Monument record 8038 - Roman extra mural Baths site, Watergate Street

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Summary

Evidence for an extramural bath complex on Watergate Street was first identified in the late 18th century when the area was redeveloped for the Linen Hall market site and a series of terraced houses. A large number of rooms were said to have been discovered during construction including several hypocausts and mosaic floors, however, they were largely destroyed by the subsequent building works. Since then there have been several isolated examples of Roman architecture from this area including a substantial stone wall on an east-west alignment possibly representing a precinct wall as well as numerous findings of sections of internal elements including hypocausts, colonnades, concrete and tiled floors and other internal walls, however again these discoveries have been poorly documented in the 19th and early 20th centuries and represent only a fraction of the complex. It was not until 1989 that another small investigation on Stanley Place revealed in situ evidence of the bath complex confirming a good potential for further archaeological discoveries in the area. The investigations revealed a series of rooms dating from the first to third centuries with evidence of several periods of reorganisation suggesting an active and important bath complex.

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Full Description

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<1> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, p177 (Book). SCH3556.

<2> Thompson Watkin W. T., 1886, Roman Cheshire: A Description of Roman Remains in the County of Chester, p152-157 (Book). SCH2878.

<3> Mason, D. J. P., 1987, Chester: the Canabae Legionis (Article in Journal). SCH5623.

<4> Mason, D. J. P., 1978, The Extramural Area (Article in Journal). SCH6313.

<5> Ward, S. W., 2012, Sedan House, 1989 (Article in Monograph). SCH6557.

<6> Bennett. J.H.E., 1921, The Grey Friars of Chester (Article in Journal). SCH5681.

<7> Lawson, P H, 1926, Schedule of the Roman Remains of Chester with Maps and Plans (Article in Journal). SCH5956.

<8> multiple authors, 1895, Miscellanea (Article in Journal). SCH5602.

<9> Newstead, Robert (Prof.), 1926, Records of Archaeological Finds at Chester (Article in Journal). SCH5955.

<10> Haverfield, F, 1900, Catalogue of the Roman Sculptured stones in the Grosvenor Museum (Article in Journal). SCH5530.

<11> Picton, James et al, 1890, The Walls of Chester: are they Roman or Edwardian? (Article in Journal). SCH5579.

<12> Brushfield, T N, 1885, The Roman remains of Chester: With particular description of those discovered in Bridge Street (Article in Journal). SCH6418.

<13> Collingwood R G & Wright R P, 1965, The Roman Inscriptions of Britain: Volume I (Monograph). SCH3235.

<14> Hemingway, J., 1831, History of Chester, from its foundation to the present time. Volume 2 (Book). SCH1412.

Sources/Archives (14)

<1> SCH3556 Book: Harris, B.E. (ed). 1987. Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I. p177.
<2> SCH2878 Book: Thompson Watkin W. T.. 1886. Roman Cheshire: A Description of Roman Remains in the County of Chester. p152-157.
<3> SCH5623 Article in Journal: Mason, D. J. P.. 1987. Chester: the Canabae Legionis. Britannia. Volume 18.
<4> SCH6313 Article in Journal: Mason, D. J. P.. 1978. The Extramural Area. Chester Conference Nov 1977: New Evidence for Roman Chester.
<5> SCH6557 Article in Monograph: Ward, S. W.. 2012. Sedan House, 1989. BAR British Series 553.
<6> SCH5681 Article in Journal: Bennett. J.H.E.. 1921. The Grey Friars of Chester. Journal of the Chester Archaeological and Historic Society. Volume 24: 1.
<7> SCH5956 Article in Journal: Lawson, P H. 1926. Schedule of the Roman Remains of Chester with Maps and Plans. Journal of the Chester Archaeological and Historic Society. Volume 27, Part 1.
<8> SCH5602 Article in Journal: multiple authors. 1895. Miscellanea. Journal of the Chester Archaeological and Historic Society. Volume 5.
<9> SCH5955 Article in Journal: Newstead, Robert (Prof.). 1926. Records of Archaeological Finds at Chester. Journal of the Chester Archaeological and Historic Society. Volume 27, Part 2.
<10> SCH5530 Article in Journal: Haverfield, F. 1900. Catalogue of the Roman Sculptured stones in the Grosvenor Museum. Journal of the Chester Archaeological and Historic Society. Volume 7.
<11> SCH5579 Article in Journal: Picton, James et al. 1890. The Walls of Chester: are they Roman or Edwardian?. Journal of the Chester Archaeological and Historic Society. Volume 3.
<12> SCH6418 Article in Journal: Brushfield, T N. 1885. The Roman remains of Chester: With particular description of those discovered in Bridge Street. Journal of the Chester Archaeological and Historic Society (Old Series). Volume 3.
<13> SCH3235 Monograph: Collingwood R G & Wright R P. 1965. The Roman Inscriptions of Britain: Volume I. volume I.
<14> SCH1412 Book: Hemingway, J.. 1831. History of Chester, from its foundation to the present time. Volume 2.

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Location

Grid reference	Centred SJ 401 662 (119m by 114m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	SJ46NW
Civil Parish	CHESTER NON PARISH AREA, CHESTER, CHESHIRE WEST AND CHESTER
Historic Township/Parish/County	CHESTER, CHESTER HOLY TRINITY, CHESHIRE

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Record last edited

Sep 30 2024 4:36PM