DEVA. Chester.
This is a noble old city, the work of the victorious 20th Legion, the conquerors of these western regions. It is manifest at first sight, that they regarded, in the plan of it, the known form of their camps: it is a parallelogram set to the four quarters of the heavens; the longest side north and south: suburbs are extended eastward, and a new gate called the bars, where the Watling-street, and the road from Condate, enters: the Roman walls take in exactly the space of 10,000 foot, or two miles. The soil is sandy, upon rock of a red colour and sandy composure, with small pebbles intermixed. The soil has been more or less sandy ever since we left the Chiltern hills at Dunstable.
65·2d. The outside Front of the Roman Gate of the Watling-street call’d East Gate
at Chester, as standing 2. Aug. 1725.
The Ichnography.
Stukeley delin.
Sturt sc.
[TAB. LXV.]Riding under the gate where the Watling-street enters, I observed immediately two arches of Roman work. I was overjoyed at sight of so noble an antiquity, which has never been mentioned. It was a square of twenty foot within; for so far are they distant from each other, and of so much diameter: they are exactly of the same manner as those at Lincoln; the stones not quite so large, nor so good: the breadth is 2½ foot. On each side was a portal, of a lesser arch, and lower, for foot-passengers; for part of the arch is left, and people now alive remember them open quite through; though now both these, and part of the great arch, are taken up by little paltry shops: or, rather, the lesser ones are quite pulled down, and even the great ones are in the utmost danger of falling; for the occupants of those places cut away part of the bottom of the semicircle to enlarge their shops. The portals answered to the Rows (as they call them) so remarkable in this city, being portico’s quite through on both sides the streets, undoubtedly continued in a manner from the Roman times. It is admirable that these vast arches, made of stones of so large dimensions, and laid without mortar, can stand at all when their proper butment is destroyed: that which regards the city has a key-stone: in both, below the lowest stone of the arch, the two next courses downward project a little inward, in nature of imposts; and over the crown of the arches runs a course of projecting stones moulded a little, but coarsely: the stones are artfully, though rudely cut; to which it is owing that they are not fallen, as depending wholly on their own principles, and the manner of their masonry, or geometry. Here terminates the famous Watling-street, whose beginning in Dover valley I walked over in May last. The road is here preserved, going by the river side to Aldford.
The ancient subterraneous canals are perfect still; their outlets into the river under the city-walls are visible; and they say that they are so high, that a man may walk upright their whole length. Wherever they dig, they find subterraneous vaults and arches, and all manner of antiquities; many of which were collected by the late Mr. Prescot, prebend of the cathedral here, and now remain in the hands of his son.
The city is commodiously placed in an angle of the river, which washes and protects two sides of it. As I said, it is an oblong square, 600 paces one way, 400 the other; that is, 3000 feet by 2000. Two principal streets run its length at equal distances from the walls and each other: one may be called Principium, having the gates at each end; the other is Quintana: they are crossed in the middle by the via prætoria, where are the gates Decumana and Prætoria. Another principal street runs on each side it, equidistant from it, and the walls of the ends: these may be called strigæ. Other lesser streets, or hemistrigæ, subdivide some of the squares made by the principals. Thus must the original scheme be understood, when the military and civil citizens first founded and inhabited the place. The little difference now is caused by the cathedral and the castle: the castle, the seat of Hugh Lupus, count palatine, and his successors, is built, for the most part, beyond the limits of the Roman walls, in that angle next the flexure of the river; consisting of a great court, and keep, strongly walled, and fenced with a ditch: the city-wall carried still round without it. To the north of the castle is some small remnant of a nunnery. The meadow between the walls and the river here is called Rood-eye, from a cross there, the stump whereof remains: upon this they keep a horse-race. The city-walls are carefully repaired by the corporation, and make an agreeable walk quite round: they are founded intirely on the rock. The churches have every where, as in other places, deformed the streets, which are originally the most noble and spacious I have seen. The whole city has a descent every way from the centre. The castle is rendered strong as the nature of the place will allow of: here the earls called their courts of parliament, and administered all affairs of state and judicature with regality.
Last year, digging in the chapter-house, they found the bodies of some of the old earls palatine, wrapped up in leather sewed; but within that, they were laid in woolen, like what we call wadding: the bones are pretty perfect, but the flesh is gone. They showed us one, thought to be Randulf Demeschin, the last earl, laid in a stone coffin; a place left for his head: he lies on the right hand of Hugh Lupus, the first earl.
They have built a large handsome exchange over-against the front of the cathedral, with pillars of one stone. The city is not set precisely east and west, though pretty near it. The ancient Roman gate at the Watling-street was larger than the rest, because of the entrance of the Roman ways there from Condate, Bonium, and the greatest part of the kingdom; likewise for readier passage of the soldiers upon occasion, most requisite that way; two of the other gates being fenced by the river: therefore this extends in front to 80 foot. This city in Roman times must have appeared admirably beautiful, with such spacious streets: the tradesmens shops and houses I suppose then to have been next the piazza’s of the streets; the soldiers tenements backwards, with gardens into the squares, as it is at present. The river, which once washed the city-walls, is now thrown off to some considerable distance by salt-marshes: a dam too is made across it by the bridge, for the sake of the mill; and by other mismanagements it grows worse every day, so that ships cannot come up near the place; whence the only little trade they have accruing from the passage into Ireland, is in danger.
