Description

CHESTER CITY (IM)

SJ4066SW WATERGATE STREET AND ROW
595-1/3/398 (South side)
28/07/55 Nos.69 & 71 Street (The Old Custom
House Inn)
(Formerly Listed as:
WATERGATE STREET
No.69
Ye Olde Custom House Inn)
(Formerly Listed as:
WATERGATE STREET
No.67
premises immediately adjoining Ye
Olde Custom House Inn)

GV II

2 undercrofts and town houses, now combined as a public house.
East house dated 1637, with probably earlier undercroft; west
house probably C18; interior and some external features
altered, and the former Row passage was enclosed 1711.
Restored coursed sandstone to lowest storey of east house,
with timber small-framing and plaster panels above; west house
has rendered lowest storey with irregularly bonded brickwork
above; grey slate roofs.
EXTERIOR: at former Row level and above the 2 former houses
are separated by a narrow small-framed bay. The east house,
with gable to street, has undercroft, 2 full storeys and
attic; the lower link and the west house have ridges parallel
with street. Undercroft of east house has boarded beer-drop
door, with leaded 5-light transomed window above; recessed
porch, left, with moulded hood and 5 steps up to bar;
bressumer with running vine-leaf and grape panel and initials
T W A; a row of 7 narrow rectangular panels; oriel chamber
window of 7 transomed lights, leaded glazing and cornice, 2
rows of 2 arched panels to each side; 2 small lights to each
side of oriel above transom; link bay between Nos 69 & 71 has
3 rows of 2 arched panels; jetty on brackets, above oriel, has
carved front and datemark 1637; row of 11 arched panels
between jetty and tie-beam; 3-light mullioned casement in
gable has herringbone struts to each side and above; plain
bargeboards. West house has door to bars, left, with recessed
flight of 6 steps; two 3-light leaded windows, right; plain
facia; tripartite recessed sash, 2;4;2 panes, to second
storey; 4-pane recessed sash to third storey; plain stone
sills and gauged brick arches; chimneys behind link between
houses and on each gable of west house (No.71). Former cottage

to Weaver Street behind east house (No.69) of late Georgian
Vernacular character is now rear quarters of the public house,
with flush plinth of coursed rubble sandstone, irregular bond
brickwork and grey slate roof; 2 steps; framed and boarded
door, left; two 16-pane near-flush sashes under cambered brick
heads; 2 half-dormers to upper storey in inserted gables;
12-pane unequal sash, left; modern 6-pane gable right; rear
gable rendered. Rendered rear wing to west house (No.71).
INTERIOR: the structure is largely concealed; coursed rubble
sandstone walls of the undercroft measuring 4.9 x 10.8m with a
rear stone staircase survive; the plan of the licensed rooms
is altered, but some oak beams survive; there is a carved
stone fireplace with Classical surround of painted wood in the
north east room; the structure of the upper storeys is stated
to be concealed by plaster.
(Chester Rows Research Project: Brown AN & Grenville JC &
Turner RC: Watergate Street: Chester: 1988-; Bartholomew City
Guides: Harris B: Chester: Edinburgh: 1979-: 105).

Listing NGR: SJ4033366215

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Old Custom House Inn, Chester at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q7083810

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey