Building record 10569 - Chester Rows : 52 Bridge Street

No 52 Bridge Street is a single build structure with no Row level town house. Although it originally formed the service bay of the adjacent property (No 48-50 Bridge Street) little medieval fabric now survives and it is effectively an 18th century rebuild. The undercroft level is of stone with the upper floors of Flemish bond red brick. There are few features of any antiquity in the undercroft level, the front facade is modern 20th century with large plate glass windows and door to the south. The interior floor level was inserted in the late 18th century when a rock cut cellar was added beneath the undercroft. Some medieval stonework was recorded to the rear of the undercroft during the creation of the cellar. The town house above consists of three storeys with a largely 18th century facade of Flemish bond brick. At Row and first floor level there are two evenly spaced tall sash windows with a single wide sash window in the second floor level. The interior consists of a large front room occupying the former Row walkway with a 19th century fireplace in the south wall. Beyond is a c.1800 staircase leading to the upper floors and steps down to Whitefriars. A reception room behind has a late 18th century ceiling and to the rear there is a contemporary kitchen and scullery area. The upper floors are largely modern with some 19th century detail. 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.