| Summary : Two medieval undercrofts beneath two town houses, now shops, meeting rooms and a flat. The houses were rebuilt in the early 17th century and extensively restored in the 1890s by T M Lockwood and again in the 1970s by Chester City Council. Lockwood's alterations replaced the eastern street entrance with a staircase, and entry in now gained through the western tenement only. At Row level the eastern stallboard has been replaced by the staircase and the positions of the posts holding the chamber above the Row have been altered. The western unit has a wide stallboard with 19th century posts and balustrade next to the street and 17th century posts 1 metre back, with carved brackets depicting beared giants on the street side and animals and an owl to the Row. At Row level and above, both buildings have timber-framed frontages, that to the east being a complete 19th century rebuild, while the other retains many elaborate carved panels depicting biblical and heraldic subjects. One panel gives the date 1615 and another shows the arms of Bishop George Lloyd. The undercrofts have brick barrel vaults on medieval coursed sandstone rubble walls. At Row + 1 level there is a series of remarkable 17th century plaster ceilings and fireplaces in the two large chambers. The decorative scheme in the eastern unit seems to be inserted and the oversized fireplace and ceiling may have been imported from the Bishop's Palace, partially destroyed in the Civil War. The western unit contains a more restrained ceiling, probably original to the building and a fine fireplace with plaster overmantel depicting Cupid mounted on a lion. |