Monument record 8477 - Late Roman, possible Post-Roman Timber Structure(s) and Gully, South of Dee House

During an archaeological watching brief and evaluation carried out to the south of the Dee House in 2001, a number of deposits and features of Roman, and later, date were recorded (1). In proximity with a stone-capped culvert thought to serve the southern entrance of the amphitheatre (CHER 8476) and a rock-cut pit feature (CHER 8475), was evidence of a timber structure in the form of a series of post holes (1). The excavators concluded that the complex arrangement of posts represented more than one phase of construction, and as their fills contained largely residual finds, the date of this construction could not be determined (1).

To the south of this evidence was a shallow linear gully on an east – west alignment, with a rounded terminus at its southern end. The base of the gully had circular depressions which might represent upright timbers. The excavators suggest that this was a wall slot for a timber post-in-beam construction. Note that the structure(s) could not be dated with any degree of confidence, and that the excavators suggested that the dimensions and construction techniques employed were comparable to the ‘hall’ buildings recorded in fifth to sixth century sites in southern England (1).

<1> Gifford and Partners, 2001, Report on an archaeological excavation and watching brief at Dee House, Chester, R2665 (Client Report). SCH4776.