Site Event/Activity record ECH7372 - 46-52 Foregate Street, Chester, Cheshire: An Archaeological Evaluation

An archaeological test pit evaluation was carried out in 2024 on land at the rear of 46-52 Foregate Street, Chester (SJ 40883 66352). Two Test Pits, each measuring 1.5m by 1.5m, were excavated located at the rear of the property. They were excavated to a depth of 1.2m and revealed evidence of later post-medieval walls and cellars overlying a dark soil deposit containing earlier post-medieval, medieval, and Roman pottery, which had been derived from the strata underlying the base of each trench. Excavations were not extended to greater depth because the presence of the dark soil was a clear indication that the sequence of deposits had not been significantly disturbed beyond the comparatively recent upper layers. Evidence from excavations undertaken in the 1960s, prior to the construction of the present building, clearly showed that significant and well-preserved deposits underlay the dark soil deposit and the same is probably true of the deposits in the rear yard. Piled foundations were recommended for both extensions to protect the more significant remains at depth. (1)