Blue Bell, Chester

The Blue Bell is a restaurant housed in a timber-framed building dating to the mid-15th century, located at Northgate Street in Chester and built on a sandstone base with grey slate roofing. The structure displays characteristic gables and exposed wooden framework that identifies it as a typical example of medieval construction from that period.

The structure originated as two separate medieval houses built around the mid-15th century, making it one of the oldest surviving examples of this building type in Chester. The southern section received its first inn license in 1494, and the building later served other purposes including as an antique shop before becoming a restaurant.

The northern section has a distinctive feature where the street pavement runs through the ground floor, creating a separate space between the sidewalk and the road. This layout still shapes how people move through and experience the interior today.

The building sits on uneven medieval ground, resulting in irregular floors and varying floor levels throughout the interior. The narrow street location and historic structure mean that movement is somewhat restricted, particularly in the older sections of the house.

The separate chamber in the northern section once served as a stagecoach ticket office during the 1700s, revealing the building's role in the historical transport network. This unusual function left its mark on the architecture, which visitors can still observe today.