Monument record 10970/6/0 - Cheese Wharf, Chester Port

The Cheese Wharf at Chester is recorded to the north of the port and marks one of the most northern industries along the River Dee. It is first recorded as a ‘Cheese warehouse’ on Hunter’s map of 1789 close to the sluice house and with a landing stage, a wharf and an inlet. (1)

By the late 19th century, the site had been reduced to the landing stage with the former warehouse replaced by Copfield House. (2)

Archaeological investigations by Chester Archaeological Society in 1999 and 2000 sought to identify the remains of the wharf and its associated structures. Evidence for the warehouse itself were encountered during the 1999 phase of investigations and consisted of parallel lines of narrow wooden beams resting on a series of stone plinths on a north-south alignment across the site. (3)

Fragments of the Cheese Wharf still survives along the river bank at this location. (11)

<1> Hunter, J, 1789, Survey of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH5257.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1872-1875, Metric Ten Foot Scale Town Plan of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH6780.

<3> Chester Archaeological Society, 2001: Part 2, The Chester Antiquary (Booklet-Leaflet). SCH6487.

<4> Batenham, 1821, A Plan of the City of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH6513.

<5> Cole, G, 1851, Chester 1851 (Map of) (Maps and Plans). SCH6514.

<6> Thomas, T, c.1853, Plan of the City and Liberties of Chester with Recent Additional Buildings (Maps and Plans). SCH6515.

<7> Catherall and Pritchard, c.1860, Pictorial Plan of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH6516.

<8> Wood, J, 1833, Plan of the City of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH5258.

<9> Stockdale, 1796, A Plan of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH6510.

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

<11> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Morris, M. 05/04/2013 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.