'Reconstructed 1862'. In fact, our fairy tale house is a Victorian sham, a total rebuilding of an ancient Tudor house. The owner of the old building announced his intention of destroying the 17th century house in 1860 and this caused violent protest in the town. The Chester and North Wales Architectural, Archaeological and Historical Society had already complained about the loss of so many old buildings in the city, but despite this, the owner insisted on demolition, However, as the Society were also in the vanguard of encouragement of the half timbered revival getting under way at that time, the owner agreed to a timber replacement. The story of how the plague of 1666 came to Chester, affected all the houses in Watergate Street bar one, and how the grateful occupant who escaped, inscribed the memorial 'Gods Providence is Mine Inheritance' on the front of his house, is well known. (though, according to Hemingway, the worst plague, in 1647, when 2,100 people died, was the last time the city was scourged by this disease).

Those who have read the Victorian novel 'God's Providence House by Mrs. G. Linnaeus Banks will have received some idea of what it was in live in the older house pictured above during the 18th century.

WATERGATE STREET, BISHOP LLOYD'S PALACE, c. 1880. This two gabled building, not looking much like a palace here, was built early in the 17th century, supposedly for Bishop George Lloyd, formerly Bishop of Sodor and Man, and Bishop of Chester from 1604, whose date of death, 1615, is on one of the panels, as are various biblical subjects. Inside is a 'secret' doorway, said at one time to lead by an underground passage to the Cathedral. ( If all the secret passages which were said to lead to the Cathedral actually existed, the town would have a veritable catacombe under its streets. I remember as a schoolboy being told with great authority that a house in St. John's Street had such a passage and another was said to lead from the old brewery in Lower Bridge Street. In neither place could I find trace of them ).

Three buildings further down is a somewhat dilapidated building which was bought before the last war by the City Council, to 'preserve it. After 25 years of neglect, it gently subsided into the cellar beneath, to the great indignation of the preservationists and the Civic Trust, who then persuaded the Corporation to hold a competition for its rebuilding. Fortunately they chose a modern building which fits in extremely well with its neighbours and incorporates living accommodation as well.

This old building was next door to a grocer's warehouse where in 1772 on November 5th an enormous explosion occurred which shook the town. A large number of people, it said in the Courant of that week, were assembled at a puppet show above the warehouse, which contained a large quantity of gunpowder (why did a grocer have gunpowder in his warehouse?) 'Some gentlemen repaired to the scene a few minutes after the accident, who gave particular directions that every person who showed the least signs of life should immediately be carried to the Infirmary where physicians and surgeons repaired to be ready to administer every possible means of relief. A clean bed was provided for every patient before the unfortunate sufferer could be stripped, which in general was by cutting off the clothes to prevent the agony of pulling those limbs which were broken, burned or bruised. . . . Some were employed entirely in bleeding all who required such an evacuation; others washed several times over all the burns and bruises with Goulard's cooling water; the rest were engaged in setting bones, etc. In these (they) were engaged from nine o'clock till four in the morning .......... It happened that (all the sufferers were) of inferior station. But had they been persons of the most affluent fortunes and I carried to their own homes, none could possibly have received such immediate and effectual medical assistance as was administered to all, who were admitted to the Infirmary.' 23 died and 80 were injured. The editor, after a minute description of the damage caused, commented: Do not these facts evidently prove that even the smallest quantity of gunpowder should always be kept in garrets?'

Victorian & Edwardian Chester By John Tomlinson A Deesider publication