Site Event/Activity record ECH6360 - Archaeological Mitigation at Chester Castle Propylaeum

Archaeological mitigation was carried out on Chester Castle Propylaeum, Chester, during repair works due to a potential for archaeological remains and groundworks being undertaken against the Listing Building and within the Scheduled Monument. The castle was established in the 11th century, although it is with Thomas Harrison's updating of the castle complex in the 18th to 19th century that the study area was included within the castle complex. The Propylaeum and retaining wall date to this period, between 1809 and 1815. A date stone of 1811 (MDCCCXI) forms part of the inner face of the northern wing, only visible from within the roof enclosure. The objectives of the archaeological mitigation were to monitor any ground excavation works and to record all archaeological deposits. The general aims of the archaeological works were to were to record the character, date, type, state of preservation, and extent of any archaeological remains on site and to specifically record any pre-Propylaeum deposits and features with a view to highlight any Prehistoric, Roman or Medieval activity within the Scheduled Monument. The Watching Brief elements of the archaeological mitigation recorded a series of Post Medieval surfaces removed to reveal elements of the Propylaeum construction including construction cuts and backfilled deposits. The three excavated trenches revealed similar deposits but deeper excavation yielded a strata of pre-Propylaeum agricultural soils which contained residual ceramics from the Roman to Post Medieval periods. Although residual Roman finds were recovered from these works no evidence of cut features or anthropological deposits were exposed, lending to the interpretation that these are chance findspots rather than concentrated Roman activity extending to the site. The earliest deposits exposed during the archaeological works was a Pre-construction agricultural soil, which predates the construction cut and drainage features of the Propylaeum. This deposit was present across all three excavation. This soil garnered finds ranging from Roman to Post Medieval in date. Samples of this relict ploughsoil have been retained within the archive, it was deemed un-beneficial to process the soil samples for the research objects of these works. The majority of the works allowed for recording of construction elements of the Propylaeum, consisting of foundation cuts, foundation structures and backfilled deposits. No archaeological features or deposits of major significance was exposed during these works.