Dutch Houses

Dutch Houses are three connected buildings on Bridge Street with four stories and an attic, featuring sandstone walls with timber framing and twisted pilasters along the facade. The ground level holds modern shops, while the upper floors contain homes reached through the Chester Rows gallery walkways.

Built around 1670, the structures reflect Dutch trade influence that shaped Chester's economy during that era. They stand among the pioneering vertical commercial buildings that rose as the city became a major trading hub.

These buildings are part of Chester Rows, an elevated walkway system where visitors and locals still move through shops and galleries much as merchants did centuries ago. The covered passage shows how people organized trade and daily commerce in a compact medieval city center.

The buildings sit in Chester's center and are easily reached through the Chester Rows pedestrian walkway at elevated level. You can explore the shops and experience the gallery structure while walking at a steady grade without steep stairs or major elevation changes.

In the 1970s, hidden steel frameworks replaced the original timber supports while leaving the exterior completely unchanged. This invisible reinforcement allowed the buildings to keep their historical look while gaining modern structural strength.