Monument record 9014 - Saxon Refortification of Roman Defences

In 907, with the establishment of the burh by Aethelflaed, a series of repairs and a refortification of the former Roman defences were carried out (1, 2). Chester had risen in economic and strategic importance during the late ninth century, and had been subject to Viking raids and increasing threats from the Wirral (6). A key element of Saxon strategy was to build burhs or defended settlements that could resist raids or conquests. Each burh was allotted an area of land from which men were called up to maintain the wall, and at Chester, the Domesday Book recalled that in the past, ‘for the repair of the city wall and bridge the reeve used to call up one man from each hide in the county’. Local archaeologists generally agree that Aethelflaed’s repairs did not extend the line of the roman defences. Excavations at Linenhall St. in 1961 revealed features of a defensive nature cut into the Roman rampart, including a palisade trench with post pits, ditches, and a gate or stone tower (6).

<2> Thompson F.H, 1969, Excavations at Linenhall Street, Chester 1961-62, Thompson F H 1969 56/7-9 & 11 (Article in Journal). SCH5894.

<3> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 1/287 Thacker A 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ46NW17/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

<5> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, /no.338 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.

<6> Chester Archaeology, Archaeology in the Park: Grosvenor Park, Chester 2007 (Newsletter). SCH6469.