Site Event/Activity record ECH3577 - Report on an Archaeological Evaluation and Excavation at Bowers Row Car Park, Nantwich

Archaeological desk-based assessment and trial trenching undertaken in 1994-5 in advance of re-surfacing of the Crown Hotel Car Park, Nantwich, an area of known Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Medieval remains, including possible traces of the early Medieval castle. Four trenches were excavated one in the northern section of the site, one in the southern, one on the line of a proposed drainage trench (trench 3) and one covering the area of a proposed interceptor tank (trench 4). All trenches indicated that the disturbance of the upper 450mm of the site, the depth of the proposed re-surfacing, would not seriously impact any surviving archaeology, however, excavation of the drainage trench and interceptor tank would disturb archaeological deposits and therefore a watching brief was required during these ground works. The lowest part of the archaeological sequence recovered in trench 4 indicated a horizon at a depth of 2.5m upon which a single piece of early Medieval pottery was recovered. Above this was a 1m thick deposit of clay and sand with a clay capping which, by analogy with excavations undertaken in 1978 just to the west of this site, may be part of the platform for the early Medieval castle. Embedded into this platform were the remains of wattle fencing indicating Medieval enclosures of industrial/agricultural use. Overlying the clay platform were a series of dark organic deposits, apparently laid down by standing or slow-moving sewage. Cut through these deposits in an apparent effort to drain them, was a large wooden culvert formed by two massive radially-split planks laid on edge and held into place by stakes. This appears to have formed part of the 'Lothburne', the main town sewer mentioned in texts dating to the 14th-16th centuries. Also cut into the organic deposits were a series of post medieval brick walls interpreted as boundary walls of the rear plot of the Crown Hotel as depicted on 19th century mapping. One wood sample from the drain featue was dendrochronologically dated. The structure was built in two phases, the earlier represented by large, single lower planks, the later by smaller planks laid above and supported by cross-braces; the sample was taken from the earlier phase. The timber, a radial plank, had 289 heartwood rings, and since neither pith or sapwood was present, it must have come from a tree aged over 300 years and approaching 1m in diameter. It had an estimated felling date of A.D. 1218-1263.