Site Event/Activity record ECH3011 - Excavations at the Old Zion Chapel Site, Northwich

Zion Chapel, Beeston Street, excavated in 1974 by the Northwich Archaeological Group. Two trenches: a large triangular‐shaped area excavation and a smaller linear evaluation trench to the north. These located a reducing fort ditch that truncated the foundations for earlier timber buildings. Finds material is held by Cheshire Museums. (1) An interim report was published (Dent 1975). The features recorded were originally considered to have been outside the auxiliary fort which existed to the north‐east. A rectangular building comprising timber slots was recorded, along with associated pits and post holes, containing second century pottery. These were overlain by a ditch, running at right angles to the Chester road, which had been re‐cut four times before it was filled in prior to the building of the chapel in the 19th century. (2) Photograph labelled 'Part of the Roman defences excavated in Zion Street showing the ditch in the foreground…'. (3) Following the excavations in 1983-5 at the Bowling Green/Garages site, the features found at Zion Chapel were re-interpreted as a phase 1 barrack block belonging to the primary fort, cut by the reducing western ditch of the later, smaller fort. (sources 4-5)