Site Event/Activity record ECH4528 - Ilford, Mobberley An Archaeological desk based Assessment

This report presents the results of an archaeological assessment of a proposed development at the Ilford site, Mobberley, Cheshire. The Study area is crossed by the line of a possible Roman Road running between Middlewich and Manchester. To the south of the study area the line of the road is suggested by the local place-name Pavement Lane, while the archaeological excavations at Middlewich and on the site of the second runway of Manchester airport have uncovered Roman road remains which may form part of the same routeway. From the medieval period until the 20th century the known use of the study area was as agricultural land. On the south west the study area straddled a field known as Old Field, which is documented in the 14th century and formed part of Mobberley's Open field system. At some unknown date, the strips into which this field was divided were enclosed with hedgerows, shown on 19th century mapping. In 1903, the Rajar photographic works were established in Town Lane just outside the study area. These were taken over by Ilford in 1928 and in recent years have been demolished apart from a building which carries the date 1903. the Ilford works appear to have first significantly expanded into the study area in 1959. this was followed by a major expansion in the early 1980's when the present Ilford site was developed. No remains have been identified within the study area which are considered to be of national importance and therefore to merit preservation in situ. However, the study area may contain remains of regional significance which might be damaged or destroyed by development and which would merit preservation by record, these being remains of the possible Roman Road. It is recommended that evaluation by trial trenching is carried out to test for the remains of the possible Roman Road in an area where such remains might have best survived the modern development of the Ilford site. Should significant remains be found, recommendations for excavation may follow.