Site Event/Activity record ECH3708 - Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief: Harbutts Field, Middlewich

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken in 1997 at Harbutts Field, Middlewich, in order to supervise the depth of penetration of ploughing activity. Field walking after the ploughing was undertaken to recover any artefacts revealed, potentially related to the Roman fort, the site of which is known to lie within the field. Romano-British artefacts were recovered including fragments of pottery, brick/tile, and clay daub from buildings. A scatter diagram of the finds was prepared which proved a general distribution with no particular pattern. The discovery of brick/tile and daub indicated the fort was not just a temporary encampment. Nevertheless, the pottery idicates a relatively short occupation, possibly no more than two decades in the second half of the first century AD. The results of the project add to the theory that King Street, the Roman road upon which Middlewich is located, was one of the main routes of the Roman advance northwards. (1)