Shot Tower

The Chester Lead Works was constructed in 1799 by Walkers, Parkers & Co. It is situated along the Shropshire Union Canal, which was established in 1772 to link Chester and Nantwich. 

The site is situated within the Boughton Canalside Conservation Area. It includes the Chester Shot Tower, a Grade II* listed building, and the oldest and largest surviving building of its kind in the UK. Standing at 41.2m high, the shot tower is one of Chester’s tallest structures. It serves as a prominent landmark within the city and aids in navigation, acting as a wayfinding point for locals and visitors alike. 

The vision for the Shot Tower development was to establish the site as a housing-led scheme that forms an integral part of the area’s wider regeneration. The proposal provides new public spaces, focuses on accommodation, increases pedestrian accessibility, and establishes new and improved connections to the broader community. 

The key objectives of the project were to create a high-quality housing-led scheme with a suitable mix of dwelling types, restore and bring back into use a major landmark within the city of Chester. We developed new high-quality public spaces on the site, improve connectivity to the north and south side of the Shropshire Union Canal from Waitrose through to the new business quarter and the rail station, and contribute to the regeneration of the city of Chester and the Boughton Canalside Conservation Area. 

The new-build residential apartment blocks are sensitively designed and connected to the existing buildings we reflected the industrial heritage of the former leadworks using a palette of copper and grey standing seam metal cladding and Cheshire red brick. 

Working with Chester/Cheshire West planning authority, Historic England, Chester Civic Trust and the Canal and River Trust we effectively engaged with key stakeholders throughout the planning process, holding early discussions and presentations to ensure their input was valued and translated into the design where appropriate. 

The sculpture, created by artist Colin Spofforth, celebrates the area’s industrial heritage. It features a crouching figure balanced on two large spheres, with the body encrusted with metal balls representing the lead balls made by the factory. The sculpture is titled ‘Mr. Walker’ in recognition of Samuel Walker and the Walker family, who built the tower and operated the factory for 100 years.