Building record 10491 - Chester Rows: 73-75 Watergate Street

No 73-75 Watergate Street was not surveyed as part of the Chester Rows Research Project. The front is approximately 1840, the rear wing has no datable features visible, but may be earlier. Rough Flemish bond brown brick, painted to front; rear wing roughcast; slate roof, hipped to front. 3 storey frontage; rear wing one storey plus attics. The rear wing has no features of architectural interest, but is a rare survival of courtyard housing in Chester. (1)

A building survey carried out in 1998 during renovation to No 73 recorded previously unidenfitied features of a 17th century and a medieval date. The work revealed elements of 17th century timber framing at ground floor level in the courtyard building to the rear and a low sandstone lined cellar of medieval origin. Dendro-chronological dating of the timber beams from ground floor and from beams within the cellar returned a date of mid 13th century from only the bridging beam. The floor was removed during the renovation process. (3, 4)

<1> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

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

<3> Nigel Neil, 1998, Dendrochronological Dating at 73 Watergate Street, Chester (Unpublished Report). SCH6470.

<4> Beaumont James T, 2000, Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1999 (Article in Journal). SCH5642.