Monument record 10998 - The 'Cop' 18th century Flood Defences

The Cop was an early 18th century flood defence comprising a masonry wall and earth bank. Originally built in 1706-10 it was partially destroyed in 1720 following a major flood and had to be rebuilt. (1) The defences consist of several sections:

The first section of the defences extended for some 350m from the southern end of the Roodee as far as the former workhouse at Kitchen Street and is first recorded on de Levaux’s map of 1745. Following the construction of the workhouse in the late 18th century, the northern 100m were replaced by a new line further to the west. (10)

The next section of the defences extended 275m from Crane Bank wharf as far as Tilston’s Yard. It is recorded on historic maps from the 18th and early 19th century. Archaeological investigations have recorded traces of this revetment at the former boat yard in 2002 and at Tilston’s Yard in 2004. (10)

At the former boat yard at New Crane Street, the evidence consisted of the primary line of the sandstone flood defences on a north-south alignment across the middle of the site. The revetment bank survived as a series of silty sand layers with evidence of grass/root disturbance in two areas of the site. The rear of the bank sloped from ground level to a depth of 0.6m below present ground level with a deposit of dark silt-clay-peat layer at its base. (11)

At Tilston's Yard, approximately 0.9m of the revetment bank was recorded, surviving to a height of at least 1.8m. The bank consisted of a layer of roughly cut sandstone blocks set into thick deposit of clay, below which was a series of successive soil deposits making up the bulk of the bank. The bank was subsequently incorporated into the 19th century wharf. The excavations also indicate that the defences were breached sometime in the late 18th century creating a steep sided channel in the southern end of the site. (12)

The last section of the defences is recorded at the northern end of the port area. It comprises a broad, flat topped embankment on a north-south alignment. The embankment survives to a height of 2m and a width of 10m at its base. Archaeological investigations carried out at The Cop recreation ground recorded the surviving earthwork on a northwest to south east alignment across the park. The earthwork probably formed part of the original Cop defences cut in the mid 18th century by Nathanial Kinderley as part of the reinstatement of the river Dee for navigation. (13)

In the late 18th to early 19th century the flood defences were extended to the south of the Roodee racecourse. Archaeological investigations of the defences in 2005 suggesting the initial construction in the late 18th century consisted of an earthwork acting as a basic flood defence. This was followed by a later period of alteration as the earthwork was re-cut and a stone capping added to it, although no trace of the stone now remains in situ. Finally, in the 20th century, a stone revetment wall was added to the southern side of the earthwork (14, 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> Ordnance Survey, 1896-1898, Ordnance Survey First Revision County Series (Epoch 2) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire (Maps and Plans). SCH3848.

<4> de Lavaux, A, 1745, Plan of the City and Castle of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH5255.

<5> Hunter, J, 1789, Survey of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH5257.

<6> Wood, J, 1833, Plan of the City of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH5258.

<7> Stockdale, 1796, A Plan of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH6510.

<8> Cole, G, 1805, Chester 1805 (Map of) (Maps and Plans). SCH6511.

<9> Neele, Samuel John, 1809, Plan of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH6512.

<10> Matrix Archaeology, 2000, River Wall Restoration, Old Port, Chester: Archaeological Assessment and Watching Brief (Interim Report) (Client Report). SCH6255.

<11> Birmingham Archaeology, 2002, Excavations at New Crane Street, Chester, Cheshire, 2002, R3160 (Client Report). SCH6319.

<12> Gifford and Partners, 2005, Tilston's Yard, New Crane Street, Chester: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design, R3136 (Client Report). SCH5471.

<13> L - P Archaeology, 2004, Archaeological Watching Brief Report of land at The Cop Recreational Ground, Chester., R3092 (Client Report). SCH4529.

<14> L - P Archaeology, 2005, Archaeological Evaluation of Land at the Roodee, Chester, R3082 (Client Report). SCH5456.

<15> n/a, 1857, Appendix, R2670 (Article in Journal). SCH5505.