Monument record 8420 - Roman north-south store building at Princess Street (insula 21)

The area to the north of the elliptical building comprised a large area at least 100m by 50m and contained several substantial buildings, the first of these was a narrow east-west aligned range along the south side of the area facing the elliptical building (CHER 8419), this structure was approximately 35-40m long and fronted by a colonnaded portico. A second narrow range with its long axis on a north-south alignment (CHER 8420) then appeared to then extend for approximately the full length of the area, it too had a colonnaded portico. Both of these structures appeared to remain more or less throughout the Roman period.

Traces of the southern end of this range was encountered during archaeological investigations at the Old Market Hall site (currently the Forum Shopping Centre) in 1968. The structural evidence comprised traces of an east-west aligned colonnaded portico facing the street with evidence of the final room (southern) of the narrow range. Several phases of activity were recorded comprising an early timber phase identified by a series of post holes and beam slots, and a later stone phase identified by only a surface, later interpreted as a water tank. A lead water pipe entered the southern wall of this range on an north-west to south-east alignment leading to the surface. (1)

<1> Strickland, T.J., 1983, Chester: Excavations in the Princess Street / Hunter Street Area, 1978-1982. A First Report on Discoveries of the Roman Period (Article in Journal). SCH5815.

<2> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, p163 (Book). SCH3556.

<3> Strickland, T.J., 1988, Excavations in the Princess Street, Hunter Street, Hunter's Walk and Northgate Street areas 1978-1987: Roman Major Buildings (Unpublished Report). SCH6857.