Monument record 10386 - Demolition Layer and Stone Robbing of Former Benedictine Nunnery

During archaeological excavations on the site of St Mary’s Benedictine Nunnery in 1964, in advance of the construction of a new police headquarters building, extensive evidence of post medieval period demolition and stone robbing from the earlier remains was recorded (2, 10, 11). Both the remains of the church (CHER 10319/2) and of the cloisters (CHER 10319/3) were found to have been sealed by a demolition layer clearly truncated and impacted by robber trenches, events which had disturbed and reduced the ground level of much of the site.

One wall of the church was sealed by a garden soil, however, as all stone rubble and building material from the demolition layer had already been removed (6). The walls belonging to the western buildings of the Priory (CHER 10319/6), were entirely robbed out by these activities and were only identifiable by the robber trenches and the partial foundations. The buildings of the former Nunnery went out of use some time during the Civil War, after they were damaged by the siege and allowed to fall in a ruinous state. Whatever still stood of them in the early nineteenth century was demolished in order to create the approach to the Harrison buildings at Chester Castle (11).

<1> Irvine W F, 1907, Notes on the history of St Mary’s Nunnery, Chester, Irvine W F 1907 13/67-109 (Article in Journal). SCH5550.

<2> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 3/146-150 Harris B 1980 (Book). SCH3556.

<3> Rutland S.M, 1965, St Mary’s Nunnery, Chester, 1964. An Interim Report (Article in Journal). SCH5879.

<4> Morris, Rupert H (Rev.), 1894, Chester in the Plantagenet & Tudor Reigns, /141 (Book). SCH946.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ46NW46/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

<6> Knowles, D & Hadcock, RN, 1953, Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales, /211 (Book). SCH2177.

<7> Gastrell F, 1845-1850, Notitia Cestriensis, or historical notices of the diocese of Chester, Gastrell F 1845/78 & 79 (Article in Journal). SCH2290.

<8> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Ormerod G 1882 1/346 (Book). SCH1389.

<9> Lysons D & Lysons S, 1806-22, Magna Britannia, Lysons D & S 1810 2/(2)/453 (Book). SCH2066.

<10> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 2004, Proposed redevelopment at the Police Headquarters Building, Nun's Road, Chester; an archaeological evaluation., R2739 (Client Report). SCH4856.

<11> Ward, S. W., 1990, Excavations at Chester: The Lesser Medieval Religious Houses - Sites Investigated, 1964-83 (Grosvenor Museum Archaeological Excavation & Survey Reports) (Monograph). SCH1193.