Site Event/Activity record ECH6842 - The Old Palace, The Groves, Chester, Cheshire: An Archaeological Watching Brief

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken between December 2018 and April 2019 during groundworks associated with the extension and refurbishment of the Old Palace, The Groves, Chester, Cheshire (centring on NGR SJ 40864 66066). The groundworks associated with the extension to the Palace building revealed brick foundations to earlier structures, whist elsewhere new service trenches and other limited areas of intrusion revealed evidence for the quarrying of sandstone during the post-medieval period. Perhaps the most unexpected archaeological feature to be encountered was that of a rock-cut well located towards the centre of the site. Limited excavation of the uppermost deposits contained within this feature produced pottery of the Roman period. A stone-capped drain, located towards the south-west corner of the site may also have been constructed during the Roman period. (1)