Site Event/Activity record ECH6478 - Archaeological Watching Brief for Sewer replacement at Pierpoint Lane, Chester

Gwynedd Archaeological Trust (GAT) were contracted by Morrison’s Utility Services Ltd on behalf of Dwr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) to undertake an archaeological watching brief during groundworks associated with the replacement of a collapsed sewer, close to the entrance of the Dewa Visitor Centre, Pierpoint Lane, Chester. The trench was 2.0m long east-west by 2.0m north-south with a maximum excavated depth of 2.5m. The excavation of the trench uncovered a series of modern services in addition to the collapsed sewer pipe along with the remnants of two walls and of possible late medieval or later buildings that once lined the southern edge of Pierpoint Lane. The excavation of the investigation trench to access the collapsed sewer uncovered the remnants of two distinct walls. The former consisted of the distinctive red sandstone associated with Chester built on top of yellow sandstone plinths that were most likely sourced from Wales. Wall had been badly disturbed by modern services, most notably by the sewer and storm water pipes that fed into it, with demolition rubble clearly strewn across the width of the investigation trench. Due to the level of disturbance, the lack of artefacts associated with and how only a small section of this wall was uncovered within the southwest corner of the trench it is difficult to determine the date of this wall. Given the depth at which was encountered and that it may have extended along the southern edge of Pierpoint Lane, it is conceivable that the wall most likely dates from the later Middle Ages or early Modern era. Wall was of red brick and lime mortar construction and clearly marked the southern edge of Pierpoint Lane. The majority of the brickwork was masked by a pink plaster this combined with the limited view of the wall afforded by the trench makes it difficult to ascertain a definite date for the remnants of this structure. In all likelihood, as the bricks appear to have been handmade and given the known history of Pierpoint Lane, it is highly probable that wall is at least of 17th or 18th century date. The trench excavation to repair a sewer collapse conducted by Morrison’s Utility Services Ltd revealed a high level of modern disturbance along the western end of Pierpoint Lane. Given that the sewer extends east along the full length of the lane to Bridge Street, it is highly likely that archaeological deposits within the confines of the lane have been disturbed to a similar level. The primary fill within the trench was most likely a repeatedly disturbed archaeological layer that had been excavated through by the sewer, a succession of storm pipe drains and a series of other modern services to the point that it has only limited archaeological value. The services, including the sewer, have avoided large, intact archaeological features such as the wall footing and have been inserted in a comparatively soft easily excavated layer represented by. The fragmented remains of wall in all likelihood had already been part demolished to make way for later development along Pierpoint Lane and then further disrupted by modern services.