Decorating Chester Terrace

Chester Terrace was designed by John Nash and built between 1825 and 1828 by James Burton, the most prolific speculative builder of the Regency period and father of the architect Decimus Burton. Named after one of the titles of the Earl of Chester (a title held by the eldest son of the reigning monarch), the terrace extends for approximately 940 feet along the eastern side of Regent's Park, making it the longest unbroken facade among all of Nash's terraces. The design is characteristically Nash in its scenic ambition: the terrace was conceived not as a row of individual houses but as a unified palace facade, its terminating pavilions connected to the main body by triumphal arches that frame views through to the service mews behind. The original houses, 42 in number, were of generous proportions, each with four or five principal rooms on the main floors. James Burton, who also built much of Bloomsbury and large portions of St Leonards-on-Sea, brought his considerable experience of speculative development to bear on the project, constructing the terrace with a commercial efficiency that Nash's more artistically inclined methods sometimes lacked. The terrace survived the Second World War largely intact, though some houses suffered bomb damage. A major restoration programme in the 1960s consolidated the structure and renewed the stucco facades, while more recent Crown Estate campaigns have addressed specific areas of deterioration. The terrace remains in residential use, its generous proportions and park-facing aspect commanding some of the highest residential values in London.

The decoration of Chester Terrace's continuous facade presents the particular challenge of maintaining colour and texture consistency across nearly a thousand feet of stuccoed elevation. Keim mineral silicate paint, specified by the Crown Estate for all Nash terraces, must be applied in carefully controlled conditions to avoid lap marks and tonal variation across this exceptional length. The work is typically divided into phases corresponding to the natural breaks provided by the triumphal arches, with each phase completed in continuous application to ensure uniformity within each section. Surface preparation is critical: all previous coatings must be tested for compatibility, and any areas of hollow or cracked render must be cut out and replaced with NHL 5.0 hydraulic lime mortar matched to the original. The incised ashlar lines in the stucco must be maintained during any re-rendering work, as these contribute significantly to the facade's architectural character. The Corinthian capitals of the end pavilions require particular expertise, their deeply carved acanthus leaves accumulating soiling and biological growth that must be removed by gentle brush cleaning and, where necessary, localised application of biocidal wash before repainting. The continuous iron balcony at first-floor level demands systematic treatment: hand preparation to remove loose rust, application of zinc-phosphate primer to all prepared surfaces, followed by micaceous iron oxide intermediate coat and alkyd gloss finish in the estate's standard black. The French windows at first-floor level, which are more exposed to weathering than the upper sash windows, require a robust linseed oil paint system with particular attention to the joint between the timber frame and the masonry reveal, which must be sealed with linseed oil putty rather than modern silicone sealants that are incompatible with lime-based substrates.