Monument record 719/1/0 - Condate - Roman Auxiliary Fort

See linked event/monument records for details on individual excavations (1967-1990) and the features each excavation recorded.

The main interventions relating to the fort straddling Chester Road are as follows:-
ECH6288: 1973, Dairy Dig (evidence of timber buildings)
ECH3011: 1974, Old Zion Chapel (reducing western ditch cutting earlier building)
ECH6289: 1978, Harrisons/Ryder Place (eastern fort defences and intervallum road, cut by round house)
ECH6290: 1980, North of Chester Road (courtyard building with central well, potential principia)
ECH2796: 1983, Bowling Green (western fort defences, moved twice, cutting interior fort buildings - barracks/stables/granary)
ECH6292: 1985, Garages (continuation of Bowling Green excavations) (further evidence for defences; courtyard building, potential praetorium) (Also report of watching brief 1986 which identified north-western corner of fort during house construction, Bowling Green)
ECH6291: 1989, Ryder Street (northern defences and buildings)
ECH3062: 1990, Pleasant Street (timber buildings, potential barracks)

For the earlier excavations which identified military-style remains in the area of Waterloo Road (potential annexe to main fort site?):-
ECH6287: 1970, Defences (ditch/rampart) at Cliff Villa
ECH3077: 1967-70, South of Waterloo Road (two-phase road and buildings, later furnaces and associated structures)
Also, in this phase of excavation - ECH3076: 1969, Pottery Kiln, 26 Waterloo Road; the find of the Northwich Helmet during construction of a sewer in Waterloo Road.

<1> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1845-Present, Archaeological Journal, Vol 128, p.31-77, Jones G D B, 1971, 'Excavations at Northwich (Condate)'. (Journal/Periodical). SCH338.

Excavations in 1966-69 established the existence of a two phase auxiliary fort of Flavian origin, which in the space available, could have been up to 5 acres. Founded in the 70s of the 1st century AD to the 2nd century. In the 2nd century, defences & barracks were rebuilt at the start of Period II. End of Period II came possibly at same time as construction of the Antonine Wall, since none of the finds post-date circa 140 AD. The military origin of site is partly suggested by Flavian material from excavations in the area in 1966-68 by J.B.Curzon. In 1970, a section was excavated through line of northern defences of the fort by the Northwich Archaeological Group under P.Kohut and completed by J.H.Williams; a trench was excavated in the garden of Cliff Villa, Castle Cliff, revealing two phases of ditch and rampart. The start of Period II was some time in early 2nd century. In 1969, trenches excavated south of Waterloo Road revealed two phases of superimposed timber buildings, thought to be barracks, lying at right angles to the defences. Also in 1969, a complete military helmet of iron was found in the side of a sewer trench; it was found in a pit and is potentially associated with the Period I of the auxiliary fort.

<2> DOE, 1975, Archaeological Excavations 1974, p.38 (Book). SCH335.

Trenches at Zion Chapel in 1974 by J.S. Dent revealed part of the west entrance of the fort.

<3> Jones G D B, 1985, Condate 1985 - Northwich Excavation (Monograph). SCH965.

Excavations in the interior in 1976 and 1978, on the north side of Chester Rd, produced further evidence of the eastern rampart at Ryder (Harrisons) Place. There was a period of abandonment between the two military occupations, which began in the last quarter of the 1st century AD and ended in the mid 2nd century AD. In 1983, excavations were undertaken in two stages at the Bowling Green site which formed the last major area of open land on Castle. Stage 1 comprised a series of east/west trenches which identified two substantial, parallel ditches, 24 metres apart; also the remains of an 8m wide rampart based on decomposing sandstone running behind (east of) the most easterly ditch. Stage II of the excavations comprised area stripping between some of the trenches. The remains of timber buildings lying between and cut by the ditches were recorded, indicating that the fort had been reduced in size. A further trench was excavated to explore to the west of the fort; a third ditch, 5m wide with rampart and inter vallum road on the eastern side was recorded, the remains of buildings begain immediately in the interior. The remains were on a different axis than that of the known fort.

<4> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, Vol 1, p.282-3, Wilson D R, 1970 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

Account of 1967-1969 excavations of timber buildings (presumed military) and 2nd century industrial settlement with timber buildings, bowl furnaces, pits and pottery kiln.

