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Listed building set for new lease of life

A Grade 1 listed building in the centre of Chester is to be given a new lease of life by being turned into an art gallery, retail experience and photography studio.

Ambitious plans have been submitted to transform Booth Mansion on Watergate Street into one of the city’s premier attractions and cultural centres. At the heart of the plans is the stunning Assembly Room which will form a large central gallery, where local painters and sculptors will be able to display their work for the public to see and buy.

Cheshire-based photographer Linden Adams will be opening a shop at row level in the building with a photography studio to follow.

Clive Jones, who is in charge of the project, said: “Not many people in and around Chester are aware of the history of Booth Mansion. It’s a wonderful 18th century listed building right in the middle of the city. It started life as two medieval houses that were changed to its present form in 1700.

“I had the idea to turn the building into somewhere the people of Chester could go to see the works of local artists and discover the splendour of the building at the same time. In the future, we want artists from further afield to come and exhibit their works, and we have plans to install a digital art gallery and business centre too.”

Booth Mansion was the home of George Booth, the 2nd Earl of Warrington, and later became an assembly room for social functions. More recently, it has been used as an auction house and as offices for a firm of solicitors.

The new art centre, which will be known as Booth Mansion Gallery, is hoping to welcome its first visitors in early November.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nick Pagan .