Monument record 8201/9 - Excavated Section of the North Rampart, Northgate Steps

<1> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 2013, Investigations into the Condition of the City Walls, Close to the North Gate Steps, Chester, R3488 (Client Report). SCH7180.

Traces of the northern, earth rampart of the Roman legionary fortress were recorded during archaeological investigations at the Northgate Steps in 2012.Two small trial pits (trench 5 and 6) were excavated in Area 3, both revealed grey clay deposits [509] immediately beneath the south wall to the steps structure. This clay was encountered at a very shallow depth, approximately 0.50 cm below current ground level.

<2> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 2018, Northgate Steps, City Walls, Chester: An Archaeological Watching Brief, R4271 (Client Report). SCH8626.

Following on from earlier evaluation work (see source 1), between 2016 and 2018, archaeological monitoring of the dismantling of the steps to the City Walls west of the existing North Gate, excavated an 8m section of the rampart forming part of the primary Roman fort defences dating to the second half of the first century AD. The rampart had been significantly cut back in places in order to accommodate elements of the later Roman masonry defences, interpreted as the Roman North Gate (see 8204/1), and later still, the North Gate Steps (12000/10/3). However, towards the west end of the site, the rampart measured up to 1.0m wide and was exposed to a height of up to 1.4m, reducing in height to the east where it survived as a thin sliver of upstanding material located between later intrusions. The body of the rampart was built up in vertical stages, with intervals of 200–400mm, consisting of layers of grey and brown clay and lenses of yellow clay and brown sand. Individual blocks of clay were observed in places and lenses of dark brown to black organic material were encountered representing traces of probable turfs. Overall, the character of the earth rampart exposed at this location reflects that recorded elsewhere along the primary defences.

Significantly, a large semi-circular pit was identified cut into the bedrock and located approximately 2.5m from the east terminus of the exposed section of rampart. It is thought to be potentially contemporary with the rampart and may represent remains of a timber-built gate, later replaced by a masonry gate (See 8204/1 for more detail on both proposed phases of gate).

<3> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 2020, Northgate Steps, City Walls, Chester: Further Archaeological Watching Brief, R4440 (Client Report). SCH8885.

Following on from the archaeological monitoring work undertaken between 2016 and 2018 (source 2), further archaeological investigation occurred between September 2019 and April 2020, prior to the rebuilding of the Steps and City Wall. Whereas the masonry remains of the Roman north gate (porta decumana) were to be preserved in situ during the planned rebuilding of the Steps structure, elements of the earthen defences and core material at the base of the City Wall would require controlled removal as part of the rebuild enabling works.

Reduction of the rampart material confirmed further the character of the earth rampart exposed at this location; the individual blocks of earth reflecting that recorded elsewhere along the primary defences. The window sample cores taken from the rampart demonstrated that the base of this material had been laid directly upon the weathered surface of the sandstone bedrock and that, significantly, no former ground surface survived beneath. However, this may simply reflect the nature of the topography at this location – at the crest of an outcrop of the natural bedrock – and elsewhere the pre-fortress ground surface may survive buried beneath further areas of surviving rampart material.