Building record 10585/2 - Chester Rows : 47 Bridge Street Row

No 47 Bridge Street Row consists of a three storey town house, originally a single wide fronted house together with the adjacent property (No 43-47 Bridge Street Row) of a mid 19th century date, now divided into three narrow properties of which no 47 forms the southern bay. The front facade of the Row level shop is modern in a pseudo 19th century style with a door towards the south and a passage to the rear adjacent. The upper floors consist of a six pane sash window at first floor level with a diaper pattern below in black brick. The second floor window is a smaller four pane sash with an elaborate gable end above. The interior has largely been stripped, however, some 19th century moulding was noted at first floor level. The Row walkway consists of a Row walk 2.32m wide and a stallboard 1.92m wide. The upper floors are supported on a brick end pier to the south and a cast iron column at the north end. A simple iron railing borders 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.