Monument record 8355 - Roman rampart building (No 3) at Deanery Field

A rampart building was recorded during archaeological investigations at Deanery Field in 1935 by Prof Newstead and although not fully investigated at the time it could be determined that the structure was 19.93m in length and divided into three rooms. Its width could not be determined however. (1) Subsequent excavations in 1975-77 recorded further evidence of the rampart structure. (3)

The 1975 investigations identified traces of an earlier timber framed rampart building comprising the beam slot of the east-west aligned south external wall and a small section of the northern external wall. Although dating evidence was limited, the later construction of the stone building was dated to the end of the first century (3)

More detailed evidence of the stone building was identified consisted of the north external wall of well made coursed sandstone and two internal partition walls. Room 1 was 7.36m, containing a floor surface comprising broken roof tile set in puddle clay that was eventually proved to be the upper portion of a structure to a furnace or oven. Room 2 was 4.87m and although traces of plain plaster was recorded on the interior of the north external wall the purpose of this room could not be determined. Several floor surfaces could be identified in this room including an upper surface of cement and a lower floor of rammed clay. A quantity of refuse underlying this base clay layer including domestic waste and broken pottery of a late first century date. The final room was 6.21m, plaster was again recorded on the internal face of the north wall but only one floor of rammed clay was recorded although a thin spread of charcoal covered it. The dating evidence from this structure suggests an early date of construction in the Flavian period and may have been in use for only a short time as it was replaced with the bank like structure interpreted as ovens or a furnace (CHER 8356) (1, 3)

<1> Newstead, R (Prof.), 1936, Excavations in the Deanery Field and Abbey Green, 1935 (Article in Journal). SCH6480.

<2> Newstead, R and J P Droop, 1935, The Roman Fortress at Chester: a Newly Discovered Turret and Rampart Building (Article in Journal). SCH6474.

<3> McPeake J.C. Bulmer M & Rutter J.A, 1980, Excavations in the garden of No. 1 Abbey Green, Chester, 1975-77 (Article in Journal). SCH5924.

<4> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, 7/319-320 Wilson D R 1976 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

<5> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, 8/385 Frere S S 1977 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

<6> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, 9/429-30 Wilson D R 1978 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

<7> Petch A.J, 1978, Introduction (Article in Journal). SCH6309.

<8> McPeake J.C., 1978, The First Century (Article in Journal). SCH6310.

<9> Strickland, T.J., 1978, The Fortress in the Second and Third Centuries (Article in Journal). SCH6312.

<10> Anon, 1976, March 1976: North West Newsletter. Excavations, p18-19 (Article in Journal). SCH5748.

<11> multiple authors, 1973, Stray Finds, p58-60 (Article in Journal). SCH5780.

<12> Grosvenor Museum Excavations Newsletter, 1975, Summary of Excavations in Chester (Newsletter). SCH6237.

<13> Grosvenor Museum Excavations Newsletter, 1975, Summary of Excavations in Chester (Newsletter). SCH6238.

<14> Grosvenor Museum Excavations Newsletter, 1975, Summary of Excavations in Chester (Newsletter). SCH6239.

<15> Grosvenor Museum Excavations Newsletter, 1976, Summary of Excavations in Chester (Newsletter). SCH6256.

<16> Grosvenor Museum Excavations Newsletter, 1976, Summary of Excavations in Chester (Newsletter). SCH6257.

<17> Grosvenor Museum Excavations Newsletter, 1976, Summary of Excavations in Chester (Newsletter). SCH6258.

<18> Grosvenor Museum Excavations Newsletter, 1978, Summary of Excavations in Chester (Newsletter). SCH6261.

<19> Grosvenor Museum Excavations Newsletter, 1983, Recent research on the defences of Roman Chester (Newsletter). SCH6223.

<20> Grosvenor Museum Excavations Newsletter, 1975, Summary of Excavations in Chester (Newsletter). SCH6236.

<21> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, pp151 & 157 (Book). SCH3556.

<22> Strickland, T.J., 1980, First century Deva: some evidence reconsidered in the light of recent archaeological discoveries (Article in Journal). SCH5923.

<23> Collingwood R G & Wright R P, 1991, The Roman Inscriptions of Britain Vol 2: Fascicule 3, RIB ii (III) 2427.15 (Monograph). SCH6719.