The Falcon, Chester
Encyclopedia
The Falcon is a public house
in Chester
, Cheshire
, England. It stands on the west side of Lower Bridge Street at its junction with Grosvenor Road. The Falcon has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building. The building formerly incorporated part of Chester Rows
, but it was the first building to have its portion of the row enclosed in the 17th century.
who extensively altered it some 40 years later to make it his town house
. During the Civil War
he moved his family here from his country home, Eaton Hall. In 1643 Sir Richard petitioned the City Assembly for leave to enlarge his house by enclosing the portion of the row which passed through his property. This was successful and it set a precedent for other residents of Lower Bridge Street to enclose their portion of the rows, or to build new structures which did not incorporate the rows.
In the late 18th century the building ceased to be the town house of the Grosvenor family. It continued to be owned by them, and between 1778 and 1878 it was licensed as The Falcon Inn. In about 1879 alterations were made by John Douglas
. At this time it was known as The Falcon Cocoa House and it was re-opened as a temperance house
. About 1886 Grayson and Ould carried out a restoration; the present appearance of the building owes much to this restoration. By the 1970s the building had become virtually derelict. In 1979 the Falcon Trust was established, and the building was donated to the trust by the Grosvenor Estate
. Between 1979 and 1982 the building was restored and in 1983 it won a Europa Nostra
award. The building was donated to the Falcon Trust by the Grosvenor Estate
, and was reopened by the Duke of Westminster
in May 1992.
The east face of The Falcon is on Lower Bridge Street and the north face on Grosvenor Road. The east face has two storeys on a sandstone
plinth with two gable
s. Most of the sandstone is rendered
. To the left is a staircase of nine steps leading from the street to the lower storey, which is the level of the enclosed row. The lower storey has close timber studding
and an eleven-light leaded window. Above this is a row of twelve quatrefoil
panels which slope slightly outwards over which is a continuous 34-light leaded window. The two gables are carried on brackets which curve outwards, and have herringbone strut
s, moulded
bargeboard
s and shaped finial
s.
The north face give the appearance of two buildings. The older part is to the left (east) and the newer right (west) part was possibly added by Sir Richard Grosvenor in 1626. The eastern portion is a continuation of the east front. The street level and the lower storey are in sandstone, partly rendered, some of which has been replaced by brick. The upper storey has a window of six lights, which are continuous with those on the east face and two quatrefoils above. To the right of these is timber framing and a window. Above is a grey slate roof and a lateral shaped chimney in brick. The western portion has a rendered plinth
with timber framing above. On the lower storey is a door and two windows, one with seven lights and the other with four. The upper storey has similar windows, plus a one-light window over the door.
into a two-bay north chamber and a single-bay south chamber. In the cellar are two octagonal stone piers
and a massive central east-west oak beam. On the level of the row is a room along the east side, which is the enclosed portion of the row, and two rooms behind, with a further room in the west wing.
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in Chester
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 stands on the west side of Lower Bridge Street at its junction with Grosvenor Road. The Falcon 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 I listed building. The building formerly incorporated part of Chester Rows
Chester Rows
Chester Rows consist of covered walkways at the first floor behind which are entrances to shops and other premises. At street level is another set of shops and other premises, many of which are entered by going down a few steps...
, but it was the first building to have its portion of the row enclosed in the 17th century.
History
The building originated as a house in about 1200 and was later extended to the south along Lower Bridge Street, with a great hall running parallel to the street. During the 13th century it was rebuilt to incorporate its portion of the row. It was rebuilt again during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The house was bought in 1602 by Sir Richard GrosvenorSir Richard Grosvenor, 1st Baronet
Sir Richard Grosvenor, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1621 and 1629. He is an ancestor of the modern day Dukes of Westminster....
who extensively altered it some 40 years later to make it his town house
Townhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
. During the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
he moved his family here from his country home, Eaton Hall. In 1643 Sir Richard petitioned the City Assembly for leave to enlarge his house by enclosing the portion of the row which passed through his property. This was successful and it set a precedent for other residents of Lower Bridge Street to enclose their portion of the rows, or to build new structures which did not incorporate the rows.
