Monument record 9063 - Evidence of Late Saxon Stone Robbing, Possible Saxon Paving, Northgate Street

During excavations in the Northgate St. area between 1984 and 1985, focused on the recording of the substantial Roman remains at this location (including the Principia, CHER 8314), some evidence of post-Roman activity was also identified (1). Following an accumulation of soil, thought to have occurred during the fourth century and / or later, a quantity of formerly Roman building rubble covered the area, some of it evidently used to create a rough and patchy area of paving (1). Because this paving is restricted to the area within the former Roman compound, it seems clear that its walls were still at least partially standing when these later evens occurred. According to the excavators the rubble represented a period when the whole area was being scoured for re-usable stone, and, particularly in the southern part of this site, wall robbing trenches could be identified, and go on to state that 'there is evidence to suggest that this development occurred no earlier than the tenth or eleventh century' (1). Any potential finds recovered from these contexts are not reported.

<1> Strickland, T.J., 1983, Chester: Excavations in the Princess Street / Hunter Street Area, 1978-1982. A First Report on Discoveries of the Roman Period (Article in Journal). SCH5815.

<2> multiple authors, 1984/85, Excavation Reports and Sites Observed (Article in Journal). SCH5812.