Site Event/Activity record ECH4501 - Buckley’s Field, Middlewich, Cheshire

Geophysical survey of Buckley's Field was undertaken in 2005 as part of Stage 1 of The Roman Middlewich Archaeology Project designed to build upon previous Community projects and archaeological knowledge of the area. The magnetometry survey identified a number of anomalies of possible archaeological origin. A large positive linear anomaly was identified in the north-east of the site, this may represent a cut feature associated with a Roman road thought to exist in the area. A further positive linear anomaly was identified in the centre of the survey area and may also represent a cut feature. A number of faint positive and negative linear anomalies were also identified; these could be caused by archaeological, modern or agricultural activity. The resistivity survey also identified a number of anomalies that could could have-archaeological origins. A number of bands of varying resistivity oriented in a generally north-west/south-east direction were identified which could relate to structural remains. A linear anomaly crossing the south-eastern part of the survey is thought to be a service trench. (1) The geophysical survey detailed above was used as a case study in a project, undertaken in 2007 by David Jordan, investigating the effectiveness of geophysical surveys carried out for archaeological site evaluation in the North West of England, concentrating on commercial projects since 1990. It gathered information about the methods, sites, natural contexts and outcomes of all surveys for which information was available. It then analysed these data to reach conclusions about the use and effectiveness of such survey in the roles chosen for it. Three case studies were examined in Cheshire - Buckley's Field, Middlewich (2005); Welsh Row, Nantwich (2001); and Middlewich Eastern Bypass (2003). (2)