Monument record 8132 - Mansio, South of Roman Fortress

The Mansio in Chester has had a number of archaeological investigations at different locations within its original footprint, to the south of the Roman Fortress. The associated records contain full details of these investigations.

Roman ‘Mansio’ located just east of Lower Bridge Street in Chester. In Roman Britain, a Mansio was an official stopping place on a Roman road, generally maintained by the central government for the use of officials and those on official business whilst travelling. The first building was timber and probably erected AD 75 - 80, but was soon destroyed by fire. Two further timber buildings followed before the site was used as a rubbish dump between AD 130 and 180. The first finished stone building was erected cAD 180. The new building had glazed windows and decorated wall plaster. Part of this structure was also destroyed by fire around the end of the third century. The site was then cleared and levelled and two wells were partly back-filled. A human skeleton found in Well II may belong to a person killed when the building burned down. The next stone phase, built in AD 290, consisted of two buildings separated by a narrow passageway which was later enclosed and paved.

A watching brief in 1976 discovered a succession of four sandstone, cobble and pebble surfaces of Roman date. The lack of associated structural features, together with their rugged character, suggests they were the surfaces of an external area. The Roman pottery mostly dates to late first and early second century and a considerable number of amphora fragments were found.

A report from the seventeenth century records the finding of ‘many Roman tiles' marked with legionary stamps, implying that for at least part of its life the mansion was officially run by the government. Other finds from this site included part of an altar, coins, fragments of glass vessels, bronze objects, iron objects, animal bones, Samian ware and coarse-ware.

<1> Mason, D. J. P., 1980, Excavations at Chester: 11-15 Castle Street and neighbouring sites 1974-8 : a possible Roman posting house (mansio) (Grosvenor Museum archaeological excavations and survey reports) (Monograph). SCH1194.

<2> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, 8/385 Frere S S 1977 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

<3> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 1/167 Petch D F 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

<4> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, 5/27-28 Mason D J P & Strickland T J 1977 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

<5> Strickland T.J & Davey, P.J., 1978, New evidence for Roman Chester: material from the Chester Conference November 1977, /35 (Book). SCH2242.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, 1981 SJ46NW73 (Index). SCH2487.

<7> Strickland T.J & Ward, S.W., 1978, Excavations at Chester Northgate Brewery 1974-5: A Roman Centurion's Quarters and Barrack (Excavation & survey reports) (Monograph). SCH1208.