Lowe & Sons: the Chester jeweller with more than 250 years of stories

Few shops anywhere can claim a history quite like Lowe & Sons. Established in 1770, the jeweller is Chester's oldest independent and is believed to be the second-oldest independent jeweller in the country. More than two and a half centuries on, it still trades from the Rows, the city's famous medieval galleried walkways.

The business has occupied 11 Bridge Street Row since 1804. The Lowe family bought the building after their original premises at The Pentice were demolished to widen the roads. Today the shop sits within a Grade II listed building, its historic interior as much a part of the experience as the jewellery in the cabinets.

The family story stretches far beyond Chester. Harold Lowe, a member of the family, served as fifth officer on the Titanic, helping to coordinate the evacuation and taking the helm of one of only two lifeboats that went back to search for survivors. Closer to home, the firm was commissioned to create a cigarette box enamelled with Aureole, the racehorse owned by Queen Elizabeth II, which Cheshire County Council presented to the Queen when she opened County Hall in July 1957.

There was a moment when that long story looked set to end. In 2018 the shop announced it would close after 248 years, and its final day of trading came that June. But the name did not stay dark for long. Neighbouring family jewellers Powells Fine Jewellery, run by Greg and Will Powell, bought the Lowe & Sons name, and the shop reopened on the Rows in November 2018 after a careful restoration.

Will Powell told the Chester Standard at the time that he and his father had always admired the shop and the business, and that they were fortunate enough to be able to buy the name.

Today Lowe & Sons sits alongside Powells Fine Jewellery and Powells Vintage Jewellery as part of the family's group of Chester shops. Its cases hold a mix of antique and new jewellery, together with silverware, including pieces hallmarked at the Chester Assay Office, a reminder of the city's own proud silversmithing past.

For anyone searching for an engagement ring, a special gift or simply a slice of Chester history, a visit is a must. It is the kind of shop where the building, the stock and the stories all deserve your time.

Lowe & Sons is at 11 Bridge Street Row East, Chester. Visit loweandsons.co.uk.