Monument record 8330 - Roman rampart ovens at 37-43 Eastgate Street

Substantial remains of at least three legionary ovens were recorded during excavations to the rear of No 37-43 Eastgate Street in 1959 (then the premises of Woolworth & Co.). (1)

Several stanchion holes and trenches excavated into the earth rampart indicated the presence of three final phase ovens conforming to the standard Roman construction of a circular clay and sandstone oven with an internal diameter c3.04m and a flue opening into an ash pit to the west. The ovens were spaced at an interval of approximately c3.04m. Traces of earlier phases of ovens were also noted. (1)

Oven 1 to the north of the site was recorded in Trench 4 and in Stanchion 1 where traces of a burnt clay floor, coursed sandstone walls and associated ash pit was recorded. Traces of at two earlier phase of oven construction was also recorded in Stanchion 1. (1)

Traces of Oven 2 were recorded in Stanchion 4 where the coursed sandstone wall, clay & rubble floor and traces of a possible ash pit from the final phase oven were recorded. Again traces of at least one earlier phase of oven construction was recorded containing a single sherd of samian stamped OF.CICELRI (60-75AD).(1)

Evidence of Oven 3 to the south was less substantial, comprising layers of black ash and sandstone similar to that in Oven 1. (1)

To the west of the ovens, traces of a wall foundation on a north-south alignment parallel to the intervallum road indicate the presence of a low boundary wall c0.60m thick that was subsequently covered by a build up of ash from the ovens. (1)

<1> Thompson F.H, 1967, Excavations on the site of Woolworth's, Chester, 1959 (Article in Journal). SCH5885.

<2> Wilson D & Hurst J, 1960, Medieval Britain in 1959 (Article in Journal). SCH5611.

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

<4> Thompson, F.H., 1964, A History of Cheshire. Volume Two: Roman Cheshire (Book). SCH2862.

<5> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1911-Present, Journal of Roman Studies, JRS 50/216 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1519.

<6> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, p158-9,163 (Book). SCH3556.