Site Event/Activity record ECH6170 - A556 Knutsford to Bowdon Improvement, Cheshire: Archaeological Evaluation Trenching and Watching Brief

In 2014/15 Wessex Archaeology was commissioned to carry out a programme of archaeological investigations along the course of the A556 Knutsford to Bowdon relief road. This work follows on from an extensive programme of investigation undertaken in support of the road scheme including environmental assessments, geophysical surveys and trial trenching. This phase of investigations comprised a 9ha strip, map and excavation, a programme of trial trenching, and a watching brief on additional areas within the proposed development. Field work was undertaken between 10/11/2014 and 01/07/2015. A total of 87 evaluation trenches were excavated and three areas subjected to a watching brief. The combined results of these investigations reveal that the archaeological potential of the proposed route is relatively low, with over half of the evaluation trenches archaeologically sterile. The features recorded were predominantly related to drainage, land boundaries and clay extraction. Most were undated and, where artefacts were collected, they were mostly of post medieval or modern date. However, one area of archaeological interest was recorded at Yarwood Heath where a water management feature, radiocarbondated to the later medieval period, was found in association with iron smelting slag. Romano-British artefacts were also collected at this location. The strip, map and excavation exercise focussed on an area of 9ha of land to the north of the A50. This followed on from trial trenching done in 2012 which discovered a cremation pit and associated gully terminals, located to the east of Hulmes Barn Farm, Bucklow Hill. These remains correspond with a series of ring ditches identified as cropmarks from air photographs. The results of this excavation are recorded in a separate report. The overall impression of the landscape of this part of Cheshire is of well-established, low intensity rural land-use and a relatively stable settlement pattern. (1)