Site Event/Activity record ECH4297 - Watching Brief at Cheshire Records Office, Duke Street, Chester in 2000

The excavation by hand of the foundation trench for the extension to the Cheshire Records Office revealed relatively substantial post-medieval deposits consisting of an agricultural soil [Context 2], destruction or levelling layers [7], [8] and [10] and an east-west oriented wall [6] which has been provisionally dated to the first half of the eighteenth century. No medieval or Saxon deposits were encountered during this watching brief although these may have been destroyed by the later post-medieval activity. Very slight Romano-British deposits, contexts [5] and [9], were revealed during hits programme of work. These layers may have also encountered heavy truncation from above by later activity. Layers [3] and [4] may represent pre-Romano-British activity on this site. It is more likely that [3] is evidence of sandstone erosion and therefore geological in nature. Layer [4] may be an early agricultural soil pre-dating the Romano-British occupation. However, as the interpretation of [5]/[9] as Romano-British in date remains insubstantial the dating by association of layer [4] is in itself tenuous. Further opportunity for archaeological work in the vicinity of these deposits will help to clarify their dating (1).