Part Of City Wall From Northgate To Phoenix Tower

This structure is part of the City Wall in Chester, specifically from Northgate to Phoenix Tower. It consists of masonry from the eastern half of the north wall of the Roman legionary fortress, dating from the late 1st century to early 2nd century, with possible later medieval additions from the late 11th century to early 12th century. The wall was converted into a raised promenade between 1702 and 1708 and has undergone sporadic repairs since then.

The wall is constructed from purple-grey Bunter sandstone in Roman ashlar style, along with medieval and later softer red sandstone coursed rubble. Notable features include two full-height sections of what is likely the Hadrianic Roman wall-face, which originally supported a turf rampart. The western section is built on bedrock, reaching up to 13 courses high and extending 35 ashlar stones in length, featuring a moulded Roman cornice beneath the former Roman parapet. The eastern section is up to 11 courses high and 42 ashlar stones long.

The wall faces the Shropshire Union Canal, situated in a rock-cut deepening of the former Roman and medieval ditch. There may also be Roman ashlar present in the canted north-east corner of the wall near Phoenix Tower. The Roman wall-face has a battered appearance, likely due to the gradual retreat of the turf rampart behind it. The medieval and post-medieval masonry shows evidence of numerous repairs. This section of the City Wall is approximately 375 meters long and 2 meters wide.