Site Event/Activity record ECH3558 - Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief carried out on Land beside Lewin Street, Middlewich, Cheshire

In May 1992 an archaeological evaluation of land to the east of Lewin Street, Middlewich was undertaken in advance of a planning application for development. An archaeological watching brief was carried out during the groundworks for the development between 6-8th September 1993. The archaeological remains found represent a series of trucated pits and postholes, the upper levels of stratigraphy having been destroyed by earlier development. One group of features appear to be aligned with Lewin Street. They comprise a series of post-holes and large, often straight-sided pits which contain medieval pottery sherds. All appear to have been deliberately back-filled and may have been used as rubbish pits, although some of the larger pits may have had a structural, possibly industrial use, potentially associated with salt-working which is known to have occurred in the area. The second group of features (a pit/ditch and two post-holes) have a different alignment and possibly represent an earlier phase of activity, as suggested by the recovery of sherds of Romano-British pottery. (1)