<5> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, Vol 2, p.255-6, Wilson D R, 1971 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

Further account of late 1960s/1970 excavations.

<6> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, p.42-43 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ67SE3 (Index). SCH2487.

See library linked card for further details of sources.

<8> Jones G D B, Nevell, M and Reynolds, P, 1987, Condate - Excavations at Castle, Northwich 1983-1986, Manchester Archaeological Bulletin, Vol 1, 1987, p.35-7 (Article in Journal). SCH8152.

Interim report of excavations of Roman deposits underlying former Bowling Green (1983) and Garages (1985) site north of Chester Road, including a plan of the trenches. In 1985 clearance to the east of the Bowling Green enabled a further stage of rescue excavation by trenching. The remains of a building with a courtyard was recorded, measuring circa 35m north-west by 24.5m south-east. A corridor 2.5m wide ran along the south-east side. An area 10m by 10m was also opened on the Bowling Green site which recorded elements of a building circa 10m long and aligned west-east, potentially a barrack block. Evidence for the earliest phase of buildings within the fort which were aligned north-south was also recorded. A watching brief undertaken in 1985-6 during construction of housing on the Bowling Green site, recorded the western defences of the fort curving round to form north-west corner, indicating that the courtyard building is likely the praetorium. The principia and western gateway therefore must lay either side of and underneath Chester Road.

<9> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, Vol 1, p.198-202, Petch D F, 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

Photo of helmet. Plan of excavations. Theory of two separate forts on different, possibly overlapping alignments.

<10> Council for British Archaeology, Various, CBA Group 5 Archaeological Newsletter, No.16, p.8, Curzon J B, 1970 (Newsletter). SCH547.

A Roman iron helmet was found in 1969 at the Castle site; also pottery (70-180 AD), a glass waste pit and coin.

<11> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1911-Present, Journal of Roman Studies, 1969, Vol.59, p.209-10 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1519.

Account of excavations on west side of Castle Hill (south of Waterloo Road) by G.D. Coombs and Dr G.D.B. Jones. Traced foundation trenches and post holes of Flavian-Trajanic buildings at least 75 ft long, potential barracks (CHER 719/1/3). At a higher level, 2nd century timber buildings apparently associated with civilian industrial activity, including iron-working. (CHER 719/0/12)

<12> Jones G D B, 1992, Condate - Roman Northwich: The Last Hurrah (Unpublished Document). SCH3820.

Notes on excavations on Castle Hill, Northwich, for lecture at Cheshire Archaeology Day 1992.
Summary account of the excavations at Northwich undertaken by the Department of Archaeology, University of Manchester, from the 1970s, in association with the Northwich Archaeological and South Trafford Archaeological Groups. The excavations occurred in response to 'urban infilling' where there were difficulties of interpretation due to Georgian/Victorian disturbance, also the high water table and sandy sub-soil. The area of Castle consistently produced large quantities of Roman material, but by following excavations in the late 1960s it was clear that an early Roman fort occupied the hilltop, forming a link on the strategic route between Chester and York. Evidence lay principally on discovery of two-phase rampart and ditch (in the garden of Cliff Villa) forming a north-eastern defensive ditch which could belong to a fort or possibly an annexe. Buildings and an internal road were also recorded (south of Waterloo Road) along with a later pottery kiln.

In the 1970s and 1980s further excavations revealed evidence for a fort straddling Chester Road. The northern, eastern and western defences were located. The western defences had been moved eastwards over the life of the fort to reduce its size. The reduction in size of the fort probably occurred circa 100 AD. The demolition of the fort, on the evidence of samian pottery, appears to pre-date the foundation of the Antonine Wall (circa 142 AD). Civilian settlement then spread over the area of the fort seemingly in the form of strip buildings running back from the line of the Roman road. Civilian settlement does not seem to have extended far into the third century. The find of the kiln in Waterloo Road, together with the considerable quantity of dumped first/second century AD pottery found at Weaver Street, could indicate that Northwich was a major pottery production centre alongside other examples such as Wilderspool and Holt and that this area could be regarded as an organised, military annex, adjacent to the main fort.

<13> Reynolds, P, 1989, Excavations at Castle, Northwich 1989 (Unpublished Report). SCH8150.

