Monument record 10349 - Post medieval industrial activity at Foregate Street

Archaeological investigations in 1991 and 1992 at 34-36 Foregate Street identified a complex series of deposits from the medieval to post medieval periods. The investigations involved three evaluation trenches to the rear of 34 Foregate Street in 1991 while in 1992 a larger trench was excavated across the front of both plots with another larger trench to the rear of No 36 Foregate Street.

Traces of industrial activity in the late 17th and 18th century was recorded during archaeological investigations at No 34 Foregate Street in 1991. Two trenches identified evidence of industrial activity including a deposit of ash and slag [Deposit 31] datable to the 18th century in trench 1 with a perhaps comparable deposit in trench 2 [Deposits 24 & 25] containing similar quantities of ash and slag of a slightly earlier date. The evidence, although slight, was considered by the excavator sufficient to support the theory that Foregate Street was a centre of industrial activity in the post medieval period at least. (1)

Later excavations carried out close to the street frontage in 1992 identified further evidence of industrial activity in trench 5 supporting the earlier evidence. In this case, the evidence was broadly dated to the 17th –18th century and consisted of a floor surface, brick built hearth [244] and several wall features [212; 172] believed to represent a metal producing workshop of a probably insubstantial building. Material recovered from this feature including coal and slag as well as metal fragments. (2)


The excavations at 34 Foregate Street identified five broad phases of activity beginning with structural activity in the 13th-14th century (CHER 10347) followed by late medieval structural activity in the 15th century (CHER 10348). In the post medieval period the rear of the property recorded substantial evidence of industrial activity from the 17th and 18th century (CHER 10349) before the Union Hall was built (CHER 10088). The excavations at 36 Foregate Street, however, identified four broad phases of activity beginning with traces of a hearth and a cellar feature in the medieval period (CHER 10185) followed by substantial industrial activity in the post medieval period from the 15th-16th century onwards (CHER 10186). In the 18th or 19th century a timber framed building was constructed close to the street frontage (CHER 10405) before the Union Hall was built over the entire plot (CHER 10088). (1)

<1> Chester Archaeology, 1991, An Evaluation Excavation at 32-36 Foregate Street, Chester, September 1991, R2092 (Client Report). SCH4108.

<2> Reid M.L., 2011, An Archaeological Excavation at 32-36 Foregate Street, Chester (Client Report). SCH6280.

<3> Nenk B. Margeson S & Hurley M, 1993, Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1992 (Article in Journal). SCH5638.

<4> Ponsford, Michael, 1993, Post-Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1992 (Article in Journal). SCH6068.

<5> Ponsford, Michael, 1992, Post-Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1991 (Article in Journal). SCH6067.