38 Bridge Street, Chester
Encyclopedia
38 Bridge Street is a commercial property in Chester
, Cheshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building. The building was constructed in 1897 and was designed by the local architects Douglas & Fordham. It is the only new building designed by Douglas to incorporate a section of the Chester Rows
.
The building is in three storeys and is constructed in yellow sandstone
and brick with stone dressings. The top storey is timber-framed
. A modern shop front has been inserted into the lowest storey. The middle storey, which incorporates a section of the Rows, has a timber balustrade
, behind which is the walkway, and then another shop front. The top storey is jettied
. On the face overlooking Bridge Street are two six-light oriel window
s under a gable
, and a smaller three-light casement window
to the right. On the south side, overlooking Pierpoint Lane, are small windows in both the middle and the upper storeys. Douglas' biographer Edward Hubbard
considers it is one of his "most heavily decorated half-timber works".
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. It 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. The building was constructed in 1897 and was designed by the local architects Douglas & Fordham. It is the only new building designed by Douglas to incorporate a section of the Chester Rows
Chester Rows
Chester Rows consist of covered walkways at the first floor behind which are entrances to shops and other premises. At street level is another set of shops and other premises, many of which are entered by going down a few steps...
.
The building is in three storeys and is constructed 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,...
and brick with stone dressings. The top storey is timber-framed
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...
. A modern shop front has been inserted into the lowest storey. The middle storey, which incorporates a section of the Rows, has a timber balustrade
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
, behind which is the walkway, and then another shop front. The top storey is jettied
Jettying
Jettying is a building technique used in medieval timber frame buildings in which an upper floor projects beyond the dimensions of the floor below. This has the advantage of increasing the available space in the building without obstructing the street...
. On the face overlooking Bridge Street are two six-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...
s under 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...
, and a smaller three-light casement window
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...
to the right. On the south side, overlooking Pierpoint Lane, are small windows in both the middle and the upper storeys. Douglas' biographer Edward Hubbard
Edward Hubbard
Edward Horton Hubbard was an English architectural historian who worked with Nikolaus Pevsner in compiling volumes of the Buildings of England...
considers it is one of his "most heavily decorated half-timber works".