Bishop Lloyd's House

The house originated as two town houses which were built on medieval undercrofts. It was rebuilt during the 17th century when the two buildings were converted into one. The rebuilt house broke with the medieval fashion of having the main residential accommodation in a great hall at the row level; instead the principal living accommodation was in two "elegant chambers" in the floor above the row. The house has been associated with George Lloyd, who was Bishop of Chester from 1605 to 1615, and his daughter Ann, who married Thomas Yale, son of the Chancellor of Chester David Yale, members of the Yale family of Yale University. By the 19th century it had become run down, the carvings on its…

The two undercrofts have walls of red sandstone rubble, with brick barrel vaults which were probably added in the 18th century. In the third storey are two rooms. The larger room has an ornate 17th-century plaster ceiling and a massive fireplace; it is thought that these were moved from the Bishop's Palace in Abbey Square after this was damaged in the Civil War. The smaller room also has a plaster ceiling, less ornate than in the other room. This includes motifs including Tudor roses, horses, and starfish. Around the room is a frieze containing sea-monsters. In this room is a smaller fireplace in the overmantel of which is a carving of Cupid riding on a lion.

There are shops on the ground floor level and at the level of the row. The house above is open free of charge to visitors at advertised times. It has two large meeting rooms which are available to hire. The building contains the headquarters of the Chester Civic Trust.