NORTHGATE STREET

c. 1903. Northgate Street most of the street was given up to produce markets, but this part appears to have been an exception, although it had ceased to be exclusive by the end of the 18th century. The rest of the street further up, where the Market Square now stands, was the site of firstly, the fish market and then on the east side backing up to the wall of the old Bishop's Palace (replaced by the buildings now standing which were the old King's School and are now partly occupied by Barclays Bank) stood the poultry market, a really filthy shambles where vendors stood with mud to their ankles in winter and buzzed with flies in the summer. In the centre of the Square, near the top of Princess Street, stood the Exchange ( to be burnt down in 1862 and replaced by a differently sited Town Hall ) and on its northern side was the flesh market and the butter market, with fruit and vegetable stalls scattered about the area wherever space could be found. Later, they were all put together under one root in the fine Victorian Market Hall built in 1863 on the site of the White Lion Hotel but demolished in the 1960s.
The street was completely redeveloped between 1897 and 1905, replacing a true row with a covered walkway. The late Mr. Frank Simpson made the following indignant comment at the time about the Vienna Bakery: 'This building (which is practically a modern one) has only a short time to remain in this position. It will be required for the completion of the so-called Northgate Street improvement. This was done in 1904.

Two years later he went on to quote prices of redevelopment of the corner block by the Market Square, which makes interesting reading now (notice that the prices are given to the nearest penny): 'These premises were rebuilt by the Corporation on the site of Astons old shop (pictured here). The cost of purchase of the old building was £2,500. Contractors account £1,674.14s.3d. Total cost with architect's fees, etc. £4,361.13s.9d. It was sold to Mr Lloyd, Butcher, for £2,725, and the balance £1,636,13s.9d. charged to street and row improvement'.

Victorian & Edwardian Chester By John Tomlinson A Deesider publication

NORTHGATE STREET, c. 1929
The west side of Northgate Street exhibits a variety of architectural styles. From left to right are:Urmston & Son with an advertisement for Chester Gingerbread on the pillar; The Blue Bell Inn dating from 1494; Ye Olde Cabin Soda Fountain Bar with its cabin window overlooking the street; the ornate Fire Station built in 1911, at a cost of £3,000, for the Earl of Chester's Volunteer Fire Brigade, having space for three horse-drawn appliances, later fire engines, and used until the new station opened in St. Anne Street in 1970; an arched gateway leading to the Chester Northgate Brewery stores; the Northgate Tavern; Newns hairdressing shop and the Liverpool Arms where a council refuse wagon is parked. The street has changed little except for Centurion House, built on the site of the Northgate Arms.
THE CANAL.BRIDGE OF SIGHS, C. 1929
This small bridge was built in 1793,at a cost of £20, to prevent any further escapes by on condemned prisoners from the Northgate Gaol as they were being escorted to receive the last rites at the chapel of Little St. John. As the Gaol was at the Northgate (on the right in the photograph) and the chapel adjoined the Blue Coat School (on the left). it was necessary for the prisoners to he taken along the street and it was during this walk that many had made a successful bid for freedom. The bridge enabled the condemned men to be led direct to the chapel. The railings were dismantled for scrap during World War I. The deep cutting was originally excavated by the Romans as a protection for the north wall of the city. When the canal was constructed the only work necessary on this section was the clearing of the ditch thus saving the engineers a lot of money.
THE CANAL LOCKS, c. 1905
The first sod of the Chester and Ellesmere Canal was cut on 4th May, 1771 and the stretch through Chester was completed in 1779. The total cost was £80,000, a very large sum in those days. The canal became known as the Shropshire Union Canal at the beginning of the twentieth century. Here we see the section at the top of the Northgate Locks with the Bridge of Sighs in the distance. This spot is now crossed by the new Ring Road with St. Martin's Gate where the wall is on the right. The building adjoining the wall was the factory of Ockleston and Drayton Johnson, manufacturers of metal casements and leaded lights for whom the barges would have been the main form of freight transportation. The lock-keeper's cottage is on the left with a small basin for barges beyond.

OLD MILL ON THE DEE, c. 1902
This is a view of the tobacco and snuff mills of Messrs.T. Nicholls and Co. who also had a shop at 4 Eastgate Street Chester was a centre of the tobacco industry in the nineteenth century with five manufacturing companies in existence. As can be seen, this was a watermill and although the buildings have been demolished the channel of the watercourse is still there and used for canoeing.