Monument record 11159 - Post medieval quarry, Queen’s Park Road

Excavations for a new sewer line from Edgar’s Field to Queen’s Park Road encountered evidence of a probable post medieval quarry face approximately 3.90m from the Handbridge Road and at a depth of 2.40m below the present ground surface, from this point the rock disappears. A second quarried face was encountered a further 15m to the east of the first.

Beyond the first quarry face a depression or ditch was recorded measuring approximately 4.5m across. The upper fills contained a soft blackish earth containing much charcoal, coal and humus material approximately 1m thick. Below this there were many fragments of 17th and 18th century pottery from the base of the ditch.

Late 19th century maps of the Handbridge area record a quarry still extant in this area (2) while there are documentary references to a quarry on the south side of the bridge at Chester dating back to the 13th century at least when the stone was quarried for use for the maintenance of the Dee Bridge. (3)

<1> Newstead, Robert (Prof.), 1926, Records of Archaeological Finds at Chester, p150 (Article in Journal). SCH5955.

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

<3> Stewart-Brown R., 1933, The Old Dee Bridge, p66 (Article in Journal). SCH5720.