In the late 18th century the building ceased to be the town house of the Grosvenor family. It continued to be owned by them, and between 1778 and 1878 it was licensed as The Falcon Inn. In about 1879 alterations were made by John Douglas
John Douglas (architect)
John Douglas was an English architect who designed about 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, in particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his career from an office in Chester, Cheshire...
. At this time it was known as The Falcon Cocoa House and it was re-opened as a temperance house
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
. About 1886 Grayson and Ould carried out a restoration; the present appearance of the building owes much to this restoration. By the 1970s the building had become virtually derelict. In 1979 the Falcon Trust was established, and the building was donated to the trust by the Grosvenor Estate
Grosvenor Group
Grosvenor is a privately owned property group with offices in 18 cities. It has four regional investment & development businesses in Britain & Ireland, the Americas, Australia and Asia Pacific; an international fund management business, which operates across these markets and in continental Europe;...
. Between 1979 and 1982 the building was restored and in 1983 it won a Europa Nostra
Europa Nostra
Europa Nostra, the pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, is the representative platform of 250 heritage NGOs active in 45 countries across Europe...
award. The building was donated to the Falcon Trust by the Grosvenor Estate
Grosvenor Group
Grosvenor is a privately owned property group with offices in 18 cities. It has four regional investment & development businesses in Britain & Ireland, the Americas, Australia and Asia Pacific; an international fund management business, which operates across these markets and in continental Europe;...
, and was reopened by the Duke of Westminster
Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster
Major-General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, , is the son of Robert George Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster, and his wife Hon. Viola Maud Lyttelton. He is the owner of property company Grosvenor Group...
in May 1992.
Exterior
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
plinth with two gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s. Most of the sandstone is rendered
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
. To the left is a staircase of nine steps leading from the street to the lower storey, which is the level of the enclosed row. The lower storey has close timber studding
Close studding
Close studding is a form of timber work used in timber-framed buildings in which vertical timbers are set close together, dividing the wall into narrow panels...
and an eleven-light leaded window. Above this is a row of twelve quatrefoil
Quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
panels which slope slightly outwards over which is a continuous 34-light leaded window. The two gables are carried on brackets which curve outwards, and have herringbone strut
Strut
A strut is a structural component designed to resist longitudinal compression. Struts provide outwards-facing support in their lengthwise direction, which can be used to keep two other components separate, performing the opposite function of a tie...
s, moulded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
bargeboard
Bargeboard
Bargeboard is a board fastened to the projecting gables of a roof to give them strength and to mask, hide and protect the otherwise exposed end of the horizontal timbers or purlins of the roof to which they were attached...
s and shaped 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...
s.
The north face give the appearance of two buildings. The older part is to the left (east) and the newer right (west) part was possibly added by Sir Richard Grosvenor in 1626. The eastern portion is a continuation of the east front. The street level and the lower storey are in sandstone, partly rendered, some of which has been replaced by brick. The upper storey has a window of six lights, which are continuous with those on the east face and two quatrefoils above. To the right of these is timber framing and a window. Above is a grey slate roof and a lateral shaped chimney in brick. The western portion has a rendered plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
with timber framing above. On the lower storey is a door and two windows, one with seven lights and the other with four. The upper storey has similar windows, plus a one-light window over the door.
Interior
The medieval undercroft is used as the beer cellar. It was originally a single three-bay chamber but has been divided by a brick wallBrick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
into a two-bay north chamber and a single-bay south chamber. In the cellar are two octagonal stone piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
and a massive central east-west oak beam. On the level of the row is a room along the east side, which is the enclosed portion of the row, and two rooms behind, with a further room in the west wing.