Site Event/Activity record ECH7278 - Cheshire Archives History Centre, Hoole Road, Hoole Bridge, Chester: Archaeological Evaluation Report

An archaeological trial trench evaluation (10 trenches) was undertaken at the site of Cheshire Archives History Centre, Hoole Road, Hoole Bridge, Chester.The site lies at the north-east side of the city of Chester, to the immediate north-east of the railway station (NGR 341331 367110). It is bounded by Lightfoot Street to the north-east, buildings fronting Hoole Road to the north-west, buildings fronting Thomas Brassey Close to the south-east and an access road from Hoole Road runs to the south-west. No remains are known within the site area prior to the late 19th century. The site was occupied by a railway goods shed from the 1880s. During the2000s the goods shed was converted into the Chester Enterprise Centre. It was severely damaged by fire in December 2010 and subsequently demolished in 2011. At this time the Centre included the offices of LP Archaeology, whose archive was located within the basement on the south-east side of the building and was lost to the fire and demolition. The evaluation recorded the remains of 19th century walls, and internal and external floors. No remains were encountered that pre-dated the late 19th century. The infilled basement was located during the evaluation and it was ascertained that the former LP Archaeology archive may have survived, buried within the demolition rubble, and is located to the immediate south-east of the current site boundary. No further investigation is merited within the current construction boundary. However, if any further stage of construction works is planned in the future to the south-east of the current site, it may be that mitigation is necessary, comprising the excavation, retrieval and cataloguing of the former archive material. (1)