Building record 10538/2 - Chester Rows: 34 Eastgate Street Row

No 34 Eastgate Street Row is a three storey town house, currently is use as shop and offices, of a late 19th century date, probably designed by T.M Penson in 1858. The front facade is dominated by the continuation of the square tower projecting out from the Row level frontage providing access to every level of the town house. To the west there is a 19th century iron railing on the Row front and a single arch spanning the frontage above which are five corbels carrying half shafts which penetrate the storey string course. The first floor above Row level is then dominated by an elaborate oriel window above which, at second floor level, is a four lancet perpendicular window west of the tower. The interior of the town house is largely modern with few original 19th century features. The Row walkway consists of a Row walk 3.07m wide and a stallboard 1.81m wide. 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.