Monument record 8255 - Roman Cobbled Road (East - West), West Central Grosvenor Park

<1> Chester Archaeology, Archaeology in the Park: Grosvenor Park, Chester 2007, p.4 (Newsletter). SCH6469.

During training excavations in the western part of Grosvenor Park in 2007 - 2008, part of a cobbled roadway, running east -west, was identified in Trench II; its path would have lead to the western entrance of the amphitheatre. The line of the road was traced for about 10m, was 3m wide, and was built with a central camber which would have allowed rainwater to run off into the drains which marked the sides of the street. Poorly preserved features indicative of domestic occupation (CHER 8256) were found nearby.

<2> L-P Archaeology, 2019, Chester Amphitheatre Environs Research Project (CAER): Interim Archaeological Excavation Report for 2017, R4442 (Client Report). SCH8888.

In 2015-16, further excavation undertaken as part of the research project in Grosvenor Park revealed another section of the metalled surface, interpreted as a minor Roman road, first identified in 2007. It was located at the eastern end of Trench IV and extended eastwards to the 2007 Trench II. The road surface was constructed on a deliberate camber and was 1.3m wide and 0.3m thick; being exposed for a length of 2.17m. The road surface consisted of a rough mixture of larger water-worn cobbles, red sandstone fragments and fragments of Roman CBM. Smaller water-worn pebbles were also present and had probably originally formed the upper surface of the road prior to damage by medieval/post-medieval ploughing. The southern side of road surface was defined by linear roadside gully which was also aligned east-west. A roughly circular pit had been cut in to the base of the gully and then subsequently backfilled with a red/brown silty-clay, containing water-worn cobbles and sandstone fragments that appeared to be derived from road surface. Subsequently, the roadside gully had become filled with a dusky red silty clay.

In 2017, excavation of Trench IV continued and a further area of the metalled road, measuring 2m east-west by 1.3m north-south, was recorded. It was sealed by a layer of very dusky red silty clay up to 0.18m thick. The date for the use of this road is implied by material which had become pressed into the surface including pottery of late second to mid-third century date. (See also source 3, R4443, SCH8896)

<3> L-P Archaeology, 2019, Chester Amphitheatre Environs Research Project (CAER): Interim Archaeological Excavation Report for 2018, R4443 (Client Report). SCH8896.

<4> L-P Archaeology, 2024, Chester Amphitheatre Environs Research Project (CAER): Interim Archaeological Excavation Report for 2019 (Training), R4806 (Client Report). SCH9679.

A further season of excavation in Trench IV in 2019 continued to record the east-west, cobbled Roman road (context 1122). The road surface was sealed by a layer of very dusky red silty clay up to 0.18m thick. Roadside gullies were present to the north and south of the road. The northern gully was exposed for a length of 3.28m, was up to 1.21m wide and 0.4m deep. The sides were quite irregular but the profile generally appeared to be a shallow ‘U’ shape and contained two fills; the secondary fill produced Roman material including pottery, glass and CBM. The southern was exposed for a length of 2m, was up to 0.85m wide and 0.25m deep. It also had a U-shaped profile and its fill produced Roman material including pottery, glass and CBM. Towards the centre of Trench IV a sub-circular pit cut the fill of the northern roadside gully. It measured 1.1 x 0.88 x 0.51m and the fill contained sandstone fragments and fragments of Roman CBM. The road was cut on its western extent by a ditch dating to the early medieval period (CHER ….).