Monument record 11438 - Eighteenth Century Structures Associated with St Martin's Lodge

Excavations at St Martin's Lodge in 2013 revealed part of the coach house associated with the lodge (1). Spot dated to c1790, the plan was represented by one course of sandstone rubble foundation. On the west side of St Martin's Lodge a narrow white mortar scar was what remained of a walled-out wall. Associated with this strucutral foundation was evdience of repair to the Roman road, with sherds dating to the late eighteenth to early nineteenth century in the make-up of the repair. Another foundation, which might have been a boundary wall showing on Speed's map of 1610 was recorded to the west of the former. Also found was a small toilet block, in the west end of the yard area to the northwest of the lodge. Contemporary with this is another rectangular structure that had a natural river cobble floor which was preserved in situ.

St Martin's Lodge was constructed in 1823, with a contemporary coach house and ancillary outhouses. A terrace was cut into the Phase I and II (Roman) roads at the site. This largely truncated all medieval archaeology in their footprint. Unusually the crown of the phase II road was left intact as hard standing within the coach house, and the Phase II road surface was left extant on its west elevation, as egress to a paddock to teh rear of the property boundary. It is probable that the north brick boundary wall to the west of the lodge suggest an earlier structure (1).

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