Bishop Lloyd's Palace

Description and Floor Plan

One of the finest examples of timber framing in Chester: the Palace was originally two town houses built over medieval undercrofts.  Rebuilt in the early seventeenth century, the two houses may have become one at this time or, possibly, later in the seventeenth century when major internal alterations took place.

The right hand side (when facing the building from the pavement) is dated 1615 and is one of the best examples of timber framing in Chester. It is thought to have been associated with George Lloyd, Bishop of Sodor and Man (15599 – 1605) and Bishop of Chester (1605 –1615).  Bishop Lloyd died in 1615, so if the date of inscription is correct, he may have lived there only briefly, if at all!

The front gable displays an abundance of seventeenth century carving including the Legs of Man (for the bishopric), three horses heads (for the Lloyd family) and the arm of James I (1603-1625). There are also biblical scenes and heraldic beasts (including an elephant and castle).

The building was heavily restored; by T M Lockwood in the 1890’s, and both the internal and external appearance owe much to his work. The left hand side was refronted to reflect the composition of the other gable. The mullioned windows with decorative leaded glazing date from this time.

Lockwood also altered the Row running through both sections of the building and repositioned the Row posts supporting the chambers above.                                                                     

Rooms 1 and 2 are the main rooms for booking.  Note that there is a small kitchen preparation area for hot or cold drinks and cold food.  The room adjacent to the kitchen is suitable for an external caterer supplying hot meals.

Large Room 1

The main features of this room are the ornate seventeenth century plaster ceiling and the massive fireplace. These were not originally designed for this building. It is thought that both the ceiling and the fireplace may have come from the Bishop’s Palace in Abbey Square, which was largely destroyed by parliamentary bombardment during the Civil War (1642-1646). St Anselm’s Chapel, the bishop’s private chapel, which still survives as part of the cathedral, has a plaster ceiling that is almost identical to the one in this room. Inventories of the Bishop’s Palace record a massive fireplace and it would not have been unusual to remove these expensive features to a new building in the mid-seventeenth century.

Small Room  2

The plasterwork in his room does not equal the quality of the ceiling in the larger room. However, there are many interesting motifs including Tudor roses, horsed, ship’s wheels and starfish. Around the room is a sea-monster frieze, partly hidden by later wooden panelling. Watergate Street was the main route from the port of Chester so maritime designs are not unusual in this area.

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