Monument record 12501 - Royalist Outworks

The Royalist outworks that protected Chester during the Civil War were laid out early in 1643 by engineers under the King’s orders, ‘who caused according to the modern way of fortification to be cut a trench and mudwall to be made from Deeside without the Barrs to Deeside at the new tower, ...and turnpikes at all the outworks as Barrs, Cowlane end, by Little Northgate and at the at the mount at Deelane end, by Little St John’s, besides several mounts, pit falls and other devises to secure the outworks and annoy the enemy’s approach to the city,’ is how Randal Holme described the new fortifications (Harl MSS 2155).

Using the words ‘modern way of fortification’, Holme was referring to a system that had developed in response to artillery, comprised of an earth rampart known as the curtain, with a ditch outside it with a gentle inner face (the scarp) and a steep outer one (the counterscarp). The trace or plan of the curtain was a series of straight lengths drawn with salients and flanks to give flanking fire and with mounts for cannons, generally in the form of bastions. These bastions were symmetrical angular projections which presented flanks to cover the adjacent curtain and oblique faces to the enemy to deflect shot. There were various other types of mount, for example redoubts, which were small forts with all-round defence (1).

The line began on the north wall adjacent to the Goblin Tower (CHER 12000/5), where there is a sharp break of slope now marked by the locks on the canal. There was one mount named Morgan’s Mount (12501/1), close to the walls and one in the lane (12501/2), now called Garden Lane, leading to the stone bridge over Flookers Brook to Blacon. The works then continued to Liverpool Rd. (then called Further Northgate St.) (12501/4) and apparently crossed it beyond Rock Lane (12501/5), the little lane between Parkgate Rd. and Liverpool Rd; this lane has been identified as Prince Rupert’s great trench which lay just inside the lines (1, 2).

The line then crossed Flookers Brook to Flookersbrook Hall (12501/9), around which were works that probably converted it into a strongpoint. The line then re-crossed the brook towards Boughton, taking advantage of the slight elevation of the Cockpit Hill, and then ran parallel to Boughton across Hoole Lane and down to the river. To secure this end of the works two mounts were built (12501/10, 12501/12), one guarding the road and one on top of the cliff (which protects this flank of the line), overlooking the river.

This defensive work was over two miles long and reflects Chester’s intended role as a base for large numbers of troops from Ireland, which did not materialise. The obvious weakness of the line was the inclusion of Flookersbrook Hall, which caused necessitated crossing the brook twice. Presumably at this early stage in the war the citizens did not want to pull down the mansion, nor did they want it to fall into enemy hands. Later, when they had more experience of siege-warfare they pulled down a high number of buildings. These outworks stood for about a year and were subjected to several raids by Brereton’s forces but not to serious attack (1, 2).

In March 1644, Prince Rupert arrived to inspect the city defences. The Mayor, Randle Holme II, energetically undertook the improvements he suggested, as described in the Randle Holme papers (Harl MSS 2155): ...’the enlarging the ditches of the works both in breadth and depth, raised the mud walls, which before were but breast high to that height as a man might walk within the works and not be seen from without, cut the rock without the Northgate beyond Dutton’s turnpike in a great cut off part of the old Trenches and made new by advice of the Princes engineers...’ (1). Also in the winter of 1643/44 orders were given to pull down the suburb of Handbridge, Bache Hall and Flookersbrook Hall (2, 4).

The old works that were cut off must have been the salient out to Flookersbrook Hall and the new works are those mounts on Cowper’s plan named Reeds Mount (12501/17), Phoenix Tower Mount (12501/16), Justing Croft Mount (12501/15) and Cock Pit Mount (12501/14) with the line between them. When drawn on plan this new plan represented a regular bastion trace like what one would expect from professional Dutch military engineers. This new work must have had a rampart about 2m high, with a ditch of corresponding size, and the retained parts of the old works were made to match. These were very substantial features, but were situated in what are currently built-up areas and cannot be traced. Much was probably destroyed by the construction of the railway and the canal. ...The only part still visible is Rock Lane (12501/5), which is generally identified with ‘the great trench...without the Northgate’. It was dug to facilitate the movement of cannon between the mounts (1).

These lines were held until Prince Maurice relived Chester in February 1645, when they were again reduced in length because of the difficulty in manning them. The new line passed from the ‘...backside of the Tanners’ ditches to Cowlane Gate and so all along the walls of the city under Phoenix Tower.’ For the first time the Cowlane gate was included in the line and was ‘sodded on both sides’ (Harl MSS 2135).

From February 1645 Morgan’s Mount (12501/18) survived as an independent outwork. Lancaster described it was a ‘bulwarke next the Northgate even with the wall’. A bulwark was an alternative name for an angle-bastion which mounted cannon, though one does not know if he was using the term technically. This mount was presumably converted to provide flanking fire for the north face of the city walls after the abandonment of the outworks around the north suburbs removed the cover they had previously had. One of the largest cannon in the city was stationed here. In time of attack the mount would presumably have been supplied over the walls; the city ditch would also have provided a covered approach from the Northgate (1, 2).

In the summer of 1645, while the siege was relaxed during the approach of the king’s army, Lord Byron improved the southern defences by building a fort in Handbridge (12501/19). In spite of difficulties in raising the funds and labour it was finished just before the siege because it prevented the Parliamentarians from mounting a close blockade around the south end of the Dee Bridge. Consequently, right through to the surrender, the Royalists were able to get messengers and a trickle of supplies through the Parliamentary lines. The precise location and appearance of the fort is unknown, but some clues are available from documentary evidence. Brereton described it as very strong, and almost impregnable (2). It was close enough to the bridge to prevent it being isolated and captured yet high enough up the hill to cause considerable annoyance to the siege-lines that Breton had dug from the river to Eccleston Lane. It had at least one cannon, which supported a Royalist sally towards Dodlestone on 2 December 1645 (Harl MSS 2155). The normal form for such a fort at this period was a sconce: that is, a square fort with an angle bastion at each corner (1, 2).

Before dawn on 20 September 1645, a small group of Parliamentarians gathered at Boughton, then captured the small mount by the Dee (12501/13) and then surprised the guard at the turnpike gates. They let the rest of their force in and ultimately captured all the eastern mounts. The defenders helde the Bars for a time until the Parliamentarians found a way thgough the back of the adjoining houses and the defenders beat a hasty retreat into the city. From then until the surrender the Royalists held the old City Walls, Morgan’s Mount on the north and the fort in Handbridge (1).

<1> Ward, S. W., 1987, Excavations at Chester, the Civil War Siege Works, 1642-6 (Excavation & survey reports), /4-13 (Monograph). SCH1189.

<2> Morris. R. (Canon), 1923, The Siege of Chester during the Civil War 1643-45. (Article in Journal). SCH5689.

<3> Dore R.N, 1958, Sir William Brereton’s siege of Chester and the campaign of Naseby (Article in Journal). SCH5996.

<4> Morris Canon R H, 1964, The siege of Chester, 1643-1646 (Book). SCH3241.

<5> Harrison, S, 1984, Loyal Chester, A Brief History of Chester in the Civil War Period (Book). SCH5285.

<6> Dore R N, 1966, The Civil Wars in Cheshire (Book). SCH3108.

<7> Cherry, John, 1976, Post-Medieval Britain in 1979 (Article in Journal). SCH6073.

<8> L - P Archaeology, 2006, Archaeological Evaluation Report of West Cheshire College, Cheshire, R2968 (Client Report). SCH5280.

<9> Haswell, George. W, 1907, Notes on Chester Street-names past and present (Northern Section) (Article in Journal). SCH5548.