a spacious street, forming a direct line to the Eastgate, about 209 yards in length. The appearance of the street has been considerably modernized of late years; many of the old houses having been taken down, and spacious shops and dwelling-houses erected on their site. There is a very interesting old crypt to be seen on the premises of Messrs. Prichard and Dodd, which furnishes an additional illustration of the statement, that many of the buildings in the principal streets are erected on the remains of ancient religious houses. Dr. Ormerod gives it as his opinion that these conventual buildings occupied nearly, if not wholly, one-fourth of the city. The handsome premises occupied by Mr. Hugh Roberts, bookseller, and by Mr. Bolland, confectioner, have latterly been rebuilt in an elegantly appropriate style of architecture: and Messrs. Brown are now (1858) erecting a splendid range of shops. About two-thirds down the street on the right is Newgate-street; and opposite is St. Werburgh’s-street, leading to the Cathedral. There are two excellent inns in Eastgate-street—the Green Dragon and the Royal Hotel; the latter being a large and lofty edifice, the front resting on round stone pillars, between which, and the coffee-room there is a capacious piazza. Passing under the arch of the Eastgate, you enter
Foregate Street,
a spacious airy street, about 572 yards in length, and in most parts 18 in breadth; on the right hand is St. John-street, in which is situated the Post-office, and a little lower down the Mechanics’ Institution and News-room. The spacious circular building is a place of worship used by the Wesley an Methodists. The narrow street on the left leads to St. John’s Church and Priory, which will amply repay a careful and attentive study. Returning to the Cross, we now proceed down
Watergate Street,
which possesses remarkable interest, from the number of very old houses still remaining in it. This street has perhaps suffered less from the innovation of modern improvement than any other part of Chester. The rows on both sides extend nearly to the bottom of the street, and retain several marks of great antiquity. In front of an old house on the south side of the street, there is a post, with the date 1539 carved upon it. On the same side, nearer the Cross, is an old dwelling-house, with the inscription—
“God’s Providence is mine Inheritance—1652,”
cut upon a beam in front, in legible characters. At the time when the plague was devastating the city, this was almost the only house which was exempt from its destructive havoc. Gratefully sensible of this singular blessing, the pious occupier placed this inscription on the front of his house, as a commemorative memorial of Divine Providence. Lower down, on the same side, is a singularly decorated old house, having the whole front divided into square compartments, filled with carved work of various descriptions, principally heraldry and scripture history. Adam and Eve;—Cain killing Abel;—Abraham offering up Isaac;—Susannah and the Elders—and a Martyrdom, are the principal subjects. There are three other compartments, two of them consisting of armorial bearings, including the Earldoms of Chester and Derby, crested with a bishop’s mitre; the third bears an inscription, illegible from the street, and the date 1613. This house was built by Dr. George Lloyd, of the family of Lloyd of Kinmell, in North Wales, Bishop of Chester from 1604 to 1615.
Lower down, on the same side of the street, below Nicholas-street, is a curious and spacious old palace, once the mansion of the Derby family, which is well deserving of the visitor’s notice. It is approached through a narrow passage. The front of the house presents some interesting specimens of curiously ornamental carved work. On this spot once stood a Monastery of the order of Black Friars.
The street on the opposite side leads to the new Linen Hall, where the cheese fairs are periodically held. It was built by the Irish merchants in 1778. At that time the imports of linen were very considerable, and a large business was done.