Monument record 8519 - Roman North - South Roadway, North of Amphitheatre North Entrance, Former Telephone Exchange

During excavations at the 'New Telephone Exchange' (now the former Telephone Exchange) in 1938, a c 8m wide area of clean sand with sandstone fragments, and capped at it's two edges with sandstone, including some blocks of roughly trimmed ashlar, was recorded in 'Cut 2' (1). The excavator reported that the whole mass (probably referring to the bulk of the sand and sandstone fragments) had been transported there, and it overlay a lense of dark loam itself overlying natural sand (1). It was interpreted as a probable roadway, running roughly north - south, from the north entrance of the amphitheatre, and suggested that the blocks capping each edge of this surface had originally paved it completely (1).

<1> Newstead, R (Prof.), 1939, Records of Archaeological Finds II-V, Newstead R 1939 33/9-11 (Article in Journal). SCH5702.

<2> n/a, 1954, Miscellanea, Webster G 1954 41/89 (Article in Journal). SCH5735.

<3> Robinson D.J. & Ward T.E, 1975, Excavations on the site of the Chester telephone exchange extension, Robinson D J & Ward T E 1975 58/41-6 (Article in Journal). SCH5902.

<4> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 1/170-171 Petch D F 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

<5> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, 3/313 Wilson D R 1972 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

<6> Earthworks Archaeology, 2006, Proposed Redevelopment at The Former BT Exchange Building St John Street Chester, R2606 (Client Report). SCH4656.