[TAB. LXVI.]I saw at Mr. Prescot’s the Roman altar of Flavius Longus: it is very intire, and very prettily ornamented. On the top where the discus usually is, is cut the head of a Genius within a garland: on one side is a Genius with a cornucopia; on the other, a flower-pot with leaves of brank-ursin. It was found under a house by east-gate. He has more fragments of antiquity; Roman bricks, square for paving, a foot each side ; some marked LEG. XX. V. two inches and an eighth high; some hollow bricks with a double cavity for hypocausts. He has likewise a curious statue of the god Mithras with the Phrygian bonnet, and a torch in his hands, standing cross-legged: it was found under a niche of the wall, between east-gate and the river. Some of the bricks are thus marked, LEG. XX. V. V. which demonstrates they mean the legio vicesima valeria victrix. The altar has a square pedestal of one stone, which it stood on: the back of the altar is carved with drapery, and a festoon. Along with it was found a little earthen pot like a lamp; a brass winged Genius, small; two brass fibula’s; all in Mr. Prescot’s possession: he has likewise a brass camp-kettle, with two rings, 21 Roman inches high, found near here. The other inscription, which his father had, of PRAESENGVNTA, is sent to Oxford. He has also a very large collection of coins, brass, silver, and gold, most found at Chester. A golden British bracelet weighing 19 guineas, found lately in Wales, was melted down by a goldsmith here.
66·2d. The Roman Altar at ye Revd. Mr Prescots, Chester. 4 Aug. 1725. found there under a house by Eastgate.
Stukeley design.
Sturt sc.
67·2d. A Roman carving on a rock by the bridg at Chester. 3 Aug. 1725.
Stukeley delin.
68·2d. Found at Risingham.
Stukeley del.
Walking beyond the river, I found the Roman way going to Bonium: it answers precisely to the great street of the city, which I call principia, and is extremely strait: it goes through Eccleston, Easton, &c. Examining where it passed down by the bridge on the west side, I was led to visit a rock hard by, over-against the castle: there I discovered a Roman carving of a goddess,[TAB. LXVII.] in a tabernacle, with an altar: it was not in the least difficult to see the traces of a Roman hand, through so many years, rubbing of cattle, and ill usage. There is a seat hollowed out close by it, and which has taken away part of a pillar, supporting the pediment. It is a figure of Pallas, with a shield on her left arm: a belt from her left shoulder holds a sword tied under her right arm, after the Roman mode: she has a spear supporting her right hand: her under garments reach down to her feet. The altar stands against one of the pillars, and has a little hole at top of it. I wonder it has escaped ruin so long, placed so near a great city, and so low that it is subject to all manner of injuries.
This city is of a most charming situation; the prospect around it every way is august. The walls were repaired by queen Edelfleda. They talk of king Egbert’s palace by St. John’s. Between Eastgate and the river the Roman wall is pretty perfect for 100 yards together, made of squarish-cut stones, the length inwards, with little mortar appearing on the outside: I suppose they run it in along the inside liquid. This was an admirable contrivance for strength: as the wall of the gate was but one stone in thickness throughout; so by this means the city-wall consisted of few stones in thickness. Mr. Prescot showed us some urns, great and small, many fragments of patera’s of fine red earth, found here; some with embossed work of flowers, animals, &c. some with the potters’ marks at the bottom, particularly MACRINV and CARAIED OFF. likewise many horns of little deer and other animals found by the altar.
The village beyond the bridge is called Henbury, denoting its antiquity. Many fragments, seemingly of pillars and capitals, set for sitting-stones before the doors about the city, particularly in Parson’s lane.
To the east of the cloisters is the building called the Chapter-house, from the use it was put to; but I suppose it a mausolæum of the earls of Chester: it is on the north side of the choir; it is of an odd and ancient kind of building: there is a vestibulum to it, of a very pretty model, which I have not seen elsewhere: the pillars are cabled, without capitals, so that they resemble palm-trees. In the gateway between this and the mausolæum they showed us a coffin of stone, or rather vault, of the length of a man, and proper depth (about six foot): at the head was cut a cross; in the bottom lay the skeleton; probably the first abbot made by the earls: they guess that to be Hugh Lupus’s remains, which are buried in the very middle of the place. There were found seven of these graves, correspondent to the number of earls. Bishop Ripley, who built the body of the church, lies under a brass in St. Mary’s chapel: behind the clock is a painting of him, with Christ, St. Peter, and other figures, and much writing in Latin verse, but defaced. St. Werburg’s shrine, foundress of the cathedral, was an elegant structure of stone carved: little niches with gilt statues of saints, men and women of the Saxon nobles, their names wrote upon each, some still legible, all defaced, their heads broke off, &c. the bishop’s throne is built upon it. There has been an ancient monastery at St. John’s, much ruins of which remain. The cloysters have been built since the mausolæum. They have a report that king Edgar’s palace was upon that rock, by the river side, where the image of Pallas is cut; but I think erroneously: it seems to have been a Roman villa and gardens of some learned commander. There are but two chief streets of the city wanting, as plotted by the founders; on one stands the cathedral: that answering it, on the opposite side of the city, at present is but a foot-path, and lane across gardens, which have encroached upon it on both sides. There are some Roman bricks in the wall of the Friery, as observed by Mr. Gale. In one quadrangle by the cloysters is a wall with Gothic arches, very much pointed, like that at Peterburgh, engraven by Mr. Sparkes, V. p. 130. Edesburg was the name of the Chamber in the Forest. At the great house over-against the shambles is a hypocaust of the Romans, made of bricks all marked with the twentieth legion. It is now the floor of the cellar.