Building record 10466/1 - Chester Rows: 38-42 Watergate Street

These three properties originally formed a single 14th century townhouse and undercroft. The original plot extended back to Hamilton Place and like the structure was originally considered one plot. The undercrofts for No 38 & 40 at least were built together while the Row level open hall was built parallel to the street with a service bay over No 42 thus incorporating all three properties. An overall assessment of the three structures was provided as part of the Chester Rows Research Project. Three phases of medieval construction were noted consisting of traces of an earlier structure in the east wall of the undercroft at No 38 followed by the construction of the remainder of the three undercrofts in the 13th century. This was followed by the construction of the Row level buildings utilising changes in construction techniques.

The undercroft at No 38 Watergate Street consisted of a modern brick facade with a medieval interior. The earliest phase of construction was seen in the east wall with braced bridging joists, a stone arch and several corbels cut into the stone wall and it was suggested by the surveyor that this may belong to an earlier building. The undercroft is divided into five bays with a roughly central stone arch supporting the Row level structure and corbels on the north face. Dendro-chronological dating from the timbers in the undercroft indicate a felling date between 1229 and 1293 although an early 14th century date could not be ruled out. The undercroft at No 40 consists of a late 19th to early 20th century shop front with a medieval interior paralleling that of No 38.

The undercroft at No 42 Watergate Street consists of a modern facade and while the interior is medieval in origin, access was limited as the walls were entirely clad. The undercroft was 15m in length and 4m wide. (1) A survey on the Rows carried out by Lawson and Smith in 1958 recorded a doorway of medieval origin, but its principal features appear in the party wall with the adjacent No 40. The remainder of the undercroft is later in date. (6)

<1> Chester Archaeology, 1985-1990, Chester Rows Research Project Archive, CHER 10466 (Paper Archive). SCH6789.

<2> Brown. A. (ed), 1999, The Rows of Chester: The Chester Rows Research Project (Book). SCH6790.

<3> Smith. M.A., 1986, Chester Rows Research Project: First Interim Report (Unpublished Report). SCH6791.

<4> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

<5> Brown, A N, J C Grenville and R C Turner, 1990, Watergate Street The Rows Research Project (Unpublished Report). SCH6636.

<6> Lawson, P H and J T Smith, 1958, The Rows of Chester: Two Interpretations, No 38 & No 40/42 (Article in Journal). SCH5750.