Building record 10581/2 - Chester Rows : 29-31 Bridge Street Row

No 29-31 Bridge Street Row consist of two three storey town houses currently in use as Row shop with offices above. The front facade is of Flemish bond red brick with a single modern shop front at Row level. At first floor level, the window at No 29 is a 19th century sash window that appears to be a later replacement in the same opening while at second floor level there is a wider sash window. The windows at No 31 are different, however, with an oversize oriel window with mullions and transom at first floor level replacing the original sash and a smaller sash window at second floor level. The interior is entirely modern clad with no visible pre 20th century features. The Row walkway consists of a Row walk 2.12m wide and a stallboard 1.74m wide with a modern full height display cabinet at the southern end. The upper floors are supported by brick end piers with a single central Doric column. 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.