Monument record 9050 - Late Roman/Saxon layer at Crook Street

Traces of a so-called 'dark earth layer', possibly of Saxon date, were recorded during archaeological investigations at Crook Street in 1973 (1). Although no precise dating could be identified this period is marked by a gradual accumulation of soil across the Roman building debris essentially infilling the internal spaces created by the stone sills (CHER 8188; 8499) (1). Please note that the easily accessible, published information on this excavation describes a series of pits and evidence for timber building(s) in detail (9), it does not mention the presence of this 'dark earth layer' explicitly; unpublished draft notes, however, do discuss this horizon, but it is not clear whether it should be ascribed to the late Roman or to the Saxon period (1). Isolated, unstratified fragements of Chester ware were found nearby in 1963 (CHER 9013/1).

Anon, 1974, September 1974: North West Newsletter. Excavations (Article in Journal). SCH5742.

<1> Chester Archaeology, 1973, Excavation records for Crook Street, Chester (Unpublished Report). SCH6617.

<2> Bott, O and R Williams, 1963, Central Redevelopment Area, Crook Street Car Park (Excavation Archive). SCH6703.

<3> Strickland, T.J., 1978, The Fortress in the Second and Third Centuries (Article in Journal). SCH6312.

<4> multiple authors, 1974, Excavation Reports and Summaries Sites Observed, p16-17 (Article in Journal). SCH5790.

<5> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, no.551 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.

<6> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, p153-4 (Book). SCH3556.

<7> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, Vol 6 p240 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

<8> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1911-Present, Journal of Roman Studies, Vol 54 p156 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1519.

<9> Ward, S. W., 1994, Saxon Occupation within the Roman Fortress: Sites Excavated, 1971-81 (Archaeological Service Excavation & Survey Reports) (Monograph). SCH5486.