Monument record 10643 - Post Medieval Fills of Subterranean Cavity, St Werburgh Street

<1> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 2012, 'The Dip' at St Werburgh Street, Chester, R3297 (Client Report). SCH6738.

The presence of some type of below-ground cavity (CHER 10642) is strongly indicated by the results of excavations in St Werburgh Street in 2012 . Known locally as the 'Werburgh Street Dip', this feature is responsible for the sinking of the road surfaces at this location. A complex sequence of deposits (this monument) represent tipping of material, and contained sixteenth to seventeenth century finds.

The date of the cavity that these deposits fill, however, is unknown. Ward's research suggests that a large amount of local stone would have been needed in the early sixteenth century when the abbey was undertaking a programme of building work, and it is possible that the feature was a quarry. Pottery from the earlier horizons of this sequence dated to the sixteenth century, while pottery from the uppermost horizons dated to the seventeenth century.

<2> Ward Simon, 2022, Chester Cathedral - Some notes on the origins, extent and implications of the so-called St Werburgh Street Dip (Unpublished Report). SCH9311.

Lies in an area of land that was orginally within the Abbey Precinct. Appears to be a manmade feautre which lay in open ground within the abbey precint. Most likely purpose for such a deep hole dug into rock is that it was a quarry providing stone for building work at the adjacent abbey. Overall dimension of the quarry not established. Bore holes established the depth exceeds 10m. 16th and 17th century Church Wardens accounts record fines for citizens disposing of refuse in the Churchyard. Accounts also record paving and levelling the churchyard. Sparse evidence of pottery sherds from the fill indicate the quarry was infilled during the later 16th century which does correspond with the churchwardens accounts. (3)