Site Event/Activity record ECH6237 - Archaeological Watching Brief at Mostyn House School, Parkgate, Wirral

An archaeological watching brief was carried out in 2013-14 during groundworks on land to the rear of Mostyn House School due to the potential for archaeological remains on the site, in particular any remains associated with the Post Medieval development of Parkgate as an out-port to the city of Chester. The work was done in support of a planning consent granted for the conversion and change of use of the school building and Jarrah Cottage into 48 residential units, including the demolition of listed structures, internal alterations and subdivisions, as well as external refurbishment. Additionally a total of 40 new build units are to be built in the grounds of the former school. The watching brief recovered a small assemblage of Prehistoric stone tools dating to the Neolithic/ Early Bronze Age period. The nature of the prehistoric activity is uncertain but the presence of a light scatter of heat-fractured stone might suggest domestic occupation or perhaps communal feasting. Faint traces of Roman activity were identified. However, little more can be deduced about the nature of this activity on the basis of such a small assemblage of material. The artefacts recovered from the topsoil are indcative of domestic occupation in the vicinity and the assemblage ranges in date from the later seventeenