a two-storey medieval mansion. Between 1875 - 1877, the buildings were replaced by the King's School by Blomfield (CHER 10641/6) (1, 3).

<1> Bennett. J.H.E., 1948, The Old Bishop's Palace, Chester, Bennett J H E 1948 37/69-106 (Article in Journal). SCH5773.

<2> Lysons D & Lysons S, 1806-22, Magna Britannia, Lysons 1810 2/452 (Book). SCH2066.

<3> Pevsner N & Hubbard E, 1971, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, /161 (Book). SCH3078.

<4> Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Revised List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, City of Chester Intra Mural 1998/ 376-381 (Unpublished Report). SCH4570.

<5> Lewis C.P & Thacker A.T. (eds), 2005, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume Vii, The City of Chester - The City of Chester, Culture, Buildings, Institutions (Book). SCH6522.