Site Event/Activity record ECH3694 - Report on a Second Phase of Archaeological Evaluation of Land at High Street, Tattenhall, Cheshire

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken in 1994 on land at High Street, Tattenhall, in advance of proposed development. The evaluation consisted of a desk-based appraisal, field survey and a four trial trenches. The desk-based assessment indicated that the predominant use of the evaluation site in the past as agricultural fields and gardens. Many of the field boundaries within the site are of nineteenth century, or earlier, date, although the hedgerows may be later in date. The results of the field survey and trenching support this conclusion. The desk-based assessment identified the former presence of an open mill leat in the northern part of the site. Excavation of Trench 4 identified in situ sandstone retaining walls of the leat which date to the nineteenth century. The field survey also identified stone retaining walls along Mill Brook, linking with the former mill leat, beyond the southern perimeter of the evaluation site. Parts of the site to the north of Mill Brook contained waterlogged deposits 1-2.5m in depth. Analysis of samples indicated that they do not contain occupation remains, but that they are rich in organic matter, inlcuding pollen, indicating that that the site once existed as a marsh. An assessment of the environmental samples is included as an appendix within the report. (1)