Building record 10602 - Chester Rows: 33 Lower Bridge Street

No 33 Lower Bridge Street is a four storey town house with a rendered stone front at undercroft level and brick above. Although the town house is probably 19th century the stone undercroft is of probable medieval origin. The street level undercroft is of stone with a 20th century facade, although the interior walls are rendered they are likely of stone. The rear section has an 18th century barrel vault. The street level town house is 19th century brick with two four pane sash windows on each floor. There are few internal features of note. 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.