Morgan's Mount Report
30 March 2011
Chester has now completed a report on Morgan's Mount Tower on the City Walls.
The mural tower, Morgan’s Mount, lies on the northern side of Chester’s City Wall, west of the North Gate. It is a rectangular solid structure built of sandstone masonry rising one level above the wall walk. For many years it has exhibited evidence of structural distress. During 2010, as a preliminary to restoration, engineering investigations and archaeological evaluation were carried out to examine the causes of this distress and also the internal nature of the structure of the tower.
The present appearance of the tower is the result of 18th and 19th century restorations associated with the conversion of the City Wall into a
fashionable promenade. Nevertheless, the masonry probably incorporates
remains of medieval fabric. The present project demonstrated that the tower is a complex structure internally. What are interpreted as medieval structure and medieval fills both survive high in the upper parts of the tower. The rear face of the tower and probably also the sides were extensively remodelled during post-medieval restorations. The new walls appear to have been rather slighter than there medieval predecessors. The rear face of the tower is founded only on the compacted core material as found under the walkway and which may well be contemporary with it.
Extensive voiding was revealed in all parts of the investigations, both
horizontally and vertically. The fills within the structure have generally
become separated from the masonry skins. This is probably due to a
combination of water percolating through the tower in the absence of other means of drainage and movement of the masonry skins. The fills within the upper levels of the tower have become very soft and incompact as a result of this process. Material is clearly being washed down through the interior of the tower and there is evidence for it percolating through the sides at ground level. The structural problems are suggested to be the result of a combination of the structural history of the tower, the effect of percolating rainwater over a considerable period of time and movement of the masonry skins.
The full Morgan's Mount report can be viewed in PDF format.