Site Event/Activity record ECH4381 - Evaluation at 20 City Road Chester in 2007

A series of four evaluation trenches were excavated at the site of 20 City Rd., Chester in July 2007 (1). Several archaeological horizons were identified across the site, which can be divided into three distinct zones. The nineteenth century terraced buildings to the east form Zone 1, with their gardens, Zone 2, dividing them from the location of the Royalty Theatre, Zone 3, at the west part of the site. The construction of the terraced buildings could be seen to extend to a depth of 1.48m below ground level. Patches of archaeological deposits survive in this area between the buildings' footings. To the west of the site, the demolition horizon for the Royalty Theatre was identified, which spread across the majority of the site at an approximate depth of 0.5m below ground level. A redeposited grey clay extended across the entire site, at approximately 0.8m below ground level, which contained high amounts of charcoal. To the south of the site, in Trench 4, a thin layer of what may represent an earlier subsoil was identified at 0.96m below ground level. Although Roman features were identified during the course of another evaluation at this site (ECH4539), none were encountered in the limited trenches during this work.