Site Event/Activity record ECH3860 - Land to the South of St. Oswald's Brook, Warrington

Between 18th and 31st May 2001, an archaeological evaluation was undertaken on land to the south of St Oswald's Brook, Hermitage Green. A total of six trial trenches were excavated (Trenches 1-6), in order to locate and evaluate any surviving structures or deposits related to a double-ditched rectangular cropmark identified from aerial photographs. The double-ditched enclosure originally identified from an aerial photograph was revealed by excavation to comprise two separate ditch systems, with the inner enclosure probably predating the outer enclosure by several hundred years. The relatively small scale of the ditch associated with the inner enclosure does not suggest a medieval moated site. Although the enclosure could conceivably be of earl medieval or even late prehistoric origin, it would seem much more likely to be of late medieval construction, i.e. 15th or early 16th century. It may be a temporary military camp, thrown up during the Wars of the Roses period. The pottery recovered from the outer enclosure ditch would suggest a date for this of 18th or early 19th century, certainly this enclosure was shown on the tithe plan of 1838.