Monument record 8321 - Possible Roman workshops area (Latera Praetorii west)

The area to the west of the Elliptical building, known as insula 18, is believed to have been devoted to workshops based on abundant deposits of slag and other industrial waste. The plan conjectured from slight evidence was of large sheds surrounding a central court. The south range was 12m wide and the court behind it 25.5m; the north range at 23m may have had some form of basilican layout. The insula as a whole measured 60m north-south x c.70m east-west (1).

Archaeological investigations in this area has been limited to excavations carried out between 1963 and 1965 under the auspices of Mr Petch from the Grosvenor Museum, sadly however the work has never been published due to financial constraints at the time and the available resource is limited to trench plans and the site archive. Further traces of Roman activity have been recorded in 1848 when a series of column bases were noted and in 1971 when a north south aligned wall with a possible doorway was identified.

An evalution trench in 201 identified a section of north south sandstone wall that may be related to this building complex (6)

<1> Hassall M, Wilson D. & Wright R., 1971, Roman Britian in 1970 (Article in Journal). SCH6531.

<2> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1911-Present, Journal of Roman Studies, Vol 55 p204 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1519.

<3> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, p144-45 (Book). SCH3556.

<4> Thompson Watkin W. T., 1886, Roman Cheshire: A Description of Roman Remains in the County of Chester, p129 (Book). SCH2878.

<5> Mason, D. J. P., 2001, Roman Chester: City of the Eagles, p140 (Book). SCH6164.

<6> Oxford Archaeology North, 2015, Chester Northgate Redevelopment. Hunter Street and Trinity Street Pre-determination Evaluation (Client Report). SCH8032.