Site Event/Activity record ECH4135 - Trial Excavations at The Former BT Exchange Building St John Street, Chester, 2006

The results of an archaeological evaluation undertaken between March - April 2006 on the site of the former BT Exchange building, St John St., Chester. The site lies just north of the Roman amphitheatre in an area of known high archaeological potential. Previous limited excavations and observations on the site during the construction of the original telephone exchange (1930s) and later extensions (1950s and 1970s) confirmed the presence of archaeological remains across this general location. The present buildings are extensive and deeply cellared and the archaeological potential within their footprint is negligible. As part of this study, a rapid appraisal of former findings on and new the site was supplemented by the excavation of four trial trenches within a courtyard area at the centre of the Exchange Buildings complex. The findings have demonstrated that archaeology of considerable importance survives the later disturbance. Of particular note were the remains of a large ditch or pit, a substantial wall, a sandstone slab surface and a stone-lined pit or cellar. These features date to the late medieval and or early post-medieval periods. Interestingly, an inscribed sandstone slab, possibly part of a medieval grave cover, had been reused as a component part of a later flagstone surface. Other architectural fragments, most likely part of high status medieval or early post-medieval building that once stood in the location, were also recovered.