Abbey of St Werburgh, Chester

In the civil parish of Chester. In the historic county of Cheshire (Modern Authority of Cheshire, 1974 county of Cheshire).

Abbot and Convent granted licence to crenellate in 1377, confirmed 8 months later, after Edward's death. There are remains of the Abbey gateways. Chester Cathedral and close buildings are originally the Abbey church and buildings.
Abbey Gateway–Gatehouse. c1300, altered c1800. Red coursed sandstone with grey slate roof having gables to front and rear; the Gateway formed the main access to the precinct of St Werburgh's Abbey, now Abbey Square. EXTERIOR: the face to Northgate Street has a full-width deep segmental relieving arch, containing a central 2-centre vehicular archway and a pedestrian archway, south, both with double hollow chamfers; an empty broad niche to each side of the vehicular arch; a plain rebuilt buttress at the south-west corner; a moulded stringcourse at upper storey floor level; upper storey rebuilt c1800; the central Gothick sash has intersecting tracery in an arched moulded opening; a coved stringcourse at the base of the plainly coped shallow gable. The face to Abbey Square has a broader vehicular archway with eroded triple hollow chamfers. A diminishing square turret at the south-east corner has a boarded pair of doors in an arched doorway with a small stair-window above; an eroded flat buttress at the north-east corner; a central Gothick sash above the archway in an eroded moulded 2-centre arched medieval opening; a recessed 12-pane window with sash-boxes exposed, to each side; a Gothick fixed-light window to the attic in the recessed gable. INTERIOR: the 3-bay vault to the archway has hollow-chamfered diagonal and ridge ribs. The stone stair against the south wall is probably c1800. The front room above the arch, evidently formerly a robing room, has ranges of cupboards with fielded panels to doors, built against 2 walls; the panel to the upper cupboard above the doorway has an armorial painting inscribed EDMUND CHESTER; the armorial panel immediately north of the doorway is inscribed SAMUEL PEPLOE LLB, Chancellor. The painter was probably of the Randle Holmes family. There are no visible features of special interest in the rear upper rooms or the attic. (Images of England–ref. Pevsner)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ40476656

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 69130; 69235
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

• Web site links
  • http://www.chestercathedral.com/
• Books
  • Lewis, C.P. and Thacker, A.T. (eds), 2005, VCH Cheshire Vol5 Pt2 p185-204 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=57324
    Pevsner, Nikolaus and Edward Hubbard, 1971, The Buildings of England: Cheshire (Harmondsworth)
    Knowles, David and Hadcock, R. Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longmans) p62, 423, 470
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p218, 417
• Journal Articles
  • Coulson, C., 1982, 'Hierarchism in Conventual Crenellation: An Essay in the Sociology and Metaphysics of Medieval Fortification' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p69-100 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    1937, Archaeological Journal Vol94 p308-10
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1374-77) p442
    Calendar of Patent Rolls (1377-81) p56
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Speed, John, 1611-12, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain [http://faculty.oxy.edu/horowitz/home/johnspeed/Cities8.htm]