2–18 St Werburgh Street, Chester
Encyclopedia
2–18 St Werburgh Street is a terrace
consisting of a bank, shops and offices on the east side of St Werburgh Street and the north side of Eastgate Street, Chester
, Cheshire
, England. The terrace has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building.
, and arranged for the demolition of a row of old shops on its east side. The council intended to sell the vacant land in separate lots, but the Chester architect John Douglas
bought the entire length of the east side of the street and planned to create a series of buildings in a unified architectural design. Douglas' first plan was to construct the buildings in stone with brick diapering
in Gothic
style. However he was persuaded by the Duke of Westminster
to include black-and-white
half-timbering
in his design. The terrace was constructed in about 1895–97 at a cost of over £17,000 (£ as of ). The building at the south end, on the corner of Eastgate Street was the first to be occupied. It was acquired by the Bank of Liverpool
and the other units were used as shops. Twelve years after Douglas' death, a commemorative plaque was placed on the St Werburgh Street side of the bank by some of his former pupils and assistants.
slate
. There is one bay
facing Eastgate Street and nine bays along St Werburgh Street. The ground floor of the bank is built in yellow sandstone
on a granite
plinth
; the piers
between the shops are in sandstone. The upper storeys are all half-timbered. The Eastgate Street face of the bank has a four-light mullion
ed and transomed
window with a basket arch on the ground floor. On the first floor is a five-light oriel window
, above this is a six-light window with casements
and the whole is surmounted by a gable
with a carved bargeboard
. Set at an angle on the corner between the streets is the doorway with a moulded
basket arch over which are three ogee
arches. Curving round the corner on the first floor is a three-light window.
Along St Werburgh Street, the first five ground floor bays are in stone, and the rest have modern shop fronts. The first floor has a variety of windows, some of them oriels; the second floor also has windows; these are in plainer design. Between the first and second floors is a carved bressummer
. The whole front is topped by eleven gables of varying sizes. At the north end of the terrace is a turret
with an octagonal spire surmounted by a lead finial
with a weathervane. Rising from the roof are brick decorated chimney stacks. The upper storeys display "an unbroken expanse of gorgeously ornamented half-timber", and include carvings of Norman
earl
s, saints (including St Werburgh
), and Queen Victoria.
considered that in this piece of work, Chester's "half-timber revival
reached its very apogee". In the Buildings of England
series, Pevsner
and Hubbard state "The composition is Douglas at his best (though also at his showiest)". It is "undoubtedly Douglas's greatest work in Chester and the high point of the Victorian black and white revival in the city".
Terraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
consisting of a bank, shops and offices on the east side of St Werburgh Street and the north side of Eastgate Street, Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England. The terrace has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building.
History
In the 1890s Chester City Council decided to widen St Werburgh Street, which leads from Eastgate Street to Chester CathedralChester Cathedral
Chester Cathedral is the mother church of the Church of England Diocese of Chester, and is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly St Werburgh's abbey church of a Benedictine monastery, is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, and arranged for the demolition of a row of old shops on its east side. The council intended to sell the vacant land in separate lots, but the Chester architect John Douglas
John Douglas (architect)
John Douglas was an English architect who designed about 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, in particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his career from an office in Chester, Cheshire...
bought the entire length of the east side of the street and planned to create a series of buildings in a unified architectural design. Douglas' first plan was to construct the buildings in stone with brick diapering
Diapering
Diaper is any of a wide range of decorative patterns used in a variety of works of art, such as stained glass, heraldic shields, architecture, silverwork etc. Its chief use is in the enlivening of plain surfaces.-Etymology:...
in Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style. However he was persuaded by the Duke of Westminster
Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster KG, PC, JP , styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845 and Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869 and known as the 3rd Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an English landowner, politician and racehorse owner.He inherited the estate of...
to include black-and-white
Black-and-white Revival architecture
The Black-and-white Revival was an architectural movement from the middle of the 19th century which revived the vernacular elements of the past, using timber framing. The wooden framing is painted black and the panels between the frames are painted white...
