Watergate Street.—God’s Providence House.—Bishop Lloyd’s House.—The
Puppet Show Explosion.—Trinity Church.—Dean Swift and the Yacht,—St.
Martin’s and St. Bridget’s Churches.—The Stanley Palace.—Watergate.—Port
of Chester.
WESTWARD, ho! a few steps, and we find ourselves moving along Watergate
Street; once, and when Chester was a thriving port, the chief street of
the city. As with men, so
There is a tide in the affairs of _streets_,
Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
but the tide for Watergate Street has ebbed away, and now flows in other
and more favoured channels. Still, as we shall presently see, this
Street is not behind any of its neighbours in absorbing interest. You
will perceive that, like Eastgate Street, it has the Cestrian
characteristic on either side,—its high-level Row. The one upon the
right hand, adjoining St. Peter’s Church, is, perhaps, as good a specimen
as we have now left to us of the “Rows” of the last century. Had we the
time to spare, a ramble along this Row, and a hole-and-corner visit to
the numerous alleys that intersect it, would convince the most sceptical
that there is more in Chester than meets the eye. But we must away,—for
see! here is an odd-looking tenement, on the other side the street,
inviting our attention. Two hundred years ago that house was in the
pride of youth, and the residence of a family of “some rank and
standing,” as is evidenced by the armorial bearings carved on one of the
beams; but, as somebody or other (Longfellow, we believe), has justly
enough observed, “it is not always May!”, in proof of which this house
has of late years been occupied as a sausage shop, and now shelters the
defenceless head of a barber. Small and low are the rooms of this
house—absurdly so to the critic of the present generation; and so
contracted is the ceiling of the Row at this point, that no man of
ordinary stature can pass along without stooping. Is it not a quaint old
spot? Look up at yon inscription on the cross-beam. Tradition avers
that this house was the only one in the city that escaped the plague,
which ravaged the city during the seventeenth century. In gratitude for
that deliverance, the owner of the house is said to have carved upon the
front the words we are now reading—
1652. GOD’S PROVIDENCE IS MINE INHERITANCE. 1652.
[Picture: God’s Providence House, Water Gate Street]
On the right hand, lower down, is GOSS STREET; and still lower, CROOK
STREET, both destitute of interest to sight-seers: but, exactly opposite
to Crook Street, stand three fine gable-fronted houses, the centre one of
which deserves our attention and admiration. This house is, without
exception, the most curious and remarkable of its kind in Chester, and
one which, perhaps, has no parallel in Great Britain. Prout has
immortalised it in one of his inimitable sketches, of which the
accompanying woodcut is a reduced, yet faithful copy. The origin of the
house seems to be lost in fable; but, in the present day, it is usually
styled BISHOP LLOYD’S HOUSE, from the fact of that Cestrian prelate dying
about the date (1615,) carved on one of the panels, and from certain
coats-of-arms which decorate the front, bearing some analogy to the
bearings of his family. Grotesquely carved from the apex of the gable to
the very level of the Row, this house exhibits a profusion of ornament,
and an eccentricity of design, unattempted in any structure of the kind
within our knowledge. It is, indeed, a unique and magnificent work of
art. To say nothing of the designs in the higher compartments, it must
suffice here to state, that the subjects of the lower panels lay the plan
of human redemption prominently before the eye. In the first panel, we
have Adam and Eve in Paradise, in a state of sinless nudity; then comes
the first great consequence of the Fall, Cain murdering Abel his brother.
To this follows Abraham offering up his Son Isaac; typical of the “one
great Sacrifice for us all.” The seventh compartment has a curious
representation of the Immaculate Conception, whereby “Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners.” Ridiculous have been some of the
attempts of “Local Guide-makers” to arrive at the real meaning of this
design: some have gravely set it down as the “Flight into Egypt;” while
another and later “unfortunate” has sapiently pronounced it to be
“Susannah and the Elders.” The eighth panel symbolises the completion of
the great sacrifice, the Crucifixion of Christ, in Simeon’s prophecy to
the Virgin,—“Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own heart also.”
The three centre compartments contain the arms of the reigning monarch,
James I., England’s Solomon, as he was called,—the supposed arms and
quarterings of Bishop Lloyd,—and a Latin inscription, with the date 1615.
If it be true that
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever,
then will this house, as a masterpiece of art, be an object of interest
and delight to strangers, “till time itself shall be no more.” We should
step up into the Row at this point, and scrutinise the indescribable
forms of men and beasts which ornament and support the oaken pillars in
front.
