Monument record 9009 - Group of Saxon Grubenhausen, 26 - 42 Lower Bridge Street (Phase IV)

Not long after the foundation of the burh in AD 907 the character of the site between Lower Bridge St. to the east, Castle St. to the south and Grosvenor St. to the west, underwent a radical change, when a group of very substantial and regularly-spaced timber buildings was erected as part of a planned development (1). Of the five buildings wholly or partially excavated, three were equipped with a cellar (Structures 1 – 3), one was ‘semi-sunken’ (Structure 4) while the remaining example was erected above ground (Structure 5). All of these buildings subsequently underwent a thorough reconstruction. At the end of this phase the buildings were systematically dismantled, an event which is thought to have occurred in the period c 970 – 1000, after which the site appears to have lain unused for several decades. Structures 1 – 3 (of five) belonged to Phase IVb and were highly similar to one another. Each had a line of perimeter post holes at the foot of its slightly bowed sides, those at the corners being circular or oval and the intermediate ones square or rectangular. In each the floor lay 1.7 – 1.8m below the contemporary ground surface, and measured between c 4m wide by c 5m long (1). A highly detailed reconstruction of this group of buildings is provided by (1). Structure 4, while similar in plan, appears to have been slightly longer, and unlike the first group the surface of the rock-cut pit served as the floor of the building, and was covered in clay (not elevated by posts or timber) (1). The superstructure of each of these buildings was comprised of timber uprights and wattle and daub walling in between (1). Structure 5 was represented by a corner of three post holes, but the remainder of the structure was truncated by medieval activities (1). The area surrounding this group of buildings was surfaced with sandstone brash, and that, in addition to their similar orientation and alignment along a curved axis suggests planning. A period of abandonment followed by later re-use of this area is demonstrated by the accumulation of wind-blown silts into the cellars of Structures 1 – 3 (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, 1974, Summary of Excavations in Chester (Newsletter). SCH6234.

<8> Grosvenor Museum Excavations Newsletter, 1975, Summary of Excavations in Chester (Newsletter). SCH6235.

<9> Grosvenor Museum Excavations Newsletter, 1986, Summary of Excavations in Chester (Newsletter). SCH6271.

<10> Evans, J., Report on organic residue on Saxon sherd AM No 801762 from Chester (Unpublished Report). SCH6945.

An analysis of organic residue on a Saxon period sherd indicated that it had once held an oil of some kind, and salt.