Site Event/Activity record ECH3928 - An Archaeological Watching Brief on Land adjacent to Bridgewater House, Percival Lane, Runcorn

An archaeological watching brief prior to construction at the Halton and Widnes Sixth Form College. The site of the new college lies on the site of the nineteenth century complex of docks, locks, basins, wharves and warehouses which once surrounded Bridgewater House Many of these features have been levelled during demolition and reclamation of the area but it was believed that some features of archaeological interest may survive immediately below the current ground surface and may be revealed during ground-works associated with the construction of the college. Archaeological work in the vicinity of the site has been limited but in the 1980s reclamation works on other parts of the dock complex were monitored archaeologically. These works on the locks connecting the Bridgewater Canal to the Manchester Ship Canal revealed a number of canal barges in the basin at the top of the locks. Such evidence provides an indication of the potential of the dock area to contain archaeological remains. During groundworks in relation to the construction of the new college, specifically through borehole testing, Gifford archaeologists recorded evidence of hardstanding surfaces and walls buried up to 5m below the current ground surface. No evidence of any submerged canal barges was observed and no artefacts were observed or recovered.