Minerva's Shrine, Chester
| Minerva's Shrine | |
|---|---|
 Minerva's Shrine | |
| Location | Edgar's Field, Handbridge, Chester, England |
| Coordinates | 53°11′03″N 2°53′21″W / 53.1843°N 2.8893°W |
| OS grid reference | SJ 406 656 |
| Built | 2nd century |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Designated | 28 July 1955 |
| Reference no. | 1375783 |
  Location in Cheshire | |
Minerva's Shrine is a shrine to the Roman goddess Minerva in Edgar's Field, Handbridge, Chester, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.[1] The shrine dates from the early 2nd century and is carved into the face of a sandstone quarry.[1] It is the only monument of its kind in Western Europe that remains in its original location.[2] It is protected by a 19th-century stone surround with a hood, which was refurbished in the late 20th century.[1] The carving has weathered over the centuries and has also been damaged by human activity. Next to the shrine is an opening into the rock face which is possibly a natural fissure that has been enlarged and which is known as Edgar's Cave.[2]
The shrine stands beside the route of the old main Roman road into the fortress of Deva from the south. Minerva was the Roman goddess of war, knowledge, and craftsmanship. She is often depicted with her attributes of helmet, shield, breastplate, and spear, but in this instance she is shown in a simplified form, standing in a representation of a temple.[3] The Roman quarry, together with Edgar's Field and the image of Minerva, is a Scheduled Monument.[4]
A cast of the shrine is kept in the Grosvenor Museum, in Chester.
See also
- List of Scheduled Monuments in Cheshire dated to before 1066
- Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire West and Chester
References
- ^ a b c Historic England, "Roman shrine to Minerva, Chester (1375783)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 29 July 2012
- ^ a b Minerva's Shrine, Chester City Council, archived from the original on 27 September 2007, retrieved 3 September 2007
- ^ Langtree, Stephen; Comyns, Alan, eds. (2001), 2000 Years of Building: Chester's Architectural Legacy, Chester: Chester Civic Trust, p. 29, ISBN 0-9540152-0-7
- ^ Historic England, "Roman quarry including Edgar's Cave and the rock-cut figure of Minerva on Edgar's Field, 150m south west of Dee Bridge (1014718)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 30 October 2011
External links
Media related to Minerva's Shrine, Chester at Wikimedia Commons
- Grade I listed buildings in Chester
- Roman sites in Cheshire
- Roman religious sites in England
- History of Chester
- Archaeological sites in Cheshire
- Buildings and structures in Chester
- Scheduled monuments in Cheshire
- Religious buildings and structures in the United Kingdom
- 2nd-century religious buildings and structures
- Temples of Minerva
- Shrines
- Religious buildings and structures in England