Site Event/Activity record ECH4534 - Excavation and watching brief at St.Chads Parish Church, Farndon, Cheshire

Further to the discovery of potential Roman road surface during an archaeological evaluation, the rapid excavation and recording of the area of the metalled surface took place during the programme of repair work to the churchyard boundary wall. The removal of the remainder of the sandstone revetment wall was also monitored. The sandstone cobble spread encountered during the evaluation were found to be material derived from a disturbed road surface rather than the metalled surface itself. The true surface was recorded at the west end of the excavated area, with a finer pebbled surface. A pottery sherd from the makeup suggests a date of construction during the second century AD or later. The upper level deposits also contained sherds of Roman pottery. A post hole cutting through these upper deposits was found to be contemporary with the road surface and indicates the former presence of a timber structure of uncertain function and extent. The height at which the stone surface was encountered, half a meter above the current road shows that deposits to the North have been cut away in the past, perhaps at the time the church wall was created. There were no opportunities to examine the area beneath the current road for a curvilinear ditch, a feature that was implied during the evaluation. Though a limited investigation, the finding do demonstrate that important Roman features do survive in this location.