Monument record 8189 - Roman Centurions House G at Crook Street (First Cohort)

Archaeological investigations in 1973 recorded the northern end of a Centurion’s House. The evidence suggested several phases of activity beginning with a timber framed building of a late first century date. This was replaced in the early second century by a stone reconstruction. Traces of a possible fence or partition structure were also recorded between the centurion’s house and the barrack block. The house itself measured 10.32m in width similar to that of the adjacent men’s quarters with the east room 4.42m wide and the west room 3.68m wide. The internal arrangement of the north end of the centurion’s house indicated at least two rooms and a central corridor. The internal floor surface comprised compacted sand with traces of occupation in at least one of the rooms. The walls were wattle and daub with evidence of white plaster on the internal facing. Wall plaster recovered from the eastern room indicated an elaborate design of several colours (Phase 2). The stone reconstruction (Phase 3a) of the Roman centurion’s house of the First Cohort was carried out in the early second century following the systematic demolition of the timber phase and their immediate reconstruction in stone. Although following essentially the same footprint, the northern end of the centurion’s house was moved 2.25m to the north. The doorway into the east room was identified with evidence of a small niche for a household shrine nearby while a third room was also created to the south following the addition of a partition wall. A temporary hearth associated with the construction of the stone building was also noted. Sometime after the initial construction of the centurion’s house, evidence of a change in activity was recorded consisting of a series of shallow pits cut into the previously tidy structure. Although tentatively linked to the military ‘hiatus’ of the mid second century recorded on several occasions in the city, there was no clear dating evidence confirming a second century date. Rather the evidence appeared to post date the earlier stone reconstruction and predate the later redevelopment of the site. Legionary barrack blocks each accommodated a century of 80 men plus their officers, and were normally arranged in groups of 6 (a cohort of 480 men). Narrow streets gave access to facing pairs of barracks. The centurions' quarters were situated at the ends of the barracks, adjacent to a major road - either the perimeter road (via sagularis) or main transverse street (via principalis). The centurions' quarters were divided from those of the rank-and-file by a narrow alley. They were wider than the men's quarters but lacked a veranda. In ground plan they consisted of a corridor with rooms (including a private latrine) opening off on each side. The men's quarters consisted on 14 (later 11 or 12) units of two rooms for approximately eight men, fronted by a veranda that often contained an enclosed latrine at one end. The outer room was used to store equipment; the inner was for living and sleeping and contained a hearth. Only 10 pairs of rooms should have been needed to accommodate a century; the purpose of the spare rooms is uncertain. The first barracks were constructed using a timber frame with wattle-and-daub infilled panels. These timber barracks underwent a varying number of re-buildings in a relatively short period of time. From about AD 100, there was intermittent rebuilding in stone (perhaps with timber superstructures). However, there were also periods of abandonment. A comprehensive rebuilding was finally undertaken in the early third century. These barracks had much the same plan as their timber predecessors. A diminished number of barracks continued to be occupied into the fourth century. The First Cohort was double strength in the first century AD under the command of 5 centurions, and continued thereafter to be stronger than the other cohorts. It was situated on the right-hand side of the headquarters building. At Chester its accommodation is currently poorly understood; it appears to have consisted of at least 5 barracks of normal type and 5 single-range buildings. The buildings at the eastern end of the cohort are yet to be interpreted satisfactorily. There is room for 6 buildings in the position reserved for centurions' quarters.