[Picture: Bishop Lloyd’s House, Water Gate Row]
A few steps lower down the Row is a passage or alley, communicating with
Commonhall Street, called _Puppet Show Entry_. This passage is chiefly
memorable as the scene of a most terrific explosion, which shook the city
like an earthquake, on the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, November
5th, 1772. A large room in this passage was fitted up as a sort of
Marionette Theatre,—a large audience had assembled,—the puppets were
going through their strange evolutions,—when, by some appalling
misfortune, eight hundred-weight of gunpowder lodged in a warehouse below
suddenly blew up with a tremendous report, killing the showman and
twenty-two others; eighty-three, besides, being more or less seriously
injured. In remembrance of that fearful calamity, this alley has been
ever since known as the _Puppet Show Entry_.
Where that new range of superior houses now stands, on the opposite side
of the street, was, until very recently, a fine old mansion of wood and
plaster, the city residence of the Mainwarings, a notable Cheshire
family.
Just below we have, upon the left hand, WEAVER STREET, anciently _St.
Alban’s Lane_, leading to the spot where the Church and _Monastery of the
White Friars_ in times past stood. Of this monastic establishment no
vestige remains, except a portion of the western wall, which is still
visible from Weaver Street. The spire of this Church, which was of noble
dimensions, served mariners as a landmark in steering their vessels up to
the Walls of Chester.
On the right side of Watergate Street is TRINITY STREET, in which is the
oldest dissenting chapel in the city. It was erected in 1700, by the
followers and friends of MATTHEW HENRY, the nonconformist, a learned and
earnest preacher of his day, and author of the celebrated “Commentary on
the Holy Scriptures” which bears his name.
Passing Trinity Street, we arrive at the Parish CHURCH of the HOLY AND
UNDIVIDED TRINITY, the first foundation of which is lost in remote
obscurity. So early as the year 1188, we find Walter, rector of this
Church, witnessing a deed relating to the Church of Rostherne, in this
county. Very little, if any, of the original Church now exists; the west
side is, perhaps, the most ancient portion of the structure, as it at
present stands. Prior to 1811, the steeple was surmounted by a handsome
spire, which, proving on examination to be in a dilapidated state, was
pulled down, and the present square tower substituted. The reason for
this change is not very obvious; perhaps there may have been bickerings
and dissensions in the vestry as to the relative cost of the two, and the
authorities thought it best to give up the _point_, in order to make
matters _square_. The advowson of the Church is vested in the Earl of
Derby, having previously belonged to the Norman barony of Montalt, one of
the titles created by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester.
The interior is worthy the inspection of the curious. Near the
south-west entrance is the baptismal font, by the side of which lies the
defaced effigy of a mail-clad knight, Sir John Whitmore by name,
representative in the reign of Edward III. of the Whitmores of
Thurstaston, a Cheshire family of knightly lineage and renown. This
monument was discovered in 1853, under a pew at the south-west end; the
face, hands, and knees, having been barbarously cut away, to suit the
flooring of the pew. In its perfect state, the monument must have been
one of the purest symmetry and beauty, and was evidently the work of an
eminent sculptor, the Westmacott or Gibson of his day. The legend runs
thus:—
Hic jacet Ioannes de Whitmore, qui obiit 3 kal. Octob. A.D. 1374.
A brass plate on the south side of the altar commemorates the burial of
MATTHEW HENRY, June 22nd, 1714. He who had during life been a rigid
nonconformist, at the “last sad scene of all” conformed to the faith of
his forefathers, and lies interred in the chancel of that parish in which
he had so long ministered as a dissenter.
The bones of another celebrity “lie mouldering here,”—Dr. Parnell, the
poet, Archdeacon of Clogher, who was buried in this Church, October 23,
1718. Other monuments of interest ornament (or shall we rather say
_deface_?) the pillars and chancel walls. In one of the western windows
are some remnants of ancient stained glass, and an obituary memorial, of
chaste design, has of late years been put up in one of the small east
windows of St. Patrick’s aisle.
A good view of Trinity Church is obtained from the end of Nicholas
Street, just opposite to that ancient hostelry, the YACHT INN. The YACHT
is, without exception, the most picturesque and curious of all our
Chester inns. Time was when it was the first hotel of the city, and even
now, “grown grey with long and faithful service,” lacks nothing that can
render it a fit home for the wayfarer, whom chance or design has brought
to the old city. Americans, who lust after the ancient and venerable,
and who delight in the rare timber houses of old England, will do well to
select snug apartments at the _Yacht_, for its host, Mr. White, is the
very impersonation of a true British Boniface. But the _Yacht_, apart
altogether from the qualities of “mine host,” and his well-filled cellar
of “Huxley’s Fine,” has other claims upon our attention. It was at this
house, then in the zenith of its glory, that the eccentric and witty Dean
Swift (who has not read his “Gulliver’s Travels?”) stayed, on one of his
journeys into Ireland. The Dean, being of a convivial turn, invited the
dignitaries of the Cathedral to a supper at the _Yacht_, but to his great
mortification not one of them appeared. Disgusted at this return to his
hospitality, the Dean scratched with his diamond ring on one of the
windows of this house the following distich, not over complimentary to
the church or the city,—
Rotten without and mouldering within,
This place and its clergy are both near akin!
