Description

CHESTER CITY (IM)

SJ4066NW CITY WALLS
595-1/1/101 Spur wall and Water Tower
28/07/55
(Formerly Listed as:
City Walls & Towers incl.
foundations of SE angle Roman
Fortress wall & tower)

GV I

Spur wall from Bonewaldesthorne Tower (qv) to the Water Tower,
and the Water Tower. 1322-6. By John Helpstone. Approx 37m
long and 3.3m wide. Coursed red sandstone rubble.
EXTERIOR: a segmental archway at ground level through the
wall. A stone landing at Boneswaldesthorne Tower, a stair
totalling 44 stone steps with an intermediate half-landing 6m
long leads to the main link to the Water Tower. The parapets
to the spur wall have probably the only surviving example of
medieval crenellation on the walls; on the half landing
crenels were converted to embrasures, probably for cannon
during the Civil War. A panel on the north parapet is
inscribed INVENIT AUT EXCIT.
The Water Tower was built at Chester's expense to command the
medieval port, then immediately adjoining, for 100 pounds.
Circular with a slightly battered solid lower stage and 2
stages containing chambers; the total height to the crown of
the parapet is approx 15m or 50 feet. Loops to the lower
chamber; square turret facing City Wall with garderobe at
north corner; loops to upper storey; band at rampart level;
eroded crenellation.
INTERIOR: part-glazed Gothick double doors to 5 stone steps
down to octagonal chamber with arched alcoves to entrance and
to loops;; octagonal keel-moulded rib-vault springing directly
from corners. Spiral stair of 23 stone steps lit by 2 loops to
octagonal upper chamber, vaulted as lower chamber and with
blocked loops; opening of uncertain date, to north-east.
(Bartholomew City Guides: Harris B: Chester: Edinburgh: 1979-:
94-95; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Hubbard E:
Cheshire: 1971-: 155; Cheshire Sites and Monuments Record:
Collens J: Chester City: 3007/2/1 & 2).

Listing NGR: SJ3999766544

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Water Tower, Chester at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q1521978

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)