31 and 33 Dee Banks, Chester

The land on which the houses were constructed was owned by John Douglas; one of the houses (No. 33) was built for his own use and the other was probably an investment. Although the houses are dated 1869, the family did not move there until about 1876. Douglas' wife, Elizabeth, died in 1878, and Douglas continued to live with his family in 33 Dee Banks for a further 18 years until he built a large mansion, Walmoor Hill, for himself nearby in 1896. An oriel window was added to the upper storey of No. 31 in about 1945.

Other than the oriel window, the building is symmetrical and it has two storeys; each house is a mirror-image of the other. It is constructed in brown brick with diapering in blue brick and some stone dressings; the roof is of grey-green slate. The building has six bays, three to each house. The central two bays project forwards and each is gabled; there are smaller gables over the outer bays. In each angle outside the central bays is a timber-framed porch and a small conservatory with a hipped roof. The lower storey has sash windows in both central and outer bays. Between the storeys is diapered brickwork. In the upper storey, No. 31 has a five-faced oriel window in its outer bay, while…