Kaleyard Gate I

A Virtual Stroll Around the Walls of Chester The Kaleyard Gate II

Cathedral

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ontinuing with our exploration of the Kaleyards area of Chester's ancient circuit of city walls, we encounter to the charming Deanery Cottage (illustrated here under heavy snow) and soon the atmosphere changes as we enter the environs of Chester Cathedral.

If you feel the need to take a break and feel some green grass under your feet, you can gain access to the Deanery Field through the wooden gates next to the cottage. Otherwise, moving on, our attention is drawn to the handsome large arched window of the house standing on the corner of cobbled Abbey Street (just visible beyond the cottage in our photograph). Like so many of Chester's fine buildings, this house is a product of centuries of change and alteration: the eighteenth century facade fronts a seventeenth century house, which in incorporates an even earlier stone building.
No.15 Abbey Street was not always the handsome structure we see today, however. In fact, by 1976, when it served as eight 'bed sitters', its condition had deteriorated to a degree that it was thought to be beyond economic repair. But, with the aid of numerous grants, in 1983-4 the house was restored- including the rebuilding of the entire north gable with its lovely Gothic arched window- and converted into four fine flats.

Continuing on down Abbey Street, with its elegant terrace of Georgian houses along one side and the Cathedral Green on the other, we soon come to the lovely Abbey Square, which was laid out by the Cathedral authorities in the middle of the 18th century on the site of the old Abbey brewery and bakehouse.
The Abbey, and later Cathedral, precincts had always been independent of the jurisdiction of the city and, doubtless much to the irritation of the civic authorities, all manner of unregulated industries were carried out behind the protection of the great 14th century Abbey Gateway. We see a performance of the world-famous Chester Mystery Plays taking place before it in this fanciful Victorian illustration.
In addition, the Abbey was not subject to the extremely restrictive trading regulations of the town and 'strangers' and those who were not freemen of Chester could, as long as they paid their dues to the Abbot, trade here without requiring the permission of the Mayor and burgesses.
The stench of the brewery and other annoyances would remain a source of complaint to the townsfolk until they were swept away when the area was transformed into Chester's first formal square, built after the London fashion between the years 1754 and 1761- although the western terrace (parallel with Northgate Street) was not completed until the 1820s.

On the eastern side of the square, which was initially known as Abbey Court, between a large, free-standing 18th century house and the Cathedral, a group of humble sandstone cottages curiously escaped the redevelopment and two (they formerly stood back-to-back with two others) remain to this day. They were built in 1625 by Bishop Bridgeman on the site, and incorporating part of the structure of, the Abbey's kitchens, to house lay clerks of the Cathedral. They continue to serve as private residences in the ownership of the Cathedral.

The south side of the square was dominated by the Bishop's Palace. This had been badly damaged in the Civil War and so between 1754 and 1757 was rebuilt. Joseph Hemingway was evidently unimpressed with the result, describing the new palace as being "as destitute of magnificence as it is of elegance". The site is now occupied by Barclay's Bank and the present Bishop's residence, built later in the18th century, is situated behind the high wall on the opposite corner of Abbey Street.
The lines of York stone laid between the cobbles in the square are known as wheelers and were thoughtfully provided to give the resident's coaches and carriages a smooth ride- and still serve their purpose very well for today's bicycles!

Chester Cathedral from the daffodil-fringed Deanery Field, photographed by the author in 2002.

The lower part of the pillar in the centre of the grassed area, which was formerly surrounded by iron railings, was taken from the Exchange- the predecessor of the Victorian Town Hall we know today- in nearby Northgate Street, which was destroyed by fire in 1862. A hundred years earlier, during the early stages of the building of Abbey Square, the pillars supporting one side of the Exchange were found to be weakening and so were removed and the space filled with a row of shops and one of them was presented by the city to "the gentlemen of Abbey Square".
The grassed area where it was erected was formerly occupied by a stinking and polluted pond, the Horse Pool which, in 1523 claimed the life of one Roger Ledsham, "Keeper of the Great Gate of the Abbey of St.Werburgh" when he fell in it and was drowned. Perhaps the proximity of the Abbey's brewhouse played some part in the tragedy...

