Part Of City Wall With Tower Base From Kaleyard Gate To Eastgate

This structure is part of the east wall of a Roman legionary fortress and the medieval city of Chester. It dates from the late 1st century to early 2nd century and from the late 11th century to early 12th century. The wall was converted into a raised promenade between 1702 and 1708 and has undergone repairs at various times. The masonry is primarily purple-grey Roman ashlar, with softer red sandstone rubble from the medieval period and later.

To the north of Kaleyard Gate, the Roman masonry forms a projecting base that is up to 4 courses high and 15 meters long. Further south, another section of Roman masonry, which was not closely accessible during inspection, rises to a maximum of 6 courses and stands slightly proud of the medieval wall face. The internal face of the wall just south of Kaleyard Gate features a 5-meter run of continuous corbelling, which was once at the base of the inner timber palisade to the rampart, located just below the wall-walk level.

A stone-paved ramp runs parallel to the wall from Abbey Street, featuring a red sandstone parapet with a blocked opening that was once a doorway to the Cathedral Close. Along the Close, the wall includes panels of iron rails set between buttress-shaped piers. There are steps leading down to Frodsham Street at the site of a drum tower, with exposed foundations likely dating from 1285 to 1295. Modern stone steps south of the Cathedral bell-tower descend to St Werburgh Street. The section of wall described here is approximately 370 meters long and 2 to 3 meters wide. Archaeological excavations in 1991 uncovered a stone-faced outer ditch beneath the wall.