Site Event/Activity record ECH2476 - Excavations at Eccleston Avenue (Eaton Road) in 1929 (Chester)

Evidence of Roman cremation burials and structures were encountered to the east of Eaton Road in 1929 during the cutting of a new road, later called Eccleston Avenue. The avenue formed part of a new Corporation housing estate. The initial discovery was made in June 1929 by the workers involved in the road construction, however, it was possible to archaeologically investigate a single trench. The activity was concentrated around the junction between Eccleston Avenue and Eaton Road (1) The discoveries, as they were described in 1929 consisted of; 1. A section of corner stone approximately 9.70m east from Eaton Road at a depth of 0.60m.(1) 2. Subsequently, a shattered red ware urn was discovered 7.60m east from Eaton Road of a late first to early second century date. It contained cremated human remains, but also, significantly, was surrounded by a quantity of cremated human remains totalling 6.8kg. The remains were those of a young adult.(1) 3. At a distance of 11.27m east from Eaton Road, a section across Eccleston Avenue was archaeologically excavated by W. J. Williams to a depth of 1.67m below the present ground level. This encountered a mass of corase rubble and cobbles approximately 0.60m thick bedded in grey silt at the base of the trench. No dating evidence was recovered, however. (1) 4. A few weeks later, a trench to the north of the archaeological trench encountered a second stone similar to the corner stone previously encountered. (1)