Site Event/Activity record ECH3768 - Nether Tabley to Winnington gas pipeline

A preceding desk based assessment identified several sites of archaeological potential that may be adversely affected during the proposed construction of a new gas pipeline. A particular concentration of sites was noted in the vicinity of Great Budworth. A programme of archaeological evaluation prior to pipeline was designed to gradually focus upon surviving archaeological remains and included: systematic field walking, metal detection, geophysical survey and the rapid excavation of twelve trial trenches within the actual c. 20m wide construction corridor. In archaeological terms, most areas proved negative. However, in the vicinity of Aston Park, to the north-east of Great Budworth, part of a previously unknown Roman settlement was identified during the evaluation. In consideration of the imminent construction of the pipeline a rapid programme of excavation of the Roman features identified followed on immediately from the evaluation.