Site Event/Activity record ECH3869 - Excavations at the former BT Exchange Building, 4 Boughton, 2001 (Chester)

Evaluation carried out on the site of the former BT Exchange, the Bars, Chester in advance of redevelopment of the site (1). The site is considered to have a good archaeological potential for Roman, medieval and post-medieval evidence. The evaluation comprised a rapid desk-top study followed by the excavation of six trial trenches, a sandstone cellar of probable post-medieval date was noted close to the street frontage while elsewhere the stream bed previously identified in the 1950s was again recorded. Hand excavation of the stream produced a substantial assemblage of Roman finds including pottery and butchered bone. Part of a timber structure of Roman date was also identified to the east of the stream. The Roman levels lie beneath a considerable soil overburden and thus the vulnerability of the archaeology is dependent on the location, depth and extent of ground disturbance (1).