Explorations beneath Chester Castle in northwest England have revealed a substantial section of medieval stonework hidden among the remains of an eighteenth-century prison. The nearly three-metre-high wall, found beneath Chester Crown Court, appears to have formed part of a fortified bridge built around 800 years ago.
The discovery was made by Stewart Ainsworth, Time Team’s landscape archaeologist and a visiting professor at the University of Chester. No excavation was required: Ainsworth spotted the masonry while investigating the remains of the prison beneath the court buildings.
Remains of the bridge to Chester Castle recently discovered below the Crown Courts. Photo courtesy University of Chester
“The walls of the prison and courts designed by Thomas Harrison are typical late 18th century masonry,” Ainsworth explained. “It was dark at the end of that old corridor – but by the light of my phone I could immediately tell that a large section of wall in the gloom ahead was totally different. It turned a right angle and disappeared out of sight, leaving a very dark, narrow gap that I couldn’t squeeze into.
“When I compared the type of stones and the building technique with the surviving parts of the Norman castle, it was clear that this underground wall must also be medieval. Until now, everyone has believed that Thomas Harrison destroyed this part of the castle to create the buildings we see today.
“But the wall I discovered is massive – almost three metres high – so we now know that he left a lot of the medieval stonework untouched. And I’m guessing much more may survive under the car park and castle complex.”
Defending Chester Castle’s inner ward
High-resolution 3D digital models of the castle above and below ground have been created during the project using laser scanners and drones. Photo courtesy University of Chester
High-resolution digital scanners allowed the team to establish the location of the underground wall. When the results were compared with old maps and architectural plans, the structure was identified as part of a medieval bridge spanning a deep ditch around the castle’s strongly defended inner ward.
Researchers believe the bridge was constructed between the 1260s and 1280s, when a heavily fortified gateway was added to replace an earlier entrance. The new gateway may have had two towers and a drawbridge that could be raised to prevent attackers from crossing the ditch and reaching the inner ward.
A similar arrangement survives at Beeston Castle, about 15 kilometres southeast of Chester. There, the remains of a bridge across a deep ditch can still be seen approaching the thirteenth-century gatehouse. The newly identified wall at Chester closely resembles part of this bridge, suggesting that the two castles employed comparable defensive systems.
Chester’s later medieval gateway was demolished during the redevelopment of the castle by architect Thomas Harrison in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Until now, it was believed that Harrison’s work had destroyed this section of the medieval complex. The newly found wall shows that considerably more medieval stonework was left in place.
From Norman stronghold to royal castle
Chester Castle depicted in A tour in Wales by Thomas Pennant (1726-1798).
Chester Castlewas established in 1070 following the suppression of resistance to Norman rule in northern and western England. Founded on the orders of William the Conqueror, it was soon granted to Hugh d’Avranches, who became Earl of Chester. Built on a sandstone promontory overlooking the River Dee, the castle controlled an important river crossing and helped secure the frontier with Wales.
The original fortifications were probably made from earth and timber, but the castle was gradually rebuilt in stone from the late twelfth century. By the thirteenth century, it contained a great hall, treasury, kitchens, accommodation and chapels. Its position near the Welsh border also made Chester Castle an important base for English royal campaigns in Wales.
One of its principal medieval survivors is the Agricola Tower, built around 1200 as the castle’s original stone gateway. The tower’s first floor contains the chapel of St Mary de Castro, where fragments of rare medieval wall paintings dating to around 1240 remain.
Digital technology and heritage crime
The newly discovered wall and other parts of Chester Castle were scanned as part of Digital Dimensions, a collaborative project involving the University of Chester, Cheshire Constabulary, English Heritage, Historic England and the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation.
The project is testing methods of digital recording and analysis that could help authorities investigate and deter the theft of, and damage to, historic stonework. Highly accurate three-dimensional models can preserve detailed information about a monument’s condition, potentially making it easier to identify subsequent damage or the removal of architectural material.
The work was led by Ainsworth and Cheshire Constabulary’s PC Jonathan Lightfoot, along with Professor Meggen Gondek and immersive technologies specialist Alex Foster from the University of Chester. It forms part of a wider national initiative against heritage and cultural property crime.
Earlier this year, 72 police officers from forces across northwest England and North Wales attended a heritage crime training day at Chester Castle. The event examined how police and heritage specialists can work together, including in cases involving graffiti and the theft of historic stone.
“I think it is amazing that by doing proactive surveys and recording of historic buildings, we are able to discover unknown archaeology,” PC Lightfoot adds. “This just shows we can now safeguard this bit of history so we can learn from it for future generations.”
The discovery raises the possibility that further sections of medieval Chester Castle remain concealed beneath the modern court buildings, car park and surrounding castle complex.