half-timbering
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
in his design. The terrace was constructed in about 1895–97 at a cost of over £17,000 (£ as of ). The building at the south end, on the corner of Eastgate Street was the first to be occupied. It was acquired by the Bank of Liverpool
Bank of Liverpool
The Bank of Liverpool was a financial institution founded in 1831 in Liverpool, England.In 1918, it acquired Martins Bank, and the name of the merged bank became the Bank of Liverpool and Martins Ltd...
and the other units were used as shops. Twelve years after Douglas' death, a commemorative plaque was placed on the St Werburgh Street side of the bank by some of his former pupils and assistants.
Architecture
The terrace is constructed in three storeys plus attics with roofs of green WestmorlandWestmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
. There is one bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
facing Eastgate Street and nine bays along St Werburgh Street. The ground floor of the bank is built in yellow sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
on a granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
; the piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
between the shops are in sandstone. The upper storeys are all half-timbered. The Eastgate Street face of the bank has a four-light mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
ed and transomed
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
window with a basket arch on the ground floor. On the first floor is a five-light oriel window
Oriel window
Oriel windows are a form of bay window commonly found in Gothic architecture, which project from the main wall of the building but do not reach to the ground. Corbels or brackets are often used to support this kind of window. They are seen in combination with the Tudor arch. This type of window was...
, above this is a six-light window with casements
Casement window
A casement window is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges. Casement windows are hinged at the side. A casement window (or casement) is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges. Casement windows are hinged at the side. A casement window (or casement) is a...
and the whole is surmounted by a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
with a carved bargeboard
Bargeboard
Bargeboard is a board fastened to the projecting gables of a roof to give them strength and to mask, hide and protect the otherwise exposed end of the horizontal timbers or purlins of the roof to which they were attached...
. Set at an angle on the corner between the streets is the doorway with a moulded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
basket arch over which are three ogee
Ogee
An ogee is a curve , shaped somewhat like an S, consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite senses, so that the ends are parallel....
arches. Curving round the corner on the first floor is a three-light window.
Along St Werburgh Street, the first five ground floor bays are in stone, and the rest have modern shop fronts. The first floor has a variety of windows, some of them oriels; the second floor also has windows; these are in plainer design. Between the first and second floors is a carved bressummer
Bressummer
A bressummer, or breastsummer, in timber-building, is a beam in the outward part of the building, and the middle floors, into which the girders are framed...
. The whole front is topped by eleven gables of varying sizes. At the north end of the terrace is a turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
with an octagonal spire surmounted by a lead finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
with a weathervane. Rising from the roof are brick decorated chimney stacks. The upper storeys display "an unbroken expanse of gorgeously ornamented half-timber", and include carvings of Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
s, saints (including St Werburgh
Werburgh
Werburh or Wærburh is an English saint and the patron saint of Chester....
), and Queen Victoria.
Critique
Douglas' biographer Edward HubbardEdward Hubbard
Edward Horton Hubbard was an English architectural historian who worked with Nikolaus Pevsner in compiling volumes of the Buildings of England...
considered that in this piece of work, Chester's "half-timber revival
Black-and-white Revival architecture
The Black-and-white Revival was an architectural movement from the middle of the 19th century which revived the vernacular elements of the past, using timber framing. The wooden framing is painted black and the panels between the frames are painted white...
reached its very apogee". In the Buildings of England
Pevsner Architectural Guides
The Pevsner Architectural Guides are a series of guide books to the architecture of the British Isles. Begun in the 1940s by art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the 46 volumes of the Buildings of England series were published between 1951 and 1975. The series was then extended to Scotland and...
series, Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
and Hubbard state "The composition is Douglas at his best (though also at his showiest)". It is "undoubtedly Douglas's greatest work in Chester and the high point of the Victorian black and white revival in the city".