Monument record 8312/12 - Roman wall fragments west of Northgate Street; courtyard building/complex, Insula XVI

<1> Oxford Archaeology North, 2022, Chester Northgate Redevelopment: Phase 1 Post-Excavation Assessment Report, R4690 (Client Report). SCH9431.

A series of wall fragments of Roman character were observed in a narrow service-diversion trench that extended north-west to south-east along the west side of Northgate Street, excavated as part of the Northgate redevelopment scheme in 2020-1. The trench lay within the footprint of the substantial 'courtyard building', or, possibly, a structural complex arranged around a courtyard (see CHER 8312; OAN Building 807), which occupied the entire of Insula XVI throughout the Roman period, and which was seemingly stone-built from the outset. The function of this structure is unclear, although it has been suggested (Strickland 1982, source 2) that it may have been the fortress’s hospital (valetudinarium).

The stone walls, most of which were aligned east/west, were recorded at intervals along the trench. Where preservation permitted the character of the walls to be adequately determined, all were found to have a sandstone rubble core faced with squared blocks and were 0.55-0.8m wide; several were bonded with mortar. Few other deposits could be associated with the walls with any degree of confidence though in one place, a compacted pebble surface seemingly abutted one of the walls and was sealed by a soil with extensive iron staining. The circumstances of the watching brief, together with the paucity of associated pottery, meant that it was not possible to assign the walls to a particular structural phase of the building, although it is thought most likely that they are third to fourth century AD in date. However, further stratigraphic analysis may permit the sequence of occupation to be refined.

Additionally, in the same service-diversion trench, other fragments of walling were recorded, two in Hunter Street (features 10019, 11002) and one in Princess Street (133). These too are thought to represent internal partitions within the courtyard structure.

<2> Strickland, T.J., 1982, Chester (Article in Journal). SCH6299.