The first occupants of the elegant new square were mostly local gentry and private families of means, but as time passed, the rising class of 'professionals' such as doctors, lawyers and architects (including the celebrated John Douglas who worked at number six from 1860 until his death in 1911) came to dominate, and today the interiors of the majority of the old houses have been converted into offices and other commercial premises. Nevertheless, an air of past times remains- our photograph shows how effectively the square was utilised in a recent filming of a scene from Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd. (Our picture library has many more photographs of this event, should readers be interested).

During the second World War, number 6 Abbey Square was requisitioned from Messrs Douglas, Minshull and Co. to become the Air Raid Precautions Office. Circulars from the Home Office were continuously received here by the Emergency Committee, with instructions for setting up public shelters, school shelters, decontamination posts, first aid posts and the like. The ARP (air raid precaution) equipment itself was stored at nearby Folliot House in Northgate Street.

Making our way back up Abbey Street, the sharp-eyed may spot a plaque about eight feet up on the wall of one of the houses that provides amusement for anyone acquainted with the long-running TV comedy, Last of the Summer Wine for on it is inscribed "These properties belonging to the Dean and Chapter were renovated in 1979-1980 with the help of a substantial legacy from Mrs Norah Batty". (Thanks to reader Nigel Stapley for the photograph of it below).

The Little Abbey Court
Today, those who pass along Abbey Street may enjoy the sight of a verdant grassy lawn which covers the entire area between the Cathedral, the street and the City Walls, known as the Cathedral Green, where every four years the venerable Mystery Plays are now performed. But it wasn't always like this, and until the end of the 19th century, much of the area was covered by private houses and the area was known as the Little Abbey Court. A matter of further interest is that that these houses were constructed from the remains of an important medieval establishment which passed from use with the suppression of the monastery- the Infirmary. This was used not only for the accomodation of sick monks but also for the lodging of those brothers who, by reason of age and infirmity, were incapable of taking part in the regular routine of the monastery.
Monastic infirmaries generally consisted of an accomodation hall, kitchens and chapel. In time, the central area of the great hall became an open courtyard from where the surrounding cells of the infirm monks could be accessed, as well as the kitchens and, by way of the slype or 'maiden's aisle', the east cloister of the abbey. An outer gateway gave access to the burial grounds and to Abbey Street.
After the Dissolution, the chapel and other buildings became derelict and eventually disappeared but the old cells of the monks were added to and adapted into dwelling houses and these are clearly shown on 18th and 19th century maps of the city.
The last remnants of the kitchens were demolished during improvement work by Dean Cholmondeley in 1809 at which time an old door was discovered and a dark passageway beyond. A witness at the event later recorded that "a light was procured and we went in at least 70 yards in the bowels of the earth, taking a direction apparently south-east. It extended further but we did not advance. Others, more daring, proceeded afterwards a greater distance. It was a regular footway. It is now covered with earth but the entrance to it is marked by a small archway and is about ten feet below the surface. it is to be lamented that this passage was not further explored under authority".
This mysterious passageway, seemingly of Roman origin, was later mentioned in Hansall's Stranger in Chester (1816) and in W T Watkin's great Roman Cheshire (1886), in which some later explorations of the relic are described in which it was said to be circular and at least ten feet in height. Dating from centuries before the establishment of the abbey, it seems likely that part of the passageway came to light during early construction work and was incorporated into the cellars of the infirmary and later dwelling houses. Its situation today is entirely unknown, by this writer at least.
There were five old houses standing in the Little Abbey Court- also known as the Abbey Close- when the the greater Abbey Court, some distance to the west, was renamed Abbey Square in the middle of the 18th century. As previously noted, they originated from the five lodgings of the sick monks and radiated from a central courtyard. A watercolour of 1875 shows some of the old houses, two-storied structures of red sandstone with upper floors of black-and-white work standing on the north side of the court. On the west side there is an ancient sandstone building, also of two stories, with mullioned windows capped by dripstone mouldings and the ground floor fronts show signs of niche or canopy works.
The residents of this secluded little group of houses in the 19th century were, to a considerable extent, connected with the affairs of the cathedral and it seems likely that the same association applied to those residing here in earlier times- minor canons, organists and the like- and their names and occupations are recorded in the local directories of their day. One of these, a Mr Frederick Gunton, was a teacher of the cathedral choristers who would make use of an apple tree which grew in the courtyard to obtain 'instruments of chastisement at choir practise".
All was to end in December 1884, however, when the entire area was demolished and the green lawns we see today were laid over their venerable foundations. The old apple tree survived the destruction, however, and was recorded as still flourishing in 1918. Our photograph shows the spot where the monk's infirmary and Little Abbey Court once stood now being enjoyed by sunbathers.

