Site Event/Activity record ECH3574 - Lyme Park: North West Water Trunk Main: An Archaeological Watching Brief

Watching brief undertaken in October and early November 1994 during the laying of a 315mm diameter trunk main through Lyme Park, from the Treatment Works north of Horse Coppice Reservoir (SJ 9685 8385), northwards through Disley. The line of a ditch was recorded near the park gate and possibly forms part of the medieval park boundary although no dating evidence was found to confirm this. Also there was no evidence of a bank on the outer side of the ditch as might be expected, although the ditch had been back-filled with a layer of sandy loam which may have been the remains of such a bank. It seems likely that this in-filling occurred when the gateway and its associated walls were built. Also the line of the post medieval carriageway issuing from the northern side of the park was cut by the line of the water main. A 10m length of this earthwork was cleaned and survived as a shallow raised agger, c.6m wide and 0.5m high, with ditches either side surbibing as shallow earthwork features, c.2.8m wide and 0.5m deep. It had a metalled surface formed by cobbles 0.1m to 0.3m in diameter. (1)