Monument record 10965 - Roodee Union Workhouse

Chester workhouse was originally built in the late 18th century as a large quadrangular building recorded on Hunter’s map of 1789 (1). In 1819 additional structures were added including an asylum for pauper lunatics, in 1821 a warm bath was added while in 1823 a school was also built on the southern side of the building. In the late 19th century the residents of the workhouse was relocated to Hoole Lane and the buildings at the Roodee were converted into a preserve and confectionery factory. It continued to operate as a factory until 1908 when it was destroyed by fire, it is not recorded on the 1911 third edition OS map. (15)

Archaeological investigations between 2003 and 2005 have recorded evidence of the former workhouse structure initially during evaluation work in 2003 when three trenches were excavated within the original extent of the workhouse. Traces of several wall and floor surfaces attributed to the workhouse were identified. (4)

This was followed by open plan excavation in 2005 exposing the remains of the original structure and several ancillary buildings. The 2005 excavations of the ground plan of the workhouse identified four distinct wings around a central, rectangular, divided courtyard. The walls of each wing appeared to be comprised of sandstone block foundations with a superstructure of hand-made brick. Internal walls and floor surfaces were also hand-made brick. A series of drains were also inserted, at a later date, underneath the floor level. (15)

The courtyard contained the remains of a brick structure [19] and a brick edged pit [150]. The structure was recorded in the south west part of the courtyard and consisted of three hand-made brick walls and a small section of brick flooring. The brick lined pit, originally thought to have been a cess pit, was found to contain significant quantities of clinker and coal rather than cess material. (15)

A series of extensions have been recorded on historic maps, however, only the southern extension was identified during the excavation consisting of a 7m wide structure with brick walling with no significant foundations suggesting a rather insubstantial, lean-to construction. (15)

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1872-1875, Metric Ten Foot Scale Town Plan of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH6780.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1871-1882, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire (Maps and Plans). SCH2462.

<3> Matrix Archaeology, 2000, River Wall Restoration, Old Port, Chester: Archaeological Assessment and Watching Brief (Interim Report), R3160 Gaz 15 (Client Report). SCH6255.

<4> Gifford and Partners, 2003, The Old Port (North Site), Chester: Gas Pressure Reduction Unit Works. Report on an Archaeological Evaluation, R2474 (Client Report). SCH4473.

<5> L - P Archaeology, 2004, Old Port, Chester; Archaeological Excavation Report., R2731 (Client Report). SCH4847.

<6> Hunter, J, 1789, Survey of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH5257.

<7> Wood, J, 1833, Plan of the City of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH5258.

<8> Stockdale, 1796, A Plan of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH6510.

<9> Cole, G, 1805, Chester 1805 (Map of) (Maps and Plans). SCH6511.

<10> Neele, Samuel John, 1809, Plan of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH6512.

<11> Batenham, 1821, A Plan of the City of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH6513.

<12> Cole, G, 1851, Chester 1851 (Map of) (Maps and Plans). SCH6514.

<13> Thomas, T, c.1853, Plan of the City and Liberties of Chester with Recent Additional Buildings (Maps and Plans). SCH6515.

<14> Catherall and Pritchard, c.1860, Pictorial Plan of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH6516.

<15> Poole B.S., 2008, The River Dee: Roodee Cop and the Workhouse: Recent Excavations (Article in Journal). SCH6101.