Site Event/Activity record ECH5425 - Archaeological Evaluation at 22a The Groves, Chester in 2012

There were proposals for housing redevelopment at 22a The Groves, Chester, a site that lies close to the river frontage in an area of uncertain archaeological potential. An archaeological evaluation, consisting of the excavation of two test trenches, was carried out in July 2012. Across much of the site there is evidence for widespread disturbance and recent landfill / modern made-ground. However, at a depth of over 2.5m, the remains of a sandstone-capped culvert, aligned east-west, were recorded. The precise date of this feature was not ascertained, but on balance it perhaps dates to the eighteenth century and may have been associated with a nearby structure that is recorded on a mid-eighteenth century plan of the city. The vulnerability of the archaeology identified will depend upon the extent and depth of ground disturbance associated with any forthcoming development.