Monument record 1970/7 - Part of a Roman Camp at Hoole 200m south of Hoole Hall

<1> Various, Aerial photographs, Collens J & Philpott R A 1995 (Aerial Photograph). SCH128.

Parchmark photographed August 1995 of rectangular enclosure with 2 straight sides and 1 rounded corner showing in mown grass south of Hoole Hall. Two entrances visible with external claviculae. Possible practice camp associated with other RN: 1970s. Presence of claviculae at this enclosure confirms Roman date for this group of sites.

<2> Historic England, 2011, The National Heritage List for England, 27596 (Web Site). SCH6528.

Historic England Scheduled Listing: The monument includes part of a Roman camp visible as a parch mark on aerial photographs. The marks reveal an L-shaped ditch cutting across the meadow to the south of Hoole Hall. This forms two sides of a camp. The other two sides of the camp are postulated to have lain under the main road (the A41) to the west and the former entrance driveway to Hoole Hall to the north. This camp is one of a group of Roman earthwork camps in the fields of Upton, Hoole Village, Christleton and Waverton. They are interpreted as having been constructed as practice camps by Roman troops from the garrison at Chester. The eastern side of the camp measures 120m and the southern side 120m where they are visible. The corner is rounded in the typical form of Roman camps. Each side has a gap of 30m in what was the central position on the plan of the original fort. Both gaps are protected by external earthwork projections called `claviculae' extending for 40m at 45 degrees from one end of the gap. By analogy with other Roman camps this one would have had a V-cut ditch with a rampart inside measuring 6m wide at the base. The rampart has been spread and the ditch infilled by later ploughing.

<3> Peter de Figueiredo (Independent Consultant), 2013, Hoole Hall (Doubletree by Hilton Hotel), Chester: Heritage Statement, R4149 (Client Report). SCH8444.

A heritage assessment (source 3) was undertaken in 2013 for Hoole Hall and surrounding area in response to a proposal for development of the site; Hoole Hall lies just 200m to the north of the remains of the Roman camp. Resulting from this study, a programme of archaeological trial trenching was recommended (source 4), comprising the excavation of eleven trenches targeting the area adjacent to the remains of the Roman camp. The spoil heaps from the trenches were scanned by metal detectorists for the recovery of metal artefacts. An undated ditch was recorded in Trench 2, it pre-dates a post medieval land drain and is thought to relate to the eastern side of the Roman Camp or represent an ancient field boundary, although the lack of dating evidence precludes a definitive interpretation at this stage.

<4> Wessex Archaeology, 2013, Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Hoole Hall. Chester. Archaeological Evaluation Trial Trenching Report (Client Report). SCH7887.

<5> Philpott, R A, 1998, New Evidence from Aerial Reconnaissance for Military Sites in Cheshire, Brittania. Vol XXIX. 1998 (Article in Journal). SCH5632.

One of a group of a series of subrectangular enclosures within a few kilometres of Chester. A discussion about the interpretation of these features can be found in this article. New discoveries from aerial photography and excavation support a Roman Military origin.