Excavations at Chester. Medieval and Post-medieval Development Within the Northern and Eastern Suburbs to C. 1900

Description

Excavations at Chester: Medieval and post-medieval development within the northern and eastern suburbs to c. 1900 brings together for the first time the results from archaeological investigations carried out within the suburbs to the north and east of the medieval and later City of Chester between 2002 and 2018. At sites investigated to both the north and east of the City, significant stretches of the defensive ditch cut during the Civil War of the 17th century were excavated. The results bring into question the accepted lines of these massive defensive outworks. To the northwest of the City, the findings demonstrate that the land remained agricultural until late in the 18th century and was not truly developed until the arrival of the canal network. To the north of the City, development of terraced housing had begun by the 1830s, shortly before the arrival of the railway network, in the area that would become the suburb of Newtown.To the east of the City, and north of the major route of Foregate Street, evidence for industry in the form of tanneries was uncovered on land that had otherwise been predominately agricultural. This area too witnessed an explosion in terraced housing from the beginning of the 19th century, and the remains of buildings relating to both entertainment and worship were also encountered. Cover Title Page Copyright page Contents Page List of Figures Figure 1 Location of the sites investigated Figure 2 GraphTOCical conventions used in this volume Figure 3 Location of the Tower Wharf (Site 1) and Taylor’s Boatyard (Site 2) areas of investigation Figure 4 Tower Wharf (Site 1): plan of the Period 1 Roman features (Areas 1 and 2) Figure 5 Tower Wharf (Site 1): plan of the Period 1 Roman features (Area 3) Figure 6 Tower Wharf (Site 1): plan of the Period 3 features (Area 2) Figure 7 Tower Wharf (Site 1): section of the Period 3 Civil War ditch (Area 2) Figure 8 Tower Wharf (Site 1): plan of Period 3 and Period 4 features (Areas 3 and 4) Figure 9 Tower Wharf (Site 1): section of the Period 3 Civil War ditch (Area 3) Figure 10 Tower Wharf (Site 1): section view of Period 3 Civil War ditch in Area 3, view to west Figure 11 Tower Wharf (Site 1): view of excavated Period 3 Civil War ditch in Area 3, view to west Figure 12 Tower Wharf (Site 1): plan of Period 5 features (Areas 3 and 4) Figure 13 Tower Wharf (Site 1): view of Period 5 warehouse building B1 in area 3, view to east Figure 14 Tower Wharf (Site 1): view of Period 5 road and adjacent cottages B2 in area 3, view to west Figure 15 Tower Wharf (Site 1): view of Period 5 cottage buildings B2 in area 3, view to south Figure 16 Tower Wharf (Site 1): view of Period 5 building B3 in area 4, view to west Figure 17 Tower Wharf (Site 1): view of Period 5 wharf surface in area 4, view to south Figure 18 Tower Wharf (Site 1): view of wear to Period 5 wharf surface in area 4, view to west Figure 19 Taylor’s Boatyard (Site 2): plan of Period 5 features (Area 6) Figure 20 Taylor’s Boatyard (Site 2): view of boat shed building B7 in Area 6, view to north Figure 21 Tower Wharf (Site 1): post-medieval pottery forms 1–11 Figure 22 Tower Wharf (Site 1): post-medieval metal finds 1–3 Figure 23 Location of the Trafford Street, Newtown (Sites 3–6) areas of investigation Figure 24 Trafford Street, Newtown (Sites 3–6): plan of features and borehole investigations Figure 25 Location of the Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7) and the nearby City Road (Sites 8 and 9) areas of investigation Figure 26 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): view of the site during excavation, view to northeast Figure 27 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): plan of Period 1 and Period 3 features Figure 28 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): sections of Period 3 Civil War ditch Figure 29 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): view of Period 3 Civil War ditch fills during excavation, view to north Figure 30 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): view during excavation of slots into the fills of the Period 3 Civil War ditch, view to west Figure 31 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): view during further excavation into the fills of the Period 3 Civil War ditch, view to west Figure 32 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): plan of Period 4 features Figure 33 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): view of Period 4 tannery building B1, view to north Figure 34 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): view of Period 4 circular stone-lined pit [474] with later floor, view to north Figure 35 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): view of Period 4 circular stone-lined pit [474] following partial excavation of later floor revealing the earlier clay floor beneath, view to east Figure 36 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): view of Period 4 D-shaped stone-lined pit [609], view to south Figure 37 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): plan of Period 5 features Figure 38 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): view of Period 5 remains of Seller Street terrace