Monument record 8176 - Roman Centurion's House (First Cohort) at Goss Street (east)

Traces of Roman structural activity, believed to be evidence of a timber phase of construction of a centurion’s house, were encountered during archaeological investigations to the rear of Watergate Street (then the premises of Messrs S Aston & Son Ltd) in 1971.

Although much disturbed by later Roman and post Roman intrusion, a timber slot on a north-south alignment recorded in Trench 1 was believed to be the earliest evidence from the site and probably relates to an early phase of timber framed construction. Interpreted as the external east wall of a structure, a second possible internal wall was recorded on an east-west alignment at a distance of 0.30m from the north-south wall. Both features showed traces of a second phase of timber construction with a consequent slight shift in position of the slots. A similar arrangement was encountered in Trench 2 a short distance to the north although in this case the east-west wall abutted the north-south feature. Several post holes were encountered in both trenches indicating the approximate position of several vertical posts.

Trench 2 subsequently recorded an initial levelling phase overlying the timber construction features comprising broken sandstone and sandstone brash. (2)

Traces of the stone built centurion’s house for the first barracks of the first cohort were recorded at Goss Street in 1948-9 (then the premises of Messrs S Aston & Son Ltd). Trench 7 recorded the north external wall of the house on an east-west alignment along with an internal wall extending at right angles from it on a north-south alignment. Traces of internal floor levels were also recorded to the south in trench 8. (1)

Evidence for the north-south aligned external wall was subsequently recorded in both trenches during archaeological investigations in 1971 to the south. In trench 1 a north-south aligned wall overlay an earlier timber slot (CHER 8176/1) with two distinct periods of construction recorded. The lower section of the wall comprised clay bonded sandstone blocks approximately 0.66m wide on a foundation of broken sandstone rubble while the upper section comprised a much less substantial wall c.0.30m thick and built of mortar bonded rough sandstone blocks. Its location would suggest this was an external wall of the centurion’s house.

Trench 2 to the south did not recorded this north-south wall however evidence of several phases of an opus signinum (concrete) floor was encountered overlying a levelling layer. Wall plaster with traces of mortar recovered from the earliest floor surface indicates a nearby wall. The latest floor layer of a probable Roman date appeared to comprise broken tile set in clay over which a 0.22m thick layer of broken tile, concrete, decayed plaster and earth suggests a demolition or decay layer sealing the Roman material. (2)

<1> Ward T, 1975, Excavations in Goss Street, Chester, 1971 (Article in Journal). SCH5903.

<2> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, p153 (Book). SCH3556.

<3> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, 3/313 Wilson D R 1972 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

<4> multiple authors, 1973, Excavation Reports and Summaries, p.20 (Article in Journal). SCH5782.

<5> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, /no.547 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.