Monument record 8457 - Posts, Linear Features and Stakeholes, 67 Handbridge

Excavations at 67 Eaton Road (formerly 67 Handbridge, Newstead’s home) were carried out between 1994 and 2000 as part of various improvements to the garden and to the rear building, which Newstead referred to as his ‘den’ (2). In Trenches II and III, the earliest archaeological features were a series of post holes, two linear cut features, and stake holes (2). The two linear features were parallel, and were in association with the stake holes, and were overlain by a layer of compacted clay and sandstone rubble. This deposit was cut by the four post holes. The finds associated with these features included small abraded Roman pottery sherds, burnt clay including fragments with wattle impressions, fragments of brick, and iron nail, some animal bone and very small fragments of calcined bone that could represent disturbed cremations (2). These features were succeeded by evidence of a substantial building dating to the third or fourth centuries (CHER 8458).

<1> Chester Archaeological Society, 2004, The Chester Antiquary (Booklet-Leaflet). SCH6491.

<2> Archibald, G and Archibald,Z H, 2008, Treboeth, the Burnt Town: a Preliminary Investigation of early Christian to early Modern Industrial Activity in Handbridge, Chester (Article in Journal). SCH5826.