Monument record 11498 - Site of Eighteenth Century Cottages Adjoining City Walls

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

A 2012 investigation into the fabric of the Northgate steps, west of the Northgate, in advance of a programme of repair, revealed a hollow, sealed chamber within the fabric of the city wall (trench 2). Documentary research (see source 2) indicates that it dates to the nineteenth century. At a corresponding location, the pre-existing city wall structure was shown to be of a rather thin build with a ragged south edge and an absence of any in situ facing blocks. It would appear that the south face of the city wall had been cut back at some point in its history, this disturbance to the wall may have taken place during the eighteenth century when two cottages were erected against the wall at this location. Historical research has demonstrated that in 1877, following the demolition of the cottages, the city walls were widened at this point and, as such, the chamber was an element of this widening.

<2> Matrix Archaeology, 2013, Northgate Steps, Water Tower Street, Chester Archaeological Assessment, R3487 (Client Report). SCH7179.

Following on from the archaeological evaluation of the steps structure and City Wall in 2012 (source 1), further documentary research was undertaken. Both cartographic and documentary sources indicate that the steps on both the west and east sides of the North Gate date to the early nineteenth century and were probably built as part of, or shortly after, Harrison's re-building of the North Gate in 1808-1810. Documentary and cartographic sources also attest that by the mid eighteenth century a line of buildings extended westwards from the Northgate, built against the inner face of the City Wall and fronting on Water Tower Street. The city plan surveyed by Alexander de Lavaux in 1745 depicts these as a single block, but on a later plan of 1789 (James Hunter), the range is not continuous. Some of the properties were in private ownership, others were owned by the Corporation and leased to tenants, such as the two cottages, with yards and privies, west of the Northgate. When the steps structure was constructed on the west side of the North Gate, the new lower landing was contiguous with the east gable of one of the cottages. It is thought that the external doorway of the cottage was originally located at the north end of its east gable, hard up against the City Wall (this location would have been more practical than the south wall due to the narrowness of the street here). Construction of the steps structure would have resulted in the doorway to the cottage being blocked, hence provision for a new doorway and passage beneath the landing, allowing access to the original doorway.

Following demolition of the cottages in 1877 by the Improvement Committee, the City Wall was widened, removing or concealing evidence for the floors or roof of the cottages. The widening included the construction of the open chamber and large arched doorway recorded by the 2012 investigations. The back wall of the chamber coincided approximately with the back wall of the one of the cottages (Cottage A) and also with the south elevation of the City Wall. The chamber and the arched doorway are, therefore, considered part of the circa 1877 construction and widening works following demolition of the cottages. The arched doorway was probably blocked in the early 20th century, resulting in the present appearance of the wall.

<3> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 2018, Northgate Steps, City Walls, Chester: An Archaeological Watching Brief, R4271 (Client Report). SCH8626.

Following on from the previous investigations (sources 1 and 2), between 2016 and 2018, archaeological monitoring of the dismantling of the steps to the City Walls west of the existing North Gate, found physical evidence for the presence of another eighteenth century cottage, additional to the two already discussed, indicating that they extended further east along the City Wall than previously thought. Substantial patches of lime plaster render were evident adhering to the masonry of the eighteenth century phase City Wall revealed through the dismantling of the steps. In places the plaster measured up to 15mm thick and traced along a 4.5m stretch of the wall face. The building to which the surviving lime plaster belonged would have been demolished prior to the erection of the Thomas Harrison's North Gate and the steps structure in the early nineteenth century.

As described in source 2, construction of the steps structure resulted in the doorway to a pre-existing cottage being blocked. Provision was made for a replacement doorway and access passage, located beneath the steps landing, allowing access to continue into the cottage. Excavation showed that this doorway and passage were cut into the surviving Roman rampart, as they were partially demolished as part of the renovation works.