Site Event/Activity record ECH3171 - Excavations at Linenhall Street (now St Martin's Way), 1961 (Chester)

In 1961, Thompson and Petch cut sections and carried out watching briefs during reconstruction of a car park in an area 91m north- south x 37m east-west (c. SJ 40286635-40306626). Features revealed in 12 trenches include three medieval pits and a possible lime kiln, all containing C13-C14 pottery and a circular pit 1.8m diameter x 1.2m deep with two postholes on west side (trench 1); three sides of a rectangular sandstone building with a slabbed floor and a cess-pit cut through it, containing one medieval sherd, not earlier than C13 (trench 2). Also, four pits containing medieval and post medieval pottery and one post medieval pit with a mass of pottery of c.1700 date, with combed Staffs slip-ware, Delft and brown-glazed wares (1). For Roman period, see RN: 3000/1/32, and for Saxon, see RN: 3012/0/11 (1). The site of a possible Medieval Flare/Draw Lime Kiln was identified in 1961 by archaeological excavations. It has however, been totally removed by urban development of the area (construction of a Car-Park) (2).Substantial area affected by redevelopment immediately north of Holy Trinity church and extending north for 90m as far as the former Holy Trinity School. The excavations revealed evidence of the extra mural road 6m wide bounded on the west by a stone drain, the V shaped fortress ditch originally 7.5m wide and 3m deep, the berm with a later possibly medieval furnace like structure cut into it, the fortress wall, also cut by the same furnace with evidence of two phases of construction, The Agricolan rampart, a circular pit of probable medieval date and evidence of a legionary oven (1) Referred to as Site No 36 in the City Defences Monograph (3)