Monument record 8290 - Roman Building at Bridge Street

The first structural evidence recorded at Bridge Street appears to date to the first half second century and the rebuilding of the fortress in stone. Only traces of the western extent of the building were recorded with the building extending beneath the current Debenhams store, a yard or road surface was identified to the west of the external wall of the building and a lead lined drain feeding into a large pit.

The foundation trench for an east-west aligned sandstone wall c0.8m wide was recorded in Trench B to the rear of No 19 Bridge Street while a possible internal wall on a north-south alignment in Trench C was at least 0.4m wide. A possible floor surface was also recorded to the west of this wall containing pottery of an early second century date. A small post hole was also noted in this trench and it was suggested this represented a temporary structure, however its exact purpose is as yet uncertain. Further traces of a more substantial north-south aligned wall were recorded in Trench D and from the ramp excavation area to the rear of No 24-25 Bridge Street with a return east-west aligned wall at the southern end of the excavation indicated a building at least 17.5m wide.

In the third century, the building underwent some refurbishment including the introduction of an opus signinum floor and repair to the existing structure. Towards the end of the third century there is a lack of occupation evidence from the area of the building suggesting a period of abandonment (2).

<1> Garner D, 2008, Excavations at Chester: 25 Bridge Street 2001. Two thousand years of urban life in microcosm (Monograph). SCH6160.

<2> Gifford and Partners, 2002, Debenhams, Chester: Post-excavation Assessment Report, R3162 (Client Report). SCH6253.