St Martins Lodge

St Martins Lodge is a Grade II listed Georgian villa in Chester, Cheshire, England, originally built as a private residence named the Rectory and later St Martin's Villa. It was designed by the renowned classical architect Thomas Harrison as his own home, and he lived there from 1820 until his death in 1829. The building stands on the site of the former gardens of a medieval convent, Nun's Field, reflecting Chester's deep religious and architectural history. Today the building operates as The Architect, a classic pub restaurant within Chester's city walls, overlooking the racecourse at Roodee. It is part of the Brunning & Price family of pubs, a group that began in the North West and North Wales and now has branches across the South of England. The pub is named in honour of Thomas Harrison, who also designed Grosvenor Bridge and much of Chester Castle. The Architect is described as a story of two halves: the original Georgian building retains cosy, domestic rooms that serve as intimate dining rooms in classic style, while a newer garden room offers a spacious open-plan area with a large bar at its heart and glazed doors leading to a dining terrace. As a city centre pub, parking is limited, but the venue is well served by nearby car parks. The menu focuses on quality fresh ingredients prepared in a modern but unpretentious way, with a spine of classic British dishes complemented by more exotic influences. The pub also hosts community events such as monthly charity pub walks and seasonal activities like Spooky Walks. It maintains an active presence on social media and offers a mailing list with a monthly competition to win a meal. St Martins Lodge is a notable example of a historic building repurposed as a hospitality venue, preserving its architectural heritage while serving the local community and visitors to Chester.

St Martins Lodge, originally known as the Rectory and later St Martin's Villa, is a Grade II listed villa in Chester, Cheshire, England. The building stands on land that in medieval times was part of the gardens and vegetable plots of religious institutions. The area from Chester Castle to the former infirmary was occupied by monasteries including the Black Friars, White Friars, and Grey Friars, as well as the Benedictine Nuns of St Mary's, whose convent was situated near the current HQ building. These institutions were disbanded during the dissolution of the monasteries between 1536 and 1541, and the convent came into the ownership of the Brereton family, with the building and site granted to Uriah Brereton in 1542. A map of 1745 shows a building still standing on the site of the original convent, but this had disappeared by 1796 according to a map by John Stockdale. The current building was constructed in what would have been the convent's gardens, called Nun's Field. It was designed by the renowned classical architect Thomas Harrison as his own home. Harrison was born in Richmond, Yorkshire, in 1744, the son of a carpenter, and showed early aptitude for mathematics, drawing, and mechanics. He lived in the house from 1820 until his death in 1829 at the age of 85. Harrison was a prolific architect who also designed Grosvenor Bridge and much of Chester Castle. In modern times, the building has been repurposed as a pub restaurant named The Architect, in honour of Thomas Harrison. It is operated by Brunning & Price, a pub group that began in the North West and North Wales and now has a branch of the family in the South, each pub with its own style and flavour. The pub is located within Chester's city walls, overlooking the racecourse at Roodee. The interior is divided into two distinct areas: the original Georgian building with cosy, domestic rooms serving as intimate dining rooms, and a newer garden room with a spacious open-plan layout, a large central bar, and glazed doors leading to a dining terrace. The pub offers a menu of classic British dishes with international influences, prepared with quality fresh ingredients. It also hosts community events such as monthly charity pub walks and seasonal activities.

• 1829

  Thomas Harrison dies at the age of 85.

• 1820

  Thomas Harrison moves into the newly built house (then the Rectory/St Martin's Villa) and lives there until his death.

• 1796

  John Stockdale's map shows the earlier building has disappeared.

• 1745

  Map shows a building still standing on the site of the original convent.

• 1542

  Convent building and site granted to Uriah Brereton.

• 1536

  Dissolution of the monasteries begins; religious institutions in the area disbanded.

• Building becomes a pub restaurant named The Architect under Brunning & Price.

A historic Grade II listed building operating as a classic pub restaurant within Chester's city walls, offering quality fresh food and cask ales in a characterful setting.

• Classic British dishes

• Cask ales

• Fresh food menu

1. 1Fresh Food & Cask Ales - The Architect, Chester | Pub by Chester Racecoursebrunningandprice.co.uk
2. 2History of the pub - The Architect, Chester | Pub by Chester Racecoursebrunningandprice.co.uk
3. 3Brunning & Price | Our Pubs & Storybrunningandprice.co.uk
4. 4St Martins Lodge - Wikidatawikidata.org