Rejoining the city wall and looking over the parapet, we see a tree-lined area, now used for car parking, and long known as the Kaleyards. Descending the stone steps, we see next to them a narrow opening in the wall, equipped with a stout oak door. This is the Kaleyard Gate and is a smaller and less ancient affair than Chester's other gates.
In 1275, the third year of the reign of Edward I, the Abbot of St.Werburgh's Abbey requested permission of the town to construct a postern in the walls at this place so his monks could avoid having to go round via the Eastgate to attend their vegetable gardens situated just outside the walls. In these troubled times, when the risk of armed attack by Llewellyn's Welshmen was a deadly reality, all the city gates were closed at curfew- at that time 8.00pm- and at times of danger. Thus, there was considerable unease at the Abbot's request, and permission was only eventually granted as long as the Abbey assumed responsibility for closing the new gate at curfew and for making it secure during times of crisis.
Some time later, the monks were allowed to make yet another opening in the walls, "where the swine sty used to be", the proposed door "to be of such dimensions that a man on foot might lead a horse through without difficulty, the same to be closed in time of war should the safety of the city require it." It was also ordered that a "drawbridge should be put across the fosse at the Kaleyard gate". This fosse was a deep ditch, a standard feature of a Roman fortress, which ran outside the north and east walls. Having filled up over the centuries with the accumulated debris of the town, it was re-excavated at the time of the Baron's war in 1264 as a defensive measure, and was still in existence in the late 16th century, when it appears on Braun's Map, but has since entirely vanished. The northern section, originally the Roman fosse, was re-excavated for a third time in the 18th century to carry the bed of the new Shropshire Union Canal. (The contractor, expecting to have to excavate through solid rock, was doubtlessly pleasantly- and profitably- surprised to encounter the forgotten ditch).
Its presence at the Eastgate was first shown in 1860, when workmen were trying for a foundation for a new building just outside the gate, and had to excavate to a depth of 30 feet before they found rock at the bottom of the ancient fosse.
Despite the convenience of the new openings, it would appear that the safety of the monks became an issue: after many complaints that the garden was frequently robbed and "The monks assailed with abuse", the Abbot was granted a licence during the reign of Henry V to close the two gates leading to the Kaleyards as the Abbey saw fit. After Henry VIII's supression of the monasteries, the duty of securing the gates fell to the Dean and Chapter of the newly-created Cathedral.
The swine sty postern survived until the late 17th century, when it was removed during repairs to the walls following the end of the Civil War.
During this conflict, Sir William Brereton, leader of the besieging Parliamentary forces, observed of the Kaleyard Gate, "All the ports made up (gates sealed up) and strong guards sett upon them, some of them within pistoll shott soe that none remained open but one little sally porte whiche is betwixt the Phenix Tower and the Eastgate".

