Monument record 11041 - Post Medieval Well and Cess Pit, Main Entrance Amphitheatre

During excavations at the Roman amphitheatre between 1965 and 1969, post medieval features were recorded in the area of the former main entrance to the amphitheatre. A large cess pit, 1.5m square, was built into the Roman wall, at the junction of the amphitheatre’s outer wall and the east side-wall of the entrance; it produced relatively late material in the upper fills, including eighteenth century pottery and slate fragments. The excavators suggested that it may have been related to the house that stood in this are before St John’s House was built (see CHER 11040). A stone-lined well was also revealed along the west side of the amphitheatre’s main entrance, and was said to contain fills similar to that of the cess pit (2).

<1> Newstead, R (Prof.), 1932, The Roman Amphitheatre at Chester, Newstead R & Droop J P 1932 29/38-40 (Article in Journal). SCH5708.

<2> Thompson A, 1975, The excavations of the Roman amphitheatre at Chester, 105/127-239 Thompson F H 1976 (Article in Journal). SCH6162.

<3> Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Revised List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, City of Chester Extra Mural 1998/ 148 (Unpublished Report). SCH4570.