Monument record 10272 - Medieval Pentice Courthouse

The early pentice court – controlled by the sheriff’s of the city – was held in a lean to shed adjacent to St Peter’s Church in around 1280. Its primary remit was to deal with matters concerning debt, misdemeanours and petty crimes.

A later Pentice Court, established by 1288 comprised a more substantial timber building attached to the south wall of St Peters, likely replacing the earlier version. It was described as a two storey building with shops at ground level and the court above. From contemporary descriptions it would appear the Pentice gave its name to a medieval Row to the south (on Watergate Street) and east (on Northgate Street) of St Peter’s Church. The Row comprised at least seven shops at ground level in the mid 15th century when the rows were levelled to the foundations and rebuilt, and as many as nine in the early 16th century – four or which were on Watergate Street facing the High Cross and five on Northgate Street. This appears to have been an ancient arrangement with documentary references to shops abutting the church dating to as early as the 1230s.

In 1573 the internal arrangement of the Pentice Rows with a single long chamber running almost the entire south length of the church at first floor level above a stone undercroft at ground floor level. There are references to an inner pentice that was heightened at the expense of the lesser pentice (Harl Mss 2125). At the eastern end there was an upper floor while the eastern end was occupied by the rectory and church house. The importance of the pentice court diminished in the 16th century following the relocation of the common hall to St Nicholas’ Chapel and from 1550 the Assembly met there rather than at the Pentice which became increasingly the province of the mayor.
Later references in the 17th century suggest the court was further divided into three areas – an outer, semi public pentice; a middle, pentice for the mayor and the aldermen; and a further pentice for the city officers with a smaller space for ‘private consultation’.

The Watergate pentice row was again rebuilt in the early 18th century with the timber framing replaced with brick and stone with sash windows, it survived until 1803 when it was removed to improve access to Watergate Street. The Northgate pentice row apparently remained in its medieval form and was used to store city records until 1781 when it was demolished in order to widen the south end of Northgate Street.

A drawing by Randle Holme of the Pentice at end 17th century (Harl Mss 2125) shows the building as a timber lean-to structure on S side of St Peter's. First floor has sloping roof with decorative finials & row of windows overlooking the Cross, possibly entered by steps in church porch. Lower storey projects further into the street. At the east end is projecting bay with shops at lower floor, large windows at first floor & an elaborate rectangular tower above, which appears to be surmounted by a balustraded balcony at church eaves level (2). Print of 1772 shows building in stone with 4 shops on ground floor, 7 windows on upper floor (level with entrance to church) & 6 small windows above these. The Pentice projects beyond E end of the church & continues round Northgate St (4) & (5).

<1> Harris, B.E., 1979, Bartholomew City Guides - Chester, /15 (Book). SCH394.

<2> Morris, Rupert H (Rev.), 1894, Chester in the Plantagenet & Tudor Reigns, /200 (Book). SCH946.

<3> Hemingway, J., 1831, History of Chester, from its foundation to the present time. Volume 1, 1/405-409 (Book). SCH1436.

<4> Lawson, P H and J T Smith, 1958, The Rows of Chester: Two Interpretations, p28 (Article in Journal). SCH5750.

<5> Simpson, F., 1909, A History of the Church of St Peter in Chester (Book). SCH78.

<6> Lewis C.P & Thacker A.T. (eds), 2005, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume Vii, The City of Chester - The City of Chester, Culture, Buildings, Institutions, p15-20 (Book). SCH6522.

<7> Lloyd, Horatio, 1909, The Pentice and other ancient law courts in Chester (Article in Journal). SCH5557.