Site Event/Activity record ECH6930 - Archaeological Evaluation Report: 87-89 Foregate Street, Chester

An archaeological Evaluation was carried out at 87-89 Foregate Street, Chester in December 2020 prior to building works on the site. It included the excavation of seven test trenches (Trenches 5, 6, 7, 8A, 8B, 9 and 10) to identify any surviving below ground remains to inform the foundation design for the proposed new building. An earlier phase of evaluation work was undertaken in 2017 (ECH6429/R4063) which involved the excavation of Trenches 1 to 4 in nos. 83-85 Foregate Street; Roman remains were recorded. The site is positioned on the east side of the historic core of Chester city centre, on the north side of one of the main retail streets, Foregate Street, at its junction with Love Street. The site lies within the Chester City Centre Conservation Area, Chester’s Area of Archaeological Importance, and Chester’s Archaeological Character Zones 23: Foregate Street and 25: Queen Street. The seven trenches were located across the site and measured 1.8m x 15m (Tench 5); 1.8m x 10m (Trenches 6 and 7); 1.8m x 5m (Trenches 8A, 9 and 10) and 1.8m x 2m (Trench 8B). Trenches 5-7 were excavated within the interior of the extant retail unit and the stratigraphic sequence remained fairly consistent with modern surfaces removed to 0.4m below ground level with a series of Medieval and Roman deposits surviving beneath this. Trenches 8-10 encountered deep anaerobic silts that produced relatively little artefactual evidence but which are likely to be late Medieval/early Post Medieval in date (based upon bricks recovered from Trench 9). The ceramic assemblage has demonstrated that there is a high potential for the recovery of a substantial assemblage of Roman pottery from the site if further excavation work were to be undertaken. (1)