Dee House
Encyclopedia
Dee House is located in Little John Street, Chester
, Cheshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building. The house is built on the southern part of the site of Chester Amphitheatre.
. In 1854 it passed to the Faithful Companions of Jesus
, a religious order
of the Roman Catholic Church
, who used it as a convent
school. The order added a wing to the east, which incorporated in its ground floor a chapel designed by Edmund Kirby
. The chapel is in Gothic Revival
style, in contrast to the rest of the building in Georgian
style. A west wing in Neo-Georgian style was added in about 1900. In 1925 the building was taken over by the Ursulines
, another religious order. In 1929 they added another block to the south of the building, and during the process the remains of a Roman amphitheatre
were found beneath it. In the early 1970s the convent closed and the building was used as offices by British Telecom
. They vacated the building in the early 1990s and it has been empty since.
roofs. Its plan consists of a central block and two wings. The central block is in Georgian style, the west wing is Neo-Georgian, and the east wing, which incorporates the chapel, is Gothic Revival. The windows in the central block and the west wing are sashes
, and those in east wing are lancets
. The slates on the roof of the east wing are in grey and purple bands. On the apex of the roof of this wing is a cross finial
.
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II listed building. The house is built on the southern part of the site of Chester Amphitheatre.
History
Dee House was built in about 1730 as a town house for John Comberbach, a former mayor of Chester. Extensions were made in the 1740s to the south and southwest, giving the house an L-shaped plan. It continued in use as a private residence until about 1850, when it was sold to the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. In 1854 it passed to the Faithful Companions of Jesus
Faithful Companions of Jesus
The Faithful Companions of Jesus Sisters was founded in Amiens in France in 1820 by Marie Madeleine de Bonnault d'Hoüet. They are a Christian religious order of the Roman Catholic Church in direct service to the Pope.-Service:...
, a religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, who used it as a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
school. The order added a wing to the east, which incorporated in its ground floor a chapel designed by Edmund Kirby
Edmund Kirby
Edmund Kirby was an English architect. He was born in Liverpool, educated at Sedgeley Park School and Oscott College. He was articled to E. W. Pugin, then worked for Hardman & Co., and for John Douglas in Chester. By 1863 he was practising in Birkenhead and by 1866 his office was in Derby...
. The chapel is in Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style, in contrast to the rest of the building in Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style. A west wing in Neo-Georgian style was added in about 1900. In 1925 the building was taken over by the Ursulines
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
, another religious order. In 1929 they added another block to the south of the building, and during the process the remains of a Roman amphitheatre
Roman amphitheatre
Roman amphitheatres are amphitheatres – large, circular or oval open-air venues with raised seating – built by the Ancient Romans. They were used for events such as gladiator combats, chariot races, venationes and executions. About 230 Roman amphitheatres have been found across the area of the...
were found beneath it. In the early 1970s the convent closed and the building was used as offices by British Telecom
BT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
. They vacated the building in the early 1990s and it has been empty since.
Architecture
The building is constructed in brick with stone dressings, and has slateSlate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs. Its plan consists of a central block and two wings. The central block is in Georgian style, the west wing is Neo-Georgian, and the east wing, which incorporates the chapel, is Gothic Revival. The windows in the central block and the west wing are sashes
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
, and those in east wing are lancets
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
. The slates on the roof of the east wing are in grey and purple bands. On the apex of the roof of this wing is a cross finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
.