Three trenches were dug in May 1989 to the west of Ryder Street and north of the Bowling Green/Castle Court area prior to development for housing. These were located in an area of allotments (trench 2 and 3) and on the site of a former garage (trench 1), with the aim of looking for the northern defences of the Roman fort. These were located along with evidence of Roman buildings. (see also source 15)

<14> Cheshire County Council, 2002, Cheshire Historic Towns Survey: Vale Royal Borough Part 1: Archaeological Assessments, Northwich, 2003, Mike Shaw & Jo Clark, p.4 (Report). SCH4760.

The important strategic position of Northwich, together perhaps with the presence of brine springs, led to the establishment of an auxiliary fort on the west bank of the River Weaver in the area now known as Castle, elements of which were excavated from 1983 onwards. Two periods of military occupation were identified: the first began around AD 70 and the second finished around AD 140 and there was apparently a gap between the two phases. During the second phase the fort was reduced in size. Excavations in the interior discovered the remains of barrack blocks and a major courtyard building interpreted as a praetorium (commandant’s house). A further rampart and ditch was discovered to the north-east of the auxiliary fort in 1970, which led to the interpretation of this area as also being an auxiliary fort and much of the literature on Roman Northwich still assumes that there were two forts at Northwich (Petch 1987, Source 9). However, both would appear to be of a similar date, and reassessment (Jones 1992, source 12, and pers comm) has suggested that the rampart found in 1970 belonged to a military annexe of the main fort, rather than forming a separate fort.
(This source includes a geographical depiction of the two forts overlapping on slightly different alignments.)

<15> Cheshire County Council, 1992-1995, Cheshire Past, Issue 1, p.10-11, Jones G D B, 1991 (Newsletter). SCH870.

Account of final programme of rescue excavation in 1989 at Ryder Street and 1990 at Pleasant Street. The aim at Ryder Street was to locate the northern defences. The inner ditch line, circa 2.5 wide, was located and samples taken from the waterlogged sump. It appears to have been reinforced by a 'small primary external ditch some 25m further north'. Excavations at Pleasant Stret produced evidence of multiple timber buildings of two phases interpreted as barracks. (Includes photo of excavated barracks)

<16> Curzon J.B, 2000, Condate Castellum - The Rediscovery of the Roman Site on Castle Hill in Northwich (Book). SCH8153.

Interpretative synthesis of Roman Northwich based on the results of the excavations undertaken on Castle Hill from 1967, including the theory of an earlier fort centred around the area south of Waterloo Road, and a later, larger fort to the north-west. It discusses evidence for Roman industries found in Northwich including iron smelting (excavation of iron furnaces), pottery production (pottery kiln at 26 Waterloo Road) and salt production (finds of lead salt making pans in 1864 during construction of a dock and at Harrison's Place). Also evidence for Roman burials in the Verdin Park area and Winnington Lodge.

Includes photographs of some of the excavations including Roman timber buildings found at the Dairy Dig and Waterloo Road, the defensive ditch at the Zion Chapel, the Roman pottery kiln and clay pit at Waterloo Road, iron furnaces at Highfield and Roman finds fromQueensgate.

<17> University of Salford (Centre for Applied Archaeology), 2016, Rediscovering Roman Northwich. Phase 1: Assessment of the Archaeological Archive, p.55-9 (Report). SCH8149.

From 1967 until 1980 it was assumed that a Flavian fort sat south‐east of Chester Road on top of Castle hill. The discovery of fort defences in 1983 (Bowling Green) north of Chester Road led to modification of this theory, introducing the idea of two separate forts on different, possibly overlapping, alignments (Petch 1987, source 9). Further work in 1989‐90 again modified this suggestion with Prof G.D.B. Jones arguing in 1992 that there was a single fort site, straddling Chester Road; the site of the ‘earlier’ fort defences to the east discovered in 1967‐70 he re‐interpreted as an annex (Jones 1992, source 12). This re‐interpretation demonstrates the value of continuing post excavation work on the Northwich archive to allow a clearer understanding of the nature of the Roman activity in this area.

<19> Various, Written Communication to the HER, 04/04/2024 (Written Communication). SCH3756.

GIS representation of extent of the fort updated to that shown in source 17 (2016); this shows the extent of the fort as defined by the excavations undertaken between 1973 to 1990, straddling Chester Road with the reducing western fort ditch. A further polygon shows an approximate area of the 1967-70 excavations which found defences at Cliff Villa and military-style buildings, south of Waterloo Road, this lies within the area labelled 'Vicus' in source 17.