Monument record 8098 - Roman Sewer, Pepper Street to Cuppin Street

<1> Thompson Watkin W. T., 1886, Roman Cheshire: A Description of Roman Remains in the County of Chester, p.115 (Book). SCH2878.

In May, 1821, the ancient building called" Lamb Row" at the corner of Bridge Street and Cuppin Street, fell down. In clearing the site a “singular excavation was discovered running through the whole foundation to the extent of upwards of 100 feet, and not terminating at either extremity of the premises”. It was five feet wide, and sixteen feet deep in the rock. The bottom was filled with soil, and at a depth of eight feet it appeared to have been boarded across with three inch oak plank, dividing it into an upper and lower road, each eight feet high. The direction of it is nearly due east and west and at intervals there were small square recesses.

The continuation of this feature was found in 1848 in St. John Street, Cuppin Street, Pepper Street, and Grosvenor Street during the construction of a sewer. It was described as being cut in the rock, 7 feet wide at the top, and sloping to 3 feet in width, where a floor of stout timber occurred; the space beneath was filled with rubbish of the Roman age, and though probed to the depth of 17 feet, the rock at the bottom was not reached.

Although some have thought this to be the southern fosse of the castrum, Thompson-Watkin believes it have been only a drain which fell into the creek which formed part of the fosse on the southern side.

<2> Ayrton W, 1849, Notice of Recent discoveries in Chester, p.79-82 (Article in Journal). SCH5960.

An excavation of ‘some extent’ discovered during the construction of drains in St. John Street, Pepper Street, Cuppin Street, and Bridge Street. Excavators discovered a passage aligned almost east-west. The drains, cut into the bedrock, were on average twelve feet deep and were fist observed in St. John Street and then Pepper Street. About seventy yards on it crosses Bridge Street and runs under the buildings which occupy the site of Old Lamb Row. It is seven feet wide at the top (which is four feet below ground level) and become gradually narrower towards the bottom. It was in excess of thirteen feet deep, the base of which was not observed. At intervals of a few yards there were recesses, which some suppose may allow air to enter of persons to pass and have suggested that the excavation is a passage between St John’s and the Monastery of the White Friars. This conjecture has nothing to support it other than the general alignment of the feature. At Old Lamb Row it was reported that the feature was divided longitudinally by substantial timbers and flooring at about eight feet below ground level. Ayton believes ,that due to its alignment, this feature could not operate as a drain.

<3> Shrubsole, George W, 1887, Deva, its Walls and Streets, or Chester in the Time of the Romans (Appendix), p.210-11 (Article in Journal). SCH5546.

During the sewering of the City in 1848 in St John Street, Pepper Street and Grosvenor Street, a trench was found cut in rock. I t was seven feet wide at the top and , rapidly sloping to three feet. Then appeared a floor of stout timber. By probing , no rock was found at a depth of 17 feet. The narrownes, the depth of the cutting, and above all the timber floor, altogether exculde the idea of its being the fosse; while the space beneeath the floor, filled with debris of a Roman age, clearly indicates a drain, and the wider opening suggests facility in its making. It was really an intercepting sewer cut in the rock to drain the east and south area of the camp.

<4> Lawson, P H, 1926, Schedule of the Roman Remains of Chester with Maps and Plans, No.50 (Article in Journal). SCH5956.

<5> Mason, D. J. P., 1980, Excavations at Chester: 11-15 Castle Street and neighbouring sites 1974-8 : a possible Roman posting house (mansio) (Grosvenor Museum archaeological excavations and survey reports), p.86 fig.47 (Monograph). SCH1194.

<6> Strickland T.J & Davey, P.J., 1978, New evidence for Roman Chester: material from the Chester Conference November 1977, p.34 (Book). SCH2242.

<7> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, Vol.1 p.174 Petch D F 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

The length found in Pepper St. may have carried waste water from the internal bath building. Its outfall was presumably in the creek under Nuns' Field, which is known to have been an open sewer in 1817 .