Site Event/Activity record ECH6185 - Backford Hall, Backford, Cheshire: Archaeological Excavation, Watching Briefs and Evaluation Trenching

Report on open area excavations at Backford Hall as a condition of planning consent for redevelopment. The excavation consisted of two trenches within the site of the development. Both trenches targeted a number of buildings depicted on the 1842 Tithe map. The excavation revealed a small quantity of unstratified medieval pottery and a possible latemedieval/ early post-medieval boundary wall foundation which may be associated with a structure shown on the 1842 Tithe map. A substantial levelling deposit was identified in both trenches, which was later found to stretch across the entire estate. Several later (post-medieval) structures and a yard were also identified, all of which are probably associated with the current hall. A subsequent watching brief and evaluation in June 2015 consisted of the removal of a large concrete slab and the excavation of three 30 x 2m trenches on land to the west and north-west of the hall. Two ditch features were revealed in the south-western end of evaluation trench 1, likely associated with a land boundary and a possible hollow-way adjacent to the original entrance track leading to the hall depicted on the 1842 Tithe map. Trench 2 contained the undated terminus of a linear ditch feature that possibly pre-dated or was associated with the ‘Old Hall’. Trench 3 also contained a linear ditch feature that was truncated by a concrete foundation beam associated with the demolished council buildings. The ditch was very shallow and was probably a drainage feature of the demolished hall’s gardens that was filled by the levelling deposit that was identified across the site. The levelling deposit can be attributed to the redesign of the gardens and grounds when the hall that is depicted on the First Edition OS maps of 1873 was constructed. A further watching brief and final evaluation trench was completed in November 2015. The watching brief consisted of the removal of a concrete foundation slab from the area of one of the demolished council buildings to the north-east of the hall. The subsequent evaluation originally consisted of one 30 x 2m trench on land to the north of the hall in the area of the proposed development. The trench was located so as to locate an ‘Lshaped’ pond shown on the 1842 Tithe map. However, due to the presence of large concrete footings found under the slab, along with upstanding archaeological remains of a substantial brick built greenhouse being discovered, which partially covered the pond location, it was decided that the evaluation trench be negated and all efforts concentrated on the greenhouse and further archaeological remains discovered immediately to the north of the hall.