Site Event/Activity record ECH3122 - Excavations at Old Market Hall, Chester Phase 1 1963-64 (Central Redevelopment Area)

The Old Market Hall/Central Redevelopment Area scheme was planned in the early 1960s as a large scale redevelopment of the Northgate area. A series of excavations were subsequently planned by the Grosvenor Museum and Liverpool University's Department of Classical Archaeology beginning in 1963. A number of site codes were applied to the sites over a period of 7-8 years. According to the published monograph the following areas were excavated (site codes based on monograph): CRK/PR 1963/64 Excavations at Crook Street June 1963 - May 1964 (Grosvenor Museum) ECH3122 CRK/PR 1965 Excavations in the western half of Elliptical Building Feb-Apr 1965 (Liverpool) ECH4963 OMHI 1967 Excavations at the Old Market Hall July-Dec 1967 (Grosvenor) ECH2838 OMHII 1967/8 Excavations at the Old Market Hall (Liverpool) ECH5461 OMHIII 1968 Excavations to the rear of the Town Hall (Grosvenor) ECH3124 OMHIV 1969 Excavations at the Old Market Hall (Liverpool) ECH3130 OMHV 1969/70 Excavations at the Old Market Hall (Grosvenor) ECH2786 The work was largely carried out as salvage investigations either as a watching brief of contractors trenches or rapid excavation in advance of redevelopment and adequate publication did not occur until almost 30 years later. The results of the excavations were extensive, however, recording a substantial amount of archaeological evidence from the Roman period to the present day. Salvage excavations between February and November of 1963 recorded several barrack buildings were located combined with narrow buildings of an unknown purpose. A street was also noted at the north end of the barracks. Limited evidence can be understood from the trench plan which notes excavated wall features across the site. Further excavations were carried out by Petch in the Crook Street area in 1964 and salvage works in 1965. Ultimately the site produced evidence of several barrack blocks, a road, the workshops and another store building to the north of the workshops (2).