Monument record 8653 - Roman drain at St Martin's Lodge

<1> Archaeological Research Services Ltd, 2013, St Martin's Lodge, Chester, Cheshire Archaeological Excavation and Watching Brief, R3503 (Client Report). SCH7203.

Evidence of a substantial drain was encountered during archaeological investigations at St Martin's Lodge in 2013. Located in the canabae legionis, this area is currently poorly understood with limited archaeological remains discovered from a small number of sites. The evidence here suggests an early drain was introduced in the mid second century AD and eventually replaced by the late third century AD.

The evidence comprised a dry stone side wall of a drain [319] on an east-west alignment encountered during investigations adjacent to St Martin's Way. Preliminary dating evidence suggest the first drain was constructed in the latter half of the second century and continued in use until the late third to mid fourth century AD. Although only a small portion of this drain was recorded it appeared to be 0.58m high and 0.52m wide. The fill of the first phase drain had a very high organic content.

The first phase drain was subsequently sealed by clay deposit [310] containing few fragments of animal bone and some ceramic building material.

A second drain was subsequently laid soon after the first was sealed. The second phase drain comprised structure [322], itself made up of a series of dry bonded hard white sandstone troughs [312] on a similar alignment to the first drain. Two walls [313, 314] were then constructed using roughly split rubble blocks surviving to a maximum height of 0.30m. The fill of the second phase ditch contained charcoal flecks, burnt bone, mussel and oyster shell fragments and some sherds of Roman amphorae. The fill was interpreted as suggestive of domestic waste.

The sequence of Roman activity is concluded with a deposit [308] interpreted as a demolition deposit for structure [322].