Site Event/Activity record ECH6723 - Chester Racecourse Proposed New Grandstand and Conference Centre: Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment (Heritage Statement)

An historic desk-based assessment was produced in 2019 for an area of land, centred at SJ 40000 66214, proposed for the development of a new grandstand and conference centre at Chester Racecourse. The site lies within Chester’s Primary Archaeological Character Zone, extends over one of Chester’s Archaeological Character Areas and is within the Chester City Centre Conservation Area. This work follows on from a wider area assessment undertaken in 2018 (ECH6623), also a deposit modelling exercise (ECH6639). The deposit model was designed to address uncertainty regarding the impact of development at Chester Racecourse on subsurface archaeological assets. To further inform the deposit model, a geoarcheological evaluation was undertaken in 2019 (ECH 6724) to examine the depths of made grounds and inert alluvial deposits on the Site by means of core recovery via boreholes, within the proposed footprint of the Events Building. The results of this work confirmed that any surviving archaeological remains dating to before the post-medieval period are likely to be sealed beneath a substantial layer of natural alluvial silts and sand. Samples of organic materials (peat and wood), from borehole seven, found at 18m below the ground surface, were sent to University of Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit for radiocarbon dating. The uncalibrated date for the organic material in radiocarbon years BP (Before Present - AD 1950) is 9942 ±27, giving the range of calibrated dates 11247calBP to 11563calBP (Laboratory report appended to end of report R4328). In historic and archaeological terms the principal interest at the Site is associated with the following:- • Isolated artefacts dating to the Roman period, • Archaeological evidence of the Roman harbour at the Roodee, • Archaeological evidence of Chester’s medieval port, • Archaeological evidence of 17th century land reclamation and occupation, • Archaeological evidence for 18th and 19th century structures, a timber yard, the Cop and land use in the area of the Old Port, • Archaeological evidence associated with 18th and 19th century domestic occupation and other activity along the thoroughfares of Crane Street and Paradise Row. (1)