31 and 33 Dee Banks, Chester
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| 31 and 33 Dee Banks, Chester | |
|---|---|
 31 and 33 Dee Banks Number 33 is on the right | |
| Location | Chester, Cheshire, England |
| Coordinates | 53°11′09″N 2°52′07″W / 53.1858°N 2.8687°W |
| OS grid reference | SJ 420,657 |
| Built | 1869 |
| Built for | John Douglas |
| Architect | John Douglas |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Beauford Lodge (No.31) and front garden walls and gate piers |
| Designated | 10 January 1972 |
| Reference no. | 1375759 |
  Location in Cheshire | |
31 and 33 Dee Banks is a pair of semi-detached houses in Chester, Cheshire, England. The houses are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.[1] The historical importance of the houses, in addition to their listing, is that they were designed by the Chester architect John Douglas, who lived in No. 33 for 20 years.
The houses stand on the east side of Dee Banks[1] in Great Boughton, Chester, about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the city centre, in an elevated position overlooking the River Dee, with views over meadowland towards the city.[2]
History
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.[2] From the time he moved to Chester in either 1855 or 1860, Douglas and his family lived in Abbey Square in the centre of the city, initially above his office at No. 6 and later next door at No. 4.[3] 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.[4] An oriel window was added to the upper storey of No. 31 in about 1945.[1]
