Site Event/Activity record ECH6385 - Watching Brief and Trial Pits at Land to the rear of 10-12 Castle Street, Chester

Main aims of the watching brief were to examine the exposed ground surface for archaeological deposits following removal of an existing concrete floor slab and, secondly, to excavate a trial pit in order to establish the depth at which significant archaeology may be encountered; the results of the trial pit would thus inform the developer of the sensitive level that would need to be avoided during the ensuing construction process. The watching brief carried out to the rear of 10-12 Castle Street, Chester has demonstrated that, although heavily disturbed, in situ soil deposits exist in this location. Furthermore, the results of the trial pit clearly demonstrated that beneath deposits dating to the 19th century, deposits dating to the early post-medieval period extend to a depth in excess of 1.7m below current ground level. The presence of the early post-medieval soil deposits has positive implications for the survival of earlier, more significant, archaeological deposits which may lie beneath. The proposed c. 1.0m maximum depth of intrusion associated with the redevelopment of the site should not therefore have any significant impact upon any surviving significant archaeological deposits and no further archaeological mitigation is considered necessary