Monument record 8206/2 - Evidence of the Roman East Wall at the Kaleyards

Following the discovery of substantial evidence of Roman material in the North Wall between 1883 (CHER 8202/5/1) and 1887 (CHER 8202/5/2) several attempts were made to examine the foundations of the present wall including the area of the Kale Yards near the Postern Gate. The work was carried out in 1887-8 by Mr I M Jones, City Surveyor, and overseen by Mr C R Roach of the British Archaeological Association. A trench was cut against the exterior face of the wall near the Postern Gate where a substantial mass of masonry was recorded outside the line of the present wall. The trench was excavated to a depth of almost 4m below the bank surface. Two lower courses of boulders were recorded at the base of the trench over which were three courses of rubble and one of sandstone blocks measuring 1m in height. In all, this features stands 1.96m advance of the present city wall with a section some 18.28m long recorded before it gradually peters out. (1, 2).

In 1983 a number of sites along the present city wall were opened in order to identify and record the Roman fortress wall. At the Kaleyards this comprised a single small trench (KI in LeQuesne, 1999) followed by a substantially larger trench at the same site in 1989/90 involving the partial dismantlement of the wall (KII in LeQuesne, 1999). (3, 4)

Evidence of the exterior face of the Roman wall was encountered at the base of the present city wall, in 1983 the excavations indicated thirteen courses of Roman masonry survived in situ however following the 1989/90 reconstruction of this section of the wall the evidence is less clear as there is a suggestion of later reuse of Roman material in the upper courses. (3, 4)

Consolidation works on the East Wall in 1988 enabled further investigation of two sections to the north of the Kaleyard Gate, the first (trench A) adjacent to Kaleyard Cottage and a second area (Trench B) on the site of the medieval Saddler’s Tower (Site is referred to as KIII in LeQuesne, 1999). A larger area was subsequently re-examined in 1989/90 as part of the reconstruction works to the city walls (site is referred to as KIV in LeQuesne, 1999). (3, 5)

Trench A was intended primarily to examine the remains of the Roman wall surviving below the present ground surface comprising a further four courses of masonry before the base course and chamfered plinth denoting the footings of the rampart wall were encountered. Evidence of shifting of the Roman stonework was recorded at the location. Further investigations in 1989/90 recorded further traces of the Roman stonework over a more extensive area with an overall height of Roman masonry surviving in situ to 4.75-4.8m over a distance of some 20m. (3, 5)

Trench B located some distance to the north included a substantial length of the wall (approximately 17m) in which no surviving above ground Roman masonry was recorded. Within the area of the trench, however, Roman masonry at the base of the wall was encountered at a depth of 0.38m below present ground level. (3, 5)

Archaeological investigations carried out at the Kaleyards in 1993 during subsequent restoration of the wall recorded evidence of Roman masonry over much of the 58m long stretch of the wall north of the Kaleyard Gate although this for the most part recorded existing masonry rather than identifying new areas of Roman stonework. (6)

The date of construction of the stone revetment wall is disputed. It is possible that the southern and eastern sectors were started at the beginning of the second century, along with the towers, but that remaining sectors were not completed until the early third century. Evidence of two phases of reconstruction incorporating re-used stones has been found on all but the south side, accompanied in some cases by rubble in the ditch. It is suggested that reconstruction to the original width is to be dated to the start of the fourth century, but that doubling of the width may belong to the Saxon period.

<1> Picton, James, 1888, Notes on the city walls of Chester (Article in Journal). SCH6093.

<2> Brock, EP Loftus, 1888, The Age of the Walls of Chester, with References to Recent Discussions (Article in Journal). SCH5571.

<3> LeQuesne C, 1999, Excavations at Chester: The Roman and Later Defences Part I (Monograph). SCH6156.

<4> Gifford and Partners, 1990, Chester City Walls Investigations: Interim report requesting emergency action to stabilize wall, R3206 (Client Report). SCH6805.

<5> Chester Archaeology, 1988, Defences of Roman Chester: Discoveries made on the East Wall, 1988. North of the Kaleyard Gate (Unpublished Report). SCH6621.

<6> Chester Archaeology, 1993, Chester City Walls (East) - 1993 Interim Report, R2680 (Client Report). SCH4787.

<7> Haverfield, F, 1900, Catalogue of the Roman Sculptured stones in the Grosvenor Museum (Article in Journal). SCH5530.

<8> Hubner, Prof., 1890, The Roman Inscriptions of Deva (Chester) (Article in Journal). SCH5581.

<9> Lawson, P H, 1926, Schedule of the Roman Remains of Chester with Maps and Plans (Article in Journal). SCH5956.

<10> Collingwood R G & Wright R P, 1965, The Roman Inscriptions of Britain: Volume I (Monograph). SCH3235.

<11> Wright, R. P. & Richmond, I. A., 1955, Catalogue of the Roman Inscribed and Sculptured Stones in the Grosvenor Museum, Chester (Monograph). SCH522.

<12> Strickland, T.J., 1984, The defences of Roman Chester: discoveries made on the east wall, 1983 (Article in Journal). SCH5933.