Monument record 9008 - Sunken Saxon Hut, 26 - 42 Lower Bridge Street (Phase III)

At some point in the second half of the ninth century in the area between Lower Bridge St. in the east and Castle St. in the south, a small, sub-rectangular timber building was constructed on the northern part of the site set well back from the frontage of Lower Bridge St. (1). This structure was sunken, in that its floor was laid over a hollow excavated into the subsoil. The hut appears to have been deliberately demolished to make way for the buildings of the next phase. Found in Area II, the floor of the structure was established 0.35 – 0.4m below the contemporary ground surface, and was estimated to have been 2.70m east – west by 3m north – south. The building had an external post hole along its eastern side, interpreted as a part of ridge pole support for the long axis of the building, and three internal posts in the sunken area (1). A relatively shallow, broad gully oriented roughly east – west was found to the east of the structure (1).

Anon, 1975, March 1975: North West Newsletter. Excavations (Article in Journal). SCH5746.

<1> Mason, D. J. P., 1985, Excavations at Chester, 26-42 Lower Bridge Street 1974-6: The Dark Age and Saxon Periods (Excavation & survey reports) (Monograph). SCH1188.

<2> Mason, D. J. P., 1975, Pre-Conquest Chester, the Archaeological Evidence, 3/40-41 Mason D J P 1975 (Article in Journal). SCH5793.

<3> Mason, D. J. P., 1976, Chester: The evolution and adaptation of its landscape, 4/25-26 Mason D J P 1976 (Article in Journal). SCH5908.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, 1981 SJ46NW35.2 & 79 (Index). SCH2487.

<5> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 1/287 Thacker A 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

<6> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, /no.414 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.

<7> Grosvenor Museum Excavations Newsletter, 1986, Summary of Excavations in Chester (Newsletter). SCH6271.