Building record 10464/1 - Chester Rows: 28-34 Watergate Street

No 28-34 Watergate Street consists of two undercrofts, currently in use as shops, of a probable 13th century origin with major reconstruction in the 18th century. A limited examination of the walls as part of the Chester Rows Research Project recorded evidence of sandstone walls of a mid 13th century date in both undercrofts. The western undercroft (No 32-34) appears to have been originally constructed as a single property and later subdivided. It is 5m in width and 10m in length with a stone vault to the rear, itself 3m wide and 9m long. The east wall is stone with a timber framed west wall. In appearance it is late 13th century in date although the south wall is post 18th century. The street frontage has a pair of modern glazed double doors to No.32 Street, with two 1-pane windows and a small shopfront to No.34 Street with a recessed door of 2 panels below a larger glazed panel. The coursed sandstone side walls have corbels supporting closely-spaced massive joists dendro-dated 1260-1280, halved over the arcade. There is a blocked rebated 2-centre arched doorway and 2 stone cupboards in the rear wall. The west undercroft is 8.0 x 10.7m with a samson-post central arcade of timbers dendro-dated c1260-1280, now filled with rubble brickwork. The traditional arrangement on the Rows consisted of a single storey stone undercroft at street level and a Row level building over it. Above the undercroft, the Row level building was more often timber built and consisted of a 'Row' level storey incorporating the Row walkway or stallboard extending over the frontage of the undercroft (this allowed extra head room for the undercroft and additional space for traders on the stallboards). The Row walkway was approximately 4-6m in width and incorporated the path and the stallboards themselves. The Row level storey formed the medieval shop opening onto the Row walkway. Due to differences in ground level between the front and back of the plots, the undercroft is at street level at the front and the Row level storey at ground level to the rear. The Row building also often included at least one further storey above it that extended forward again over the Row walkway. The upper floors were private, domestic quarters. The Rows are believed to be of medieval origin, dating at least to the 13th century followed by a gradual evolution of built form over a period of perhaps 100 years to create the present elements of undercroft, Row walkway and Row building. Survival of the built form of the Rows varies considerably and different elements of a single building can vary enormously in date from the 13th century through to the 20th century.