Forest House

The Forest House is on Love Street, and was built in c1759 as the town house of Trafford Barnston. His grandson, Roger, served in the Crimea and died from his wounds at Lucknow, Northern India, in 1857, so ending the Barnston connection with this fine building. There is a blue plaque on the side of the building which commemorates his father, also called Roger Barnston, who was High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1800, and who entertained the Duke of Wellington at the Forest House in 1817.

The Forest House is the central block of one of Chester's finest surviving Georgian buildings. The large oval courtyard and iron gates at the front were removed in the early 1900s to make way for the Chester Co-op department store. The building was designed after the style of Sir Robert Taylor. Appointed architect to the Bank of England, in 1764, and later Architect of the King's Works, Taylor left his fortune to Oxford University.

Only the central block now remains. During the 19th century it was used as auction rooms, then a furniture depository, and following which it was used as a night club. Now it is a Wetherspoons pub, and anyone can go in to look around.

See our Chester self-catering serviced apartment at Black Diamond Park

Voir notre appartement meublé avec cuisine situé à Black Diamond Park