So much for the _Yacht_. The CUSTOM HOUSE, immediately opposite, with
its low stuccoed front, has nothing to arrest the special notice of
visitors.
[Picture: Trinity Church, Yacht Inn, and Custom House]
NICHOLAS STREET, which branches off in a direct line towards the Castle,
has on the right hand a terrace of well-built, first-class houses,
extending as far as the corner of _Grey Friars_. From the circumstance
of every alternate house in this terrace being occupied by a doctor, it
has latterly acquired the appropriate cognomen of _Pill-box Promenade_!
Some distance up Nicholas Street, on the left hand, is ST. MARTIN’S
CHURCH, a humble brick building, erected in 1721, in the place of an
older structure dating back to the thirteenth century. St. Martin’s
parish has recently been united to that of St. Bridget, and the services
of this Church are now, in consequence, discontinued.
Moving along _St. Martin’s Ash_, as this locality is termed, past _Cuppin
Street_, where the Old Gas Works are situate, we obtain a good front view
of the new Church of ST. BRIDGET. This Church, or rather its
predecessor, stood originally at the other end of GROSVENOR STREET,
immediately opposite to St. Michael’s Church, and its foundation has been
by some ascribed to Offa, King of Mercia, in the eighth century. Be this
as it may, there are records preserved which establish its existence at
least as early as the year 1200. On the erection of the _Grosvenor
Bridge_, it was found that this Church stood exactly in the track of the
projected New Road, now called GROSVENOR STREET, and an act of parliament
was consequently obtained for its removal. The old Church was demolished
in 1827, and the grave-stones and bodies removed, where practicable, to
the new burial-ground adjoining the present Church. The first stone of
the new edifice was laid October 12, 1827, by Dr. C. J. Blomfield, the
present Bishop of London, who at that time presided over the see of
Chester. This structure presents outwardly none of the characteristics
of a Christian Church; and might easily be mistaken for some pagan
temple, rather than for one dedicated to the worship of the Most High.
Returning to Watergate Street, we see before us LINEN HALL STREET, called
formerly _Lower Lane_, from its being at one time the last street on this
side of the city. There is nothing to interest us in this street, which
terminates with _St. Martin’s in the Fields_, at the rear of the Gaol,
and General Infirmary. So late as the sixteenth century, there was at
the further end of this street an ancient Church, quoted in old deeds as
the _Church of St. Chad_, but the place thereof is now nowhere to be
found.
Lower still down Watergate Street, is LINEN HALL PLACE, where the Chester
CHESS CLUB holds its meetings, and where players of every country and
clime are sure of a hearty and welcome reception.
Nearly opposite to this Place, up a narrow, inconvenient passage, is a
house which invites and eminently deserves our notice and admiration.
This house is styled indifferently the OLD PALACE, and STANLEY HOUSE,
from its having been originally the city palace or residence of the
Stanleys of Alderley, a family of note in the county, and now ennobled.
This is an elaborately carved, three-gabled house, and is perhaps the
oldest unmutilated specimen of a timber house remaining in the city, the
date of its erection being carved on the front,—1591. The sombre dignity
of its exterior pervades also the internal construction of this
house,—the large rooms, the panelled walls, the oaken floors, the massive
staircase, all pointing it out as the abode of aristocracy in the olden
time.
[Picture: The Old Palace, or Stanley House]
From hence to the WATERGATE is little more than a stone’s throw; but on
the left is the handsome city residence of H. Potts, Esq., representative
of a family long and honourably connected with the county. This house
and the locality round occupy the site of the ancient _Monastery of the
Black Friars_, where the black-cowled faithful ‘fasted and prayed’ down
to the period of the Dissolution, but of which scarcely any traces, save
the fragment of a wall, are now discernible.
The passage to the right leads to STANLEY PLACE, near which, in 1779, a
Roman Hypocaust, and the remains of a house, also of the same remote
period, were discovered. Such portions of these remains as escaped the
ruthless pickaxes of the workmen, were removed to Oulton Park, and now
ornament the museum of its present worthy owner, Sir P. Grey Egerton,
Bart., M.P. for the county.
Beyond the Watergate are PARADISE ROW, overlooking the ROODEYE,—and the
two CRANE STREETS; beyond which we are introduced to that fabulous
existence of modern days,—the PORT of Chester. Time was when we might
have tuned our harps to a different key, but now, alas! we can only
lament the fallen condition of our ancient port, and the wretched
indifference of those ‘high in authority,’ who by their senseless apathy
in past days have brought the maritime trade of Chester to its present
lifeless and ignominious state. This is a sore subject; so we will at
once retrace our steps to the Cross, and in the next chapter continue our
perambulations through the city.