Monument record 8438 - Roman column bases at Commonhall Street

Evidence of a Roman structure on Commonhall Street was indicated during construction in 1848-1849 when investigations in the line of the road recorded a row of four column foundations ‘up the centre’ of the street on an east-west alignment. The foundations comprised broken marble stone set in hard mortar approximately 2.7m apart and capped with a stone plinth 1.25m square and 40cm deep. The entire foundation extended to a depth of 3.04m below ground level. (1)

Finds from the area included a Roman pig of lead imbedded in a wall at a depth of around 1.20m, although once inscribed oxidation had removed much of the detail (5, 7, 11). Quantities of animal bone including a complete stag skull with the horns sawn off and a wild boar’s tusk were also recovered. A ceramic roof finial or antefix was recovered along with a portion of a column base (1, 2, 6).

Inscribed CAESARI NI VADON Property of Caesar (13)

<1> Smith C.R., 1850, Notes on the Roman remains at Chester, p224-230 (Article in Journal). SCH6087.

<2> Brushfield, T N, 1885, The Roman remains of Chester: With particular description of those discovered in Bridge Street, p31, 51 (Article in Journal). SCH6418.

<3> Thompson Watkin W. T., 1886, Roman Cheshire: A Description of Roman Remains in the County of Chester, p123,147,161 (Book). SCH2878.

<4> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, p160-161 (Book). SCH3556.

<5> British Archaeological Association, 1847-present, Journal of the British Archaeological Association, 4/274-5 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1578.

<6> Way, A., 1859, Enumeration of blocks or pigs of lead and tin relics of Roman metallurgy discovered in Great Britain, p31 (Article in Journal). SCH6535.

<7> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1845-Present, Archaeological Journal, 34/145 (Journal/Periodical). SCH338.

<8> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1911-Present, Journal of Roman Studies, Taylor M V & Collingwood R G 1931 21/258 nil (Journal/Periodical). SCH1519.

<9> Webster, Graham, 1952-53, The Lead-Mining Industry in North Wales, p.22-3 (Article in Journal). SCH1245.

<10> Lawson, P H, 1926, Schedule of the Roman Remains of Chester with Maps and Plans, No 35 (Article in Journal). SCH5956.

<11> Haverfield, F, 1900, Catalogue of the Roman Sculptured stones in the Grosvenor Museum, No 198 (Article in Journal). SCH5530.

<12> Hughes, Thomas, 1876, Chester in its Early Youth, or the Colony of Deva, seen by the Light of the Roman Remains Discovered there, p266 (Article in Journal). SCH5533.

<13> Collingwood R G & Wright R P, 1990, The Roman Inscriptions of Britain Vol 2: Fascicule 1., RIB ii (I) 2404.37 (Monograph). SCH6717.