Three Old Arches, Grade I listed building in Chester, England
The Three Old Arches is a stone building in Chester featuring three rounded arches that open at street level above the ground-floor shop, with sturdy piers that extend from the storefront windows to create a distinctive arcade rhythm. The structure sits at 48 Bridge Street and continues to serve commercial purposes while displaying its medieval stonework.
The structure dates to the 13th century, when Chester was developing its central trading streets with permanent stone buildings. It retained its original doorways and stone hall through the centuries, making it one of Chester's oldest commercial buildings.
The building shows how medieval traders designed their shops with open arcades at street level that connected directly to daily commerce. This layout shapes Chester's center today and reveals how people once lived and worked in the same space.
Located on Bridge Street in Chester's center, the building is easily accessible on foot with clear views of its arches from street level. The active shop front allows visitors to appreciate the medieval stonework and proportions without needing special access.
This is one of England's oldest surviving buildings where an arcade runs continuously at street level, a design that was groundbreaking for allowing merchants to display goods beneath while maintaining living space above. The structure demonstrates an early solution to combining commerce with residential needs in a crowded medieval street.
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