Building record 10579/2 - Chester Rows : 25 Bridge Street Row

No 25 Bridge Street Row consists of a narrow three storey town house, currently in use as a shop, of a probable 17th century origin but with extensive later alteration. The present facade is largely 19th century on the upper floors with a single sash window at first floor level of original design. The sash window at second floor level appears to be a later insertion. The facade is Flemish bond red brick with a slate roof on an east-west alignment. The interior is largely unremarkable with a modern clad Row level shop. At first floor level, however, there is evidence of brickwork and timber studwork of a late 17th-18th century date in the rear stockroom. The windows to the rear are again of a 19th century date. The Row walkway consists of a Row walk 1.9m wide and a stallboard 1.69m wide. The upper floors are supported by end piers to the north and south and a bressumer over and a steel railing at the Row front. 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.