Top Image: The Agricola Tower at Chester Castle by Jeff Buck / Wikimedia Commons
Explorations beneath Chester Castle in northwest England have revealed a substantial section of medieval stonework hidden among the remains of an eighteenth-century prison. The nearly three-metre-high wall, found beneath Chester Crown Court, appears to have formed part of a fortified bridge built around 800 years ago.
The discovery was made by Stewart Ainsworth, Time Team’s landscape archaeologist and a visiting professor at the University of Chester. No excavation was required: Ainsworth spotted the masonry while investigating the remains of the prison beneath the court buildings.
“The walls of the prison and courts designed by Thomas Harrison are typical late 18th century masonry,” Ainsworth explained. “It was dark at the end of that old corridor – but by the light of my phone I could immediately tell that a large section of wall in the gloom ahead was totally different. It turned a right angle and disappeared out of sight, leaving a very dark, narrow gap that I couldn’t squeeze into.
“When I compared the type of stones and the building technique with the surviving parts of the Norman castle, it was clear that this underground wall must also be medieval. Until now, everyone has believed that Thomas Harrison destroyed this part of the castle to create the buildings we see today.
“But the wall I discovered is massive – almost three metres high – so we now know that he left a lot of the medieval stonework untouched. And I’m guessing much more may survive under the car park and castle complex.”
Defending Chester Castle’s inner ward
High-resolution digital scanners allowed the team to establish the location of the underground wall. When the results were compared with old maps and architectural plans, the structure was identified as part of a medieval bridge spanning a deep ditch around the castle’s strongly defended inner ward.
Researchers believe the bridge was constructed between the 1260s and 1280s, when a heavily fortified gateway was added to replace an earlier entrance. The new gateway may have had two towers and a drawbridge that could be raised to prevent attackers from crossing the ditch and reaching the inner ward.
A similar arrangement survives at Beeston Castle, about 15 kilometres southeast of Chester. There, the remains of a bridge across a deep ditch can still be seen approaching the thirteenth-century gatehouse. The newly identified wall at Chester closely resembles part of this bridge, suggesting that the two castles employed comparable defensive systems.
Chester’s later medieval gateway was demolished during the redevelopment of the castle by architect Thomas Harrison in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Until now, it was believed that Harrison’s work had destroyed this section of the medieval complex. The newly found wall shows that considerably more medieval stonework was left in place.
From Norman stronghold to royal castle
Chester Castle was established in 1070 following the suppression of resistance to Norman rule in northern and western England. Founded on the orders of William the Conqueror, it was soon granted to Hugh d’Avranches, who became Earl of Chester. Built on a sandstone promontory overlooking the River Dee, the castle controlled an important river crossing and helped secure the frontier with Wales.
The original fortifications were probably made from earth and timber, but the castle was gradually rebuilt in stone from the late twelfth century. By the thirteenth century, it contained a great hall, treasury, kitchens, accommodation and chapels. Its position near the Welsh border also made Chester Castle an important base for English royal campaigns in Wales.
One of its principal medieval survivors is the Agricola Tower, built around 1200 as the castle’s original stone gateway. The tower’s first floor contains the chapel of St Mary de Castro, where fragments of rare medieval wall paintings dating to around 1240 remain.
Digital technology and heritage crime
The newly discovered wall and other parts of Chester Castle were scanned as part of Digital Dimensions, a collaborative project involving the University of Chester, Cheshire Constabulary, English Heritage, Historic England and the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation.
The project is testing methods of digital recording and analysis that could help authorities investigate and deter the theft of, and damage to, historic stonework. Highly accurate three-dimensional models can preserve detailed information about a monument’s condition, potentially making it easier to identify subsequent damage or the removal of architectural material.
The work was led by Ainsworth and Cheshire Constabulary’s PC Jonathan Lightfoot, along with Professor Meggen Gondek and immersive technologies specialist Alex Foster from the University of Chester. It forms part of a wider national initiative against heritage and cultural property crime.
Earlier this year, 72 police officers from forces across northwest England and North Wales attended a heritage crime training day at Chester Castle. The event examined how police and heritage specialists can work together, including in cases involving graffiti and the theft of historic stone.
“I think it is amazing that by doing proactive surveys and recording of historic buildings, we are able to discover unknown archaeology,” PC Lightfoot adds. “This just shows we can now safeguard this bit of history so we can learn from it for future generations.”
The discovery raises the possibility that further sections of medieval Chester Castle remain concealed beneath the modern court buildings, car park and surrounding castle complex.
Top Image: The Agricola Tower at Chester Castle by Jeff Buck / Wikimedia Commons
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