Find Spot record 8030/51 - Roman Altar, Junction of Foregate Street and St John Street

A sandstone altar (RIB i 452) with an unusual dedication was found while digging a cellar for Richard Tyrer in ‘Forest St.’ (i.e. Foregate St.), outside the east gate, about c 2.5m below the surface, found in 1648 or 1653 (1). Petch locates the findspot at the junction of Foregate St. and St John St. (2).

The altar remained in the garden of Richard Tyrer for nearly a quarter of a century, but in 1675 was taken to Oxford where it is now among the Arundel Marbles in the Ashmolean Museum (1). It has an unusual dedication, in which Jupiter is linked with a Celtic god, probably to be equated with Taranis. Tanarus or Taranis probably refers to a Celtic god of thunder (5).

<1> Thompson Watkin W. T., 1886, Roman Cheshire: A Description of Roman Remains in the County of Chester, /165-6 (Book). SCH2878.

<2> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 1/171 Petch D F 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

<3> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1911-Present, Journal of Roman Studies, 56/229(N) (Journal/Periodical). SCH1519.

<4> Chester Archaeological Society, Journal of the Chester Archaeological Society, Collingwood R G 1925 26/154-61 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1595.

<5> Chester Archaeological Society, Journal of the Chester Archaeological Society, Green M J 1983 65/37-44 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1595.

<6> Collingwood R G & Wright R P, 1965, The Roman Inscriptions of Britain: Volume I, RIB vol I, 452 (Monograph). SCH3235.

<7> Collingwood. R.G., 1925, Jupiter Tanarus (Article in Journal). SCH5696.

<8> Lawson, P H, 1926, Schedule of the Roman Remains of Chester with Maps and Plans, No 49 (Article in Journal). SCH5956.

<9> Bannister, AT, 1887, Notes on the Roman Altar found at Chester in 1648 (Appendix) (Article in Journal). SCH5541.

<10> Hubner, Prof., 1890, The Roman Inscriptions of Deva (Chester) (Article in Journal). SCH5581.