Monument record 8279 - Roman Structure at Bridge Street (praetentura east)

Traces of a substantial Roman structure were recorded to the rear of No 19 Bridge Street in 1996. Trench U, excavated on the northern edge of the area recorded an east-west aligned wall surviving to a height of eight courses and believed to be an external wall. A second feature recorded was a later north-south aligned wall inserted to one side of the external wall. (1)

These features were interpreted at the time to the tribune's houses of the scamnun tribunorum (1), however the evidence have since been re-interpreted in the light of the discoveries in the area and are now thought to represent an additional subdvision between the fortress baths to the south and the tribune's houses to the north on the via Principalis (Eastgate Street). (5)

<1> Chester Archaeology, 1996, 25-29 Bridge Street, Chester; trial excavation., R2689 (Client Report). SCH4797.

<2> Chester City Council Archaeology Service, 1996, The Past Uncovered (Newsletter). SCH6012.

<3> Chester City Council Archaeology Service, 1997, Annual Review 1996-1997 (Newsletter). SCH6053.

<4> Mason, D. J. P., 2005, Exacavations at Chester: The Roman fortress baths, excavations and recording 1732-1998 (Monograph). SCH6157.

<5> Garner D, 2008, Excavations at Chester: 25 Bridge Street 2001. Two thousand years of urban life in microcosm, p408 (Monograph). SCH6160.