Site Event/Activity record ECH6203 - Chester Northgate Redevelopment. Hunter Street and Trinity Street Pre-determination Evaluation

Oxford Archaeology (OA) North was commissioned by Chester West and Chester Council to carry out a programme of evaluation trenching across an area within the north-western quadrant of the historic city centre of Chester. This programme, comprising the excavation of 13 trenches in two different areas, was undertaken during April/May 2015. It was required to inform the design process of a proposed major scheme of redevelopment within the area, by identifying the presence/absence and representative depth (according to Ordnance Datum), of significant archaeological deposits relating to both the former Roman legionary fortress, and a graveyard associated with a post-medieval chapel, which might have survived in the southern part of the site. This latter area had not been subject to evaluation during earlier stages of the development of the scheme. The trenching produced important results, identifying probable Roman demolition deposits, at a depth of approximately 0.80-1m below the current ground surface, within four of the six trenches excavated along the southern edge of Hunter Street, and a probable Roman wall within a single trench excavated in the area adjacent to the eastern side of Trinity Street. In addition, deposits relating to probable late Roman/early post-Roman activity were also identified within the same trenches at Hunter Street, overlain by a probable later medieval cultivated soil and post-medieval deposits, capped by modern landscaping material. Within two of the trenches excavated towards the western limit of Hunter Street, at its junction with St Martin’s Way, it was conclusively demonstrated that any archaeological deposits had been completely removed by modern activity associated with the construction, and subsequent demolition, of modern buildings fronting St Martin’s Way. There, modern demolition and levelling deposits extended to a depth of 2m or more below the current ground surface, at which point they directly overlay natural bedrock. Within the area of Trinity Street, while it was established that archaeological deposits had been extensively removed by modern activity associated with the construction of the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Chester Market Hall complex in many trenches, elements relating to the graveyard were identified. Several intact burials were seen in two trenches, within a layer of organic soil, which in one trench yielded a small assemblage of dissarticulated human bone. The partially disturbed remains of a single, post-medieval, brick-built structure were also recorded. The overall pattern of preservation therefore suggests that, while modern activity has extensively damaged archaeological deposits in this area, in many places entirely removing them, particularly towards the south, burials relating to the post-medieval period were not entirely, if at all, cleared prior to construction, and the potential to encounter further burial deposits remains high. In addition, the presence of a single, probably Roman, wall suggests that islands of earlier archaeology may also be preserved.