The curfew is still rung from the Cathedral belltower at 8.45 each evening. The Kaleyard Gate was, until recently, still locked every night at nine o'clock by a cathedral verger and opened again at sunrise. It was the only remaining city gate at which this ancient custom was still observed and originated in the Norman law of couvre feu ('cover fire'- which gave rise to the modern curfew) when, to ensure the safety of the largely timber-built town, the gates were closed and all fires had to be extinguished. Sadly, a few years ago, the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral, expressing concern that their staff may possibly be assaulted during the carrying out of their duties, did away with seven and a half centuries of tradition and discontinued the evening locking of the Kaleyard Gate. The old sign showing the opening and closing times remains attached to the door, however.

Mason's Marks
Passing through the gate and turning around, notice the great eruptions of Roman masonry running along the base of the present wall to our left and note also the variety of building styles evident in stonework ranging from the 1st to the 20th centuries. You may rejoin the wall here either by re-ascending the steps or walking up the ramp.

Looking around, you may spot carved into the triangular coping an anchor and "692 feet". This marks the distance between here and the Phoenix Tower and represents the length of the Great Eastern, the double-hulled steam and sail ship which was launched in 1858 and used for the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable in 1866. This great vessel, which was originally called the Leviathan, was built in four years by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and weighed 19,216 tonnnes- several times the size of the largest ships of the time. Her vast size greatly impressed the public mind, and especially that of one Mr Musgrave, who owned the woodyard next to Cow Lane Bridge, for he commissioned William Haswell, a master mason, to record the event on the wall here. (By 1874 the Great Eastern had become obsolete and ended her days in the River Mersey as a floating advertisment for Lewis' department store, lying at anchor with music hall shows and circus acts on board. She was broken up at Tranmere in 1889).

The sharp-eyed may spot other marks along the way, such as initials, symbols and dates which appear at numerous locations on the walls. These were inscribed by the generations of masons who have maintained, repaired and rebuilt the walls over the centuries- Chester's Murengers. The earliest examples were left by Roman Centurions in charge of construction gangs, each of whom would have been responsible for completing a given length of wall.

Chester's first Infant school was opened in the Kaleyards, following the forming of a benevolent society set up for the purpose in 1825, under the direction of the-then Bishop of Chester, Dr. Blomfield. A public subscription was raised to pay for the building, but when this proved to be insufficient, the ladies of Chester held a grand bazaar, which raised £357, and the new school opened in July 1826. The bazaar funds also helped the society to extend their benevolent activities to other needy parts of the city. The schools were largely supported by the parents of each child attending paying one penny per week.

On 14th August 1940, a Luftwaffe Heinkel HE III bomber attacked RAF Sealand, causing damage to some of the buildings. Three Spitfires from the nearby Hawarden airfield were scrambled and attacked the enemy plane as it was making its third bombing run, bringing it down in a field near to Border House Farm in Bumper's Lane (close to where the recycling centre is now). The crew all survived and were incarcerated briefly in cells at Chester Castle and spent the rest of the war as prisoners in Canada. As a morale (and fund)-raising exercise, the remains of the Heinkel were put on display in the Kaleyards, together with a money collection box.