B3, view to northwest Figure 39 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): post-medieval pottery forms 1–13 Figure 40 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): post-medieval metal finds 1–2 Figure 41 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): relative % frequencies of the main taxa according to NISP and MNI Figure 42 20 City Road (Site 8): plan of Period 1 and Period 2 features Figure 43 20 City Road (Site 8): plan of Periods 3–5 features Figure 44 20 City Road (Site 8): plan of Periods 6–7 features Figure 45 20 City Road (Site 8): relative % frequencies of the main taxa according to NISP and MNI Figure 46 City House (Site 9): plan of Period 1 and Period 2 features List of Tables Table 1 Gazetteer of sites investigated Table 2 Tower Wharf (Site 1): pottery from the Civil War ditch early fills (Periods 3–4) Table 3 Tower Wharf (Site 1): pottery from the Civil War ditch later fills (Period 4) Table 4 Tower Wharf (Site 1): clay pipes from the Civil War ditch (Periods 3–4) and boundary ditch fills (Period 4) Table 5 Tower Wharf (Site 1): metal finds and coins (Periods 3–4) Table 6 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): summary of tanning pits and troughs (Period 4) Table 7 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): pottery from the Civil War ditch feature (Period 3) Table 8 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): pottery from the pit and ditch features (Period 4) Table 10 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): glass from the Civil War ditch (Period 3) and pit and ditch features (Period 4) Table 9 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site7): clay tobacco pipe from the Civil War ditch (Period 3) and pit and ditch features (Period 4) Table 11 Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7): summary of the plant remains present in periods 1, 3 and 4 Table 12 20 City Road (Site 8): summary of tanning pits (Period 2) Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Introduction Summary The sites Chapter 2 Tower Wharf and Taylor’s Boatyard 2007–2016 (Sites 1 and 2) Introduction Results Natural deposits and features Roman: c. late 1st to late 2nd centuries AD (Period 1) Road Pits Well Boundary ditches Circular shaft or well Medieval: c. 12th to mid-15th centuries (Period 2) Possible building Late medieval to early post-medieval: c. mid-15th to mid-17th centuries (Period 3) Inhumation burials Civil War ditch Post-medieval: c. mid-17th to late 18th centuries (Period 4) Agricultural soils and boundary ditch Disuse and filling of the Civil War ditch Industrial: late 18th to 19th centuries (Period 5) Tower Wharf Archaeological evidence Cottage buildings (B2) and road Warehouse building (B1) Building (B3) Building (B4) Wharf surface and other features around the North Basin Canal cottages (B5) Crane base (B6) Summary of cartographic evidence Taylor’s Boatyard Archaeological evidence Boat shed (B7) Building (B8) north of boat shed (B7) Building 10 (B10) Shed building (B9) Summary of cartographic evidence The finds Medieval pottery Post-medieval pottery Pottery from the Civil War ditch [21/2100] (Periods 3–4) Catalogue of illustrated pottery from the Civil War ditch (Figure 21) Pottery from the boundary ditch [2006] Roman pottery Clay tobacco pipes Medieval and post-medieval metal finds Catalogue of illustrated metal finds (Figure 22) Chapter 3 Sites off Trafford Street, Newtown 2015–2018 (Sites 3–6) Introduction Results: Former Newtown Bakery (Site 3) Results: Oakbase House (Site 4) Results: Land off Trafford Street (Site 5) Results: Northgate Fire Station (Site 6) Chapter 4 Witter Place, Seller Street 2002 (Site 7) Introduction Natural deposits Results Roman: c. early to mid-2nd century AD (Period 1) Medieval to early post-medieval: c. 12th to mid-16th centuries (Period 2) Post-medieval: c. mid- to late 17th century (Period 3) Civil War ditch Disuse and filling of the Civil War ditch Late post-medieval: 18th to early 19th century (Period 4) The tannery complex The building (B1) The pits Agricultural features Boundary ditches The 19th century terraced housing B2, B3 and B4, and mill (B5) (Period 5) The finds Roman pottery Medieval pottery Post-medieval pottery Clay moulds Clay tobacco pipe Glass Leather Metal finds Animal bone by Naomi Sykes Environmental remains by Denise Druce Chapter 5 City Road 2007–2008 and 2018 (Sites 8 and 9) Introduction Natural deposits Results: 20 City Road (Site 8) Roman: c. late 1st to late 2nd centuries AD (Period 1) Linear gully and pits Post-medieval: 18th century (Period 2) Tanning pits Post-medieval: Later 18th to 19th century (Periods 3–7) Garden features and deposits (Periods 3–4) Russell Street terraces (B1) (Period 5) The 1874 theatre building (B2) (Period 6) The 1882 theatre building (B3) and Russell Street brick terraces (B4) (Period 7) The finds Roman pottery Animal remains Clay tobacco pipes Glass Medieval pottery Post-medieval pottery Environmental remains Methodist chapel (B6) (Period 2) Mid-19th century cottages (B5) (Period 1) Results: City House (Site 9) The finds Post-medieval finds Chapter 6 Discussion Tower Wharf and Taylor’s Boatyard (Sites 1 and 2) Trafford Street, Newtown (Sites 3 – 6) Witter Place, Seller Street (Site 7) City Road (Sites 8 and 9) Bibliography Back Cover