Building record 10568/1 - Chester Rows : 48-50 Bridge Street

No 48-50 Bridge Street consists of two stone undercrofts with a complicated history; in the early to mid 14th century date it formed the northern two thirds of a single property with the southern part being the service wing at No 52 Bridge Street. At the time of the survey, however, it formed the southern part of a single property with No 44-46 Bridge Street (the Owen Owen department store). It has since become two separate properties. The main period of construction for the undercroft appears to be in the first half of the 14th century although the front facade of both undercrofts is modern 20th century with a central door and large windows to either side. The interior of No 48 includes c.1900 cast iron columns supporting the ceiling and front facade of the Row level town house. An early drawing of the property in 1894 suggest these columns replaced an earlier arrangement of two two-centred chamfered stone arches with a central pier of a 14th century date. The interior of No 50 has a comparable single chamfered arch springing from half octagonal piers with shallow mould of an early to mid 14th century date, the bases of which are below the present floor level. In the late 18th to 19th century a rock cut cellar was inserted beneath the undercroft at which point the new floor was added. Following the Chester Rows survey, the front facade of No 50 has further been altered to accommodate a set of steps up to Row level on the south side with a central double door with narrow windows to either side of the remaining facade. 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.