Site Event/Activity record ECH6336 - Redevelopment of 4-8 Volunteer Street Chester, CH1 1RG: Summary Report - An Archaeological Watching Brief

Following on from an earlier programme of evaluation trial trenching undertaken in 2013 (ECH5699) at 4-8 Volunteer Street, a watching brief occurred in May and June 2016 to monitor the excavation of groundworks associated with the re-development of the site. The original programme of works consisted of a watching brief to monitor a trench for the laying of new drainage pipe to link with the existing, along with the monitoring of the underpinning of a length of outer wall to the south-east of the development area. However, on site, the underpinning exercise was found to be unnecessary and was abandoned, but a footings trench aligned north-south across the western front of the building was monitored, this measured circa 13.5m long by 0.6m wide and 0.8m deep. The service trench excavated for the new drain pipe measured 36m long by 0.6m wide by 1m deep east-west, and then it turned south for a distance of 18m by 0.6m wide by 1.6m deep. As most of the excavation did not exceed a depth of 1m, no significant archaeological deposits were encountered, however, the trench excavated for the north-south pipe run reached a depth of 1.6m and therefore penetrated a post medieval deposit. A large quantity of clay tobacco pipe dating to the 18th and 19th centuries was observed in the post medieval deposits, along with some dating to the 17th to 18th centuries in the deepest deposit encountered. Due to the nature of the excavation and the risk of subsidence, it was not possible to enter the trench to fully retrieve the finds, but a sample of three fragments was retained. (1)