Monument record 8377/1 - North-south road between Barracks of the First Cohort and the principia

Archaeological investigations at Goss Street recorded evidence of a Roman road on a north-south alignment in 148-49 between the headquarters and the barracks of the first cohort.

At least three street levels were recorded in trenches 1 and 2 of the excavation on the east side of the site. The earliest level comprised a layer of compacted river gravel overlying the natural and appeared to be contemporary with the timber phase of the barrack block of the first cohort (CHER 8187/1). The second street level appeared to post date the timber barrack block overlying the back wall of the building and running immediately adjacent to the veranda of the stone barrack. (1)

Subsequent archaeological investigations on the site in 1973 recorded further traces of this north-south aligned road although the earliest phase encountered dated only to the mid second century and the reconstruction of the barrack block in stone (CHER 8187/2) and it was suggested that in extending the footprint of the stone headquarters to the east (CHER 8314) the earlier surfaces of the road were truncated or destroyed (3)

<1> Richmond, I A and G Webster, 1951, Excavations at Goss Street, Chester, 1948-49, p14 (Article in Journal). SCH5663.

<2> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, p139 (Book). SCH3556.

<3> Chester Archaeology, 1973, Chester Archaeology Site Notes: Goss Street 1973 (Written Communication). SCH6663.