Site Event/Activity record ECH6946 - St John's Church, Chester: Archaeological Monitoring During Conservation Works

A programme of archaeological monitoring was undertaken in 2021 during conservation works to St John’s Church, Chester (centring on NGR SJ 4094 6615). The church (ruined portions) are a Scheduled Monument (1006779), and the grounds listed grade I. The burial ground has been closed by Order in Council and the ownership and responsibility has been passed to the local authority – Cheshire West and Chester Council – owners of the surrounding land and guardians of the Scheduled Monument. The last major programme of repair and de-vegetation of the ruined West Tower and East Ruins of St John’s Church was undertaken 10 years ago. A survey of the ruins revealed that some items were regarded as reaching a critical point and recommendation was made to carry out the necessary works. Aspects of the works monitored consisted of underpinning works and exploratory excavations within the East Ruins and the removal and summary recording of loose architectural stones lying within the East Ruins and the West Tower, also excavation works for new railings. A 0.5m wide slot was hand-excavated through an eroded earth bank located within the north-west corner of the west elevation of the East Ruins. The earth slope sealed a north–south aligned low and narrow wall constructed from reused fragments of roughly-squared and dressed masonry. Capping this wall, and partially exposed in places, were small blocks of re-sued string-moulded masonry. Further re-used blocks had been placed at the foot of the slope (east end) to further retain the earth bank. These blocks were placed upon the in situ flagstone forming the threshold to the arched opening within the East Ruins. Clearly not associated with the medieval masonry of the ruins, this wall can be interpreted as being inserted with no other purpose than to retain the earth deposited to the west of it. The earth retained to the west of this wall contained further, randomly placed, fragments of architectural masonry including a corbel with in the form of a hooded human head A total of five small test slots were hand-excavated at the base of the south wall to the East Ruins. These slots were excavated at locations requiring underpinning works to the failing base of the wall. Each slot measured approximately 0.3m x 0.5m wide slot was hand-excavated through the topsoil down to solid strata; in most cases the topsoil proved to be no more than a few centimeters thick. A little over 150 fragments of architectural and other masonry were recovered from the West Tower. The vast majority of this assemblage belonging to columns/shafts, window/arch/door jambs, window tracery and the like. The architectural fragments are currently believed to have derived from the East Ruins and removed to the West Tower for storage. The significant masonry will be stored in the Chapter House, the remaining fragments are to be stored elsewhere within the grounds of the church and ruins. Amongst loose stones located within the East Ruins were three ‘Garter stones’, each stone bearing the motto (in middle French): Honi soit qui mal y pense (Shame on him who thinks evil of it). The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system (outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George Cross). (1)