Watergate Street, Chester, Cheshire, England

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History

It is thought that by the late 13th Century Flesher's Row on the North Side of Watergate Street was already in the form of a 'Row' that is a system of first floor galleries running over undercrofts and public walkways running parallel with the street below.The Doncaster family owned property on this site in the 1290s.

The character of the Rows was maintained in the later 16th and early 17th century with the building of new houses for Bishop Lloyd, Alderman John Aldersey, and the Mainwarings in Watergate Street. The flax and linen market was apparently often held in the Rows of Watergate Street in the later 17th century,

• 11 Watergate Street. has a grand stone vaulted ceiling forming attractive arcades. Without a central doorway up to 1.5 m. wide with flanking windows illumination of the space would have been difficult as generally undercrofts were not known to have had a rear light well or, as Leche House, access by stairs to the rear of the undercroft.
• 17 Watergate Street,Leche House was built by Alderman John Leche in the 17th century[3] on an undercroft dating from the late 14th century, which was extended in the later part of the following century; minor alterations were made in the 18th century.
• 25 Watergate Street, like number 11 had a central doorway up to 1.5 m. wide with flanking windows allowing illumination of the space.
• 32–4 Watergate Street, a division into three longitudinal sections, each only 2.6 m. wide internally is suggested by the surviving timber arcade being grooved to take wattle and daub partitions. It seems probable that there were three upper-level shops, approached by only a single flight of steps.
• Bishop Lloyd's House 41 Watergate Street