Source/Archive record SCH8620 - 15-17 & 19 Newgate Street, Chester: Archaeological Evaluation

Three archaeological trial trenches were excavated at a proposed redevelopment site at 15-17 & 19 Newgate Street, Chester, in October 2018. The site is located immediately to the west of the Roman City Walls which are both Scheduled and Grade I Listed (1006785/1376163), it also lies within Chester City Centre Conservation Area. 15, 17 Newgate Street are Grade II Listed buildings (1376321), as is 19 Newgate Street (1376322). The impact area of the proposed development was evaluated, totalling an area of 235m². It comprises the back gardens of the properties, including a modern extension. The proposed redevelopment plan includes refurbishment and alterations of the buildings, demolition of existing extensions and the construction of new rear extensions. The archaeological evaluation area included an elevated sandstone slab court yard at the rear of 15-17 Newgate Street and a tarmac surface containing landscaping features abutting the City Walls. The specific aim of the project was to identify the upper level of significant archaeology so that an appropriate mitigation strategy could be designed. There are known significant deposits close to the surface to the rear of the City Wall. Thirteenth century layers of dumping were found to a depth of 20.4m aOD within the current buildings and 18th-century rubbish dumping to a depth of 21.7m aOD next to the City Wall. The 18th-century layers had been removed for the 20th-century extension to the current building. This is the second version of the evaluation report which incorporates design changes to the foundation to preserve archaeological deposits. The design solution is to raise the floor level throughout the building and so reducing the vertical impact of the development.