Fascinating history of England's oldest-surviving shop front - right here in Chester

 

The Three Old Arches on Bridge Street Chester (Image: Cheshire Live)

A white shop front in Chester city centre holds a long and fascinating history, which many may not know about.

Thousands of people have walked past the building on 48, Bridge Street with the eye-catching words 'Three Old Arches' written in old-fashioned calligraphy.

However, its history is even more fascinating.

The stone frontage at the street and row levels of number 48 is considered to be the earliest shop front still surviving in England, having been built in the 13th century and still stands today.

It was once the largest known medieval town house in the Chester Rows, and the stone-walled hall at the row level extending to number 50 was the largest hall set parallel to the rows.

During the 14th century, the building was extended to the south into what is now number 50, when the hall, set parallel to the rows, was also built.

The blue plaque on the Three Old Arches building on Bridge Street, Chester (Image: Cheshire Live)

In the 20th century part of the building was used by William Jones, a grocer and in the 1960s the business was taken over by the department store of Owen Owen, but this sadly closed in 1999.

However, the shop front is still intact and the ground floor continues to be used and is the maternity and baby clothing shop, JoJo Maman Bébé.

Both number 48 and 50 are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building and incorporate part of the Chester Rows.

On the building there is a blue plaque to remember its history, which reads: "The Three Old Arches form the facade of a row building dating from the c.1200, believed to be the earliest surviving shop frontage in England.

"The structure behind was rebuilt in the early to mid 14th century, as an impressive stone town house with a hall which is still partly intact."

In the under-croft of number 48, the original stone pillars have now been replaced by cast iron columns.

However, the under-croft of number 50 retains its original stone arch and much of the medieval stone hall remains at the level of the row, which extends between numbers 48 and 50.

It is the largest stone-walled hall set parallel with the row in Chester, measuring over 12 metres by over eight metres, and it contains four medieval doorways.

The hall also contains a 16th century open fireplace with a 19th century cast iron range.