Site Event/Activity record ECH5838 - Chester Zoo Islands, Strip Sampling, 2013

Headland Archaeology carried out an archaeological field project on a site outside the southern boundary of the current Chester Zoo site. Planning permission was granted for a large scale extension to the amenities provided by Chester Zoo in the form of a themed island development with associated waterways, seven new display areas and associated infrastructure, a water ride and pumping station. A mitigation strategy was designed where a sample stripping exercise. A total of 42 investigative strips were excavated across the site in order to establish the presence or absence of archaeology, and more specifically Roman camps. Three linear features were discovered each with a u-shaped profile and a single fill. Feature 106 contained pottery of possible Roman date within it. These features may indicate evidence for a Roman field system that extended into the western part of the development area.