Site Event/Activity record ECH5003 - Excavations at Eastgate Row, Chester in 1991

Excavations carried out during the early summer of 1991 following earlier evaluation in 1990 (ECH3582) in advance of construction as part of a major scheme of refurbishment of the buildings at the junction of Northgate and Eastgate Street. Phase 1: natural subsoils and the pre Roman topsoil Phase 2a: earliest human evidence on the site was associated with the laying out of the fortress in AD74. This consisted of stake holes representing fences or survey posts Phase 2b: Timber structure replaced the stakeholes Phase 3a: the structure was rebuilt in stone Phase 3b: at some time between AD120 and the 4th century the structure was demolished and the area used as a dumping ground for the recycling of copper alloy products Phase 3c: a stone structure was built here in the post Roman/Saxon period Phase 4: A probable 10th century surface may have been part of the early Eastgate Street. This phase continued until the 12th century Phase 5: A cellar was constructed in the 12th-13th century towards the western half of the site, this can be associated with the buttershops, first mentioned in 1280 Phase 6: in the early post medieval period passageways were constructed beneath the row Phase 7: The passageway was infilled Phase 8: 4 Northgate Street was rebuilt in the 18th century containing elements of the earlier medieval structure Phase 9: evidence of use of part of the site as waste ground Phase 10a: passageway at the western end was infilled and a new surface laid Phase 10b: Early 20th century fixtures and fittings recorded within the existing buildings (1) A series of trial trenches excavated at 3-13 Eastgate St. / 2-8 Northgate St., undertaken to establish if archaeological deposits survived beneath the floors of the property and below the Dark Row, and provide an impact assessment of proposed redevelopment. Two trial holes were placed in the north wall of the basement at 2 Northgate St., and six trial trenches in the north-eastern part of the property fronting Eastgate St. Preliminary work suggested that the half-cellars known to exist beneath 4 and 8 Northgate St. Had been cut through the bedrock, destroying any earlier archaeological deposits there, and no excavation occurred at that specific area. (2)