Frodsham Follies
Ahead of you through the Kaleyards is the busy shopping area of Frodsham Street, formerly known as Cow Lane from the fact that the cattle market, until the 1960s, was situated near the end of this street.
Even earlier, Frodsham Street was the commencement of the Roman road which ran from the fortress, along the line of modern Brook Street, through the suburb of Hoole (where these words are being written)- and on to Frodsham and Warrington. Much of the route remains in use to this day- although some sections, as at the Newton Hollows in Hoole, are now little more than footpaths.
Compare the modern view of the Kaleyards with this slightly fuzzy, but fascinating 'artist's impression' from the remarkable Greenwood Redevelopment Plan of 1944- when this country was still enmeshed in the Second World War- which advocated demolishing the entire west side of Frodsham Street and landscaping the area to create a new city park, and to restore the area's ancient name, the Hop Pole Paddock. How delightful. Notice the fountain among the trees in the centre. You can also see the familiar Kaleyard Gate, stone steps and ramp on the city wall in the foreground.
We shall encounter a number of other bold proposals from Greenwood's grand scheme- none of which, for good or bad, were ever acted upon- during the remaining course of our stroll.
Times have changed, and today's planners and commercial interests too often seem to consider the open spaces within and around our city- school playing fields, allotments, green fields and meadows- even Roman amphitheatres, for heaven's sake- as mere 'development opportunities' to be sold off and built upon.
And indeed, in early 2000, we were concerned to hear that a company by the name of Ethel Austin Shop Properties had sought planning permission to erect a two-storey building in Frodsham Street, immediately next to the pedestrian access to the 13th century Kaleyard Gate, a location described by the city's conservation officer as "an exceptionally sensitive site".
Councillors were warned by senior council planner David Edwards that the building would be "over dominant", would virtually fill this end of the Kaleyards, would necessitate the removal of all trees and shrubs (and no replacement landscaping was indicated on the plans)- and that it "owed nothing to local architectural styles".
The Chester Civic Trust objected to the proposals, describing them as being "seriously inappropriate". They noted that the "overblown scale of the mock timber framing on the building, together with other design features, were objectionable in relation to the city walls, shops and listed public houses on Frodsham Street", that the narrowness of the alley that would be created between existing shops and the new structure would be "oppressive and potentially dangerous" and that it would block the only remaining viewpoint outside the city walls from where one can see the Cathedral and Town Hall tower. (and what a view!)
Given such a body of well-reasoned objection, councillors had little difficulty in wisely dismissing the application which was duly withdrawn by the aspiring developers- who then promptly appealed to Environment Secretary John Prescott on the grounds "that the council had not decided its application"- and even demanded that the council should pay the costs of that appeal!
By the time this came about, in February 2001, the developers claimed their building had been "totally redesigned" and attempted to have this version considered by the government Inspector. He, however, declined to do so, explaining that an appeal must be based upon the original application and that people must be allowed time to consider and comment upon the revised plans.
Both designs were the handiwork of Liverpool-based architect Craig Foster, incidentally.
In their original objection, the Civic Trust had concluded that "this is a visually and historically important site which needs a distinguished design sensitively related to the local distinctiveness of its setting". But better by far, we say, would be to reconsider the good Mr Greenwood's proposals of so long ago. Not, of course, that we would advocate his large-scale demolition of existing buildings, but the adoption of the Kaleyards as a much-needed 'green lung'- a place of rest and recreation in the heart of the bustling commercial centre of our city- would certainly be much appreciated by residents and do much to attract visitors. The current proposals for the relocation of Chester's smaller car parks, such as that currently occupying much of the Kaleyards, would surely add to the viability of the scheme.

The less-than-attractive sight from this, probably the most visited section of Chester's city walls, of the back doors, rubbish bins and banners of the adjoining mediocre Mercia Square development makes it additionally important that the remaining areas surrounding the Kaleyards should not end up the same way. A new park here would be an ideal location for concerts and an open-air market too.
But what were we thinking? This is Chester after all. By the end of September 2001, all parties had kissed and made up and Ethel Austin's re-design had been approved by city planners- even the Civic Trust described it as "much improved". We are told that the design is "in keeping with the mixed architectural character of Frodsham Street and avoids obscuring views of the cathedral". We shall see. We also hear that the design is "supported by the City Centre Conservation Area Advisory Committee".
So what would we know? Watch this space for further news and, hopefully, some 'artist's impressions' of the new building.
We wonder, also, what arrangements are to be made, in terms of funding and time, for a thorough archaeological investigation of this sensitive and historic site- once part of a legionary parade ground adjoining a Roman road, where people have lived and traded for two thousand years- and what efforts will be made to protect any possible finds?
We will be discussing further dodgy developments, past and present, at the other end of the Kaleyards in our Eastgate chapter...

This remarkable aerial view- a detail from John McGahey's famous View of Chester from a Balloon- shows the Kaleyards and their surroundings as they appeared in 1855.

We now turn our attention to the great and ancient building now rising before us: Chester Cathedral...