Site Event/Activity record ECH3077 - Excavations on the south side of Waterloo Road, Northwich, 1968-1970

Rescue excavations were undertaken between 1967 and 1970 to the south of Waterloo Road during a phase of redevelopment which included demolition of the existing nineteenth century houses and replacing them with new housing. The archaeological work was funded by the Ministry of Works and carried out by the University of Manchester, under G.D.B. Jones, also the Northwich Archaeological Society. The programme of excavation (undertaken at the weekends) was carried out in two stages, first in late 1967 and early 1968 and again in the autumn of 1969; the pattern was determined by the gradual re-housing of the residents of the houses due for demolition. As existing boundaries had to be respected and the gardens were long and narrow, the sizes of the trenches were restricted. Ten trenches were excavated to the south of Waterloo Road. At the east side of trench 9, a north-south aligned, road of two phases was discovered. The line of the road was confirmed in a small trench just to the north, fronting the public house on Waterloo Road (Trench 11). Two road surfaces were present separated by an accumulation of soil and bounded by a U-shaped ditch. The road was lined on its west side with the remains (interior clay floors) of two timber buildings, also of two phases. The pottery recovered indicates a Flavian origin with the second phase of occupation in the early second century AD. Further two-phase building remains (clay floors, construction trenches) were found in trenches 3, 4, 7 and 8, including an alignment of pits in trenches 4, 7 and 8 representing a building of some 85ft (N-S) and thought to be the wall or verandah of a barrack block. Pottery retrieved from the post holes indicate a phase 2 date. In Trench 6, two superimposed clay floors were recorded, the later of which had an associated pit (rubbish pit 3) which contained pottery corroborating an end of Period 2 activity in the early Antonine period. After abandonment of the fort in the mid 2nd century, part of the area (Trench 1) examined was occupied by furnaces (CHER 719/0/12) associated with probable iron-working. A daub-filled construction trench and associated post hole running diagonally in the northern half of Trench 7 could relate to the later second century industrial activity. Two further trenches (Trench 10) were excavated in 1970 in the garden of Cliff Villa to the north of Waterloo Road (see ECH6287). A two phase military ditch and rampart were recorded (CHER 719/1/2). Other discoveries made during the redevelopment of the area to the south of Waterloo road include a pottery kiln (CHER 719/0/20) found under the demolished remains of 26 Waterloo Road in 1969-70 (See ECH3076 for excavation of pottery kiln). Also, the significant find of the Northwich Helmet in 1969, thought to be a cavalry helmet of the late first century AD (CHER 719/1/4). The presence of the superimposed buildings and roads, along with the northern defences and the find of the military helmet, led to an interpretation of the site as a two phase auxiliary fort of Flavian origin. After abandonment in the mid second century, part of the area was occupied by iron furnaces (CHER 719/0/12). (Source 1) See sources 2 and 3 for photographs of the Waterloo Road area, also excavated features including a foundation beam slot and post holes, interpreted as part of a barrack block by Curzon, in the garden of 26 Waterloo Road. (Sources 2-3) See also Library Linked photographs for pictures of excavation