Monument record 11367 - Medieval features at No 20 Lower Bridge Street

<1> L-P Archaeology, 2012, Archaeological Watching Brief Report Oddfellows Hall, Chester, R3450 (Client Report). SCH7079.

Archaeological investigations in 2011 to the rear of No 20 Lower Bridge Street (Oddfellows Hall) encountered evidence of medieval activity associated with the plot fronting onto the main street. The evidence comprised a series of medieval layers across the site as well as a sandstone wall on an east-west alignment across the southern boundary of the site that was interpreted as the north wall of a building to the rear of the plot. Dating was provided by medieval pottery from the soils around the wall suggestive of a 13th to 15th century date.

The earliest evidence comprised an early silt deposit [9] containing medieval and disturbed Roman pottery along with a single intrusive post medieval pottery fragment. This was overlain by a grey clay silt later [46] which appeared to be a build up layer of occupation debris and rubbish primarily dated to the mid 13th to 14th century. This layer was cut by the sandstone wall [35] measuring approximately 8.25m in length on an east-west alignment and surviving to a height of three courses (0.40m). In addition a pile of sandstone [34] was also recorded on the north side of the wall that may have been a collapsed section of wall. Another layer of dark green grey clay silt [45] containing fragments of pottery from a mid 13th to 15th century date was interpreted as an occupation or trample layer and appeared to butt up against the standing sandstone wall.

In addition to the structural evidence, a series of contemporary pits were encountered. Two relatively small pits [19 and 21] were excavated in the north east part of the site both of which contained finds of a 14th-16th century date.