This page is intended for notices of events - whoever they may be organized by - and publications which may be of interest to members of the Society. If you would like to post a notice here, please contact Alison Heke, c/o Historic Environment Team, Grosvenor Museum, 27 Grosvenor Street, Chester CH1 2DD. Tel +44 (0)1244 402023. Fax +44 (0)1244 347522.  

Please note that the Society cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of third-party information and that it reserves the right to edit or reject notices as seems appropriate. 

The Roman colony of Sena Gallica (modern Senigallia) had its origins in the early third century BC, a few years after the Battle of Sentino of 295 BC. It was the first Roman colony on the Adriatic Coast of the Italica peninsula and this good fortune gave the town a prestigious and important strategic position for about a hundred years. 

There was very little archaeological evidence relating to the town until a few years ago. Only recently has part of the colony been brought to light as a result of the excavations that took place whilst building the new Fenice Theatre. These finds comprise two roads that cross at a right angle, a cardo and a decumanus, various shops (tabernae) and part of a domus signorile, with well-preserved floors in opus tessellatum. 

The whole area is now a museum and, using modern showcases, presents a selection of items which have been returned to the excavation site from other archaeological sites in and around Senigallia. 

New publications about Chester and Cheshire 

Prehistoric Lancashire by David Barrowclough, 2008. Published by History Press (formerly Tempus Books), ISBN 9780752447087. 

This book is the product of a number of years of research into the history and archaeology of the local area, particularly the early history of Cheshire and Lancashire, beginning with the first hunter-gatherer groups about 10,000 years ago. It includes new research on the archaeology of the area, including the excavations at Manchester Airport and Tatton, where evidence of early settlement was found. The book also includes evidence for the early Bronze Age burials found at Grappenhall and Winwick. Of particular interest are thirty recent radiocarbon dates from the burials, which give new insights into changing burial practices through the late Neolthic and early Bronze Age. There is also osteological evidence, based on studies of the cremated bone, from which it has been possible to determine the sex/age of the person buried. This evidence has also shed new light on the associated burial goods. Other chapters deal with the Bronze Age metalwork finds, such as the Congleton Hoard and stray finds revealed by farmers and metal detectorists; and with the Hillforts, including Beeston Castle. 

The book, which costs £19.99, is available from Amazon, or from local bookshops. It can also be ordered directly from the author. Please send a cheque payable to: Dr David Barrowclough, Fellow in Archaeology, Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, CB3 9BB. 

The volumes below are available from the Grosvenor Museum shop. Please contact Sarah Rodriguez, Retail & Finance Officer, Grosvenor Museum, 27 Grosvenor Street, Chester CH1 2DD (Tel 01244 402008) for further details. 

Excavations at Chester, 25 Bridge Street 2001  
Two thousand years of life in microcosm by Dan Garner and others, January 2009. 

Excavations in the backlands on the east side of Bridge Street have provided a wealth of archaeological evidence for 2000 years of the city's history. Combined with documentary references, this has enabled us to build up a detailed picture of the evolution of Chester's urban form and the trades, lifestyle and status of the people who lived in the area. 

The groups of Roman and early post-medieval ceramics, clay pipes, vessel glass, well-preserved animal bones and palnt remains are the largest to be published from the city and, in some cases, from the north-west, and will ensure that this publication remains a major reference work for years to come. 

Price until end of March 2009 £25.00 + £4.20 p&p. Click here for more information about this volume. 

Chester: a history by Simon Ward. Published by Phillimore & Co Ltd, April 2009. 

The establishment of the Roman fortress around 74 AD was the stimulus for the growth of a prosperous town with such attributes of classical civilisation as bathhouses, central heating and an amphitheatre. The fifth-century collapse was followed by expansion under Saxon Mercia, and the threat of Viking attack was countered by the creation of a burh. Chester prospered as an administrative and trading settlement, ultimately benefiting from commercial contacts with the Viking world. After the Norman Conquest, it became the capital of a powerful earldom and later Edward I’s headquarters for his conquest of north Wales. A large abbey dominated the centre and swathes of land were enclosed in friary precincts. 

After the Middle Ages the city lost its harbour to silting and then endured a long and damaging siege during the Civil war. It escaped full-scale industrial expansion, although it did suffer from the accompanying problems of increasing population and poor housing. In the twentieth century the decision over whether to preserve or replace its historic core gave the city fathers on of their greatest challenges. Chester was for many centuries the major urban centre in north-west England. Despite its varying fortunes the city has never ceased to engage in the trade and commerce that have given the place its own special identity. 

This is a beautifully illustrated book which explores the city through the ages and looks at the activities of the people who contributed to its intriguing story. Numerous archaeologists and historians have attempted to throw light on those lives and the author has drawn widely from their work, as well as his own, as well as using the surviving historic fabric of the city. 
 
Click here to download an order form and more information about the book. Please note that the publishers have extended the pre-publication offer price from the end of January to March 2009. 

Life in a late medieval city, Chester 1275–1520 by Jane Laughton. Published by Windgather Press, October 2008. 
 
In the late medieval period, Chester was the most important place in north-western England, serving as administrative centre of the county palatine and as the regional capital. The city was not large but was further enhanced by its role as ecclesiastical capital and garrison town. Chester's location ensured close links with Wales and Ireland. This study of Chester is based on a wide range of sources, written and archaeological, and contains much that is new. It reveals a city with its own distinctive character but one which shared the experiences of towns throughout medieval England. Particular use is made of the court rolls, records that have the potential to illuminate social relationships at the neighbourhood level. The book therefore makes an importnat contribution to the study of medieval urban history. The picture that emerges is of a lively community that responded to social and economic change with enthusiasm and enterprise. 

Click here to download an order form and more information about the book. 

The Roman fortress baths, excavation and recording 1732–1998. Archaeological Service Excavation & Survey report No 13 by David J P Mason and others. 

A major new report on Chester's Roman fortress bath house was published in May 2005. It draws together discoveries made by generations of antiquaries but focuses on the excavations during the construction of the Grosvenor Precinct in 1963 and 1964. These revealed that the bath buildings mark an important stage in the evolution of monumental public architecture in the Roman Empire. 

The report was written by David Mason with major contributions from staff of the Archaeology and Museum Services. It is the thirteenth volume in the Archaeological Service's Excavation & Survey monograph series, which seeks to make available the unique legacy of unpublished excavations carried out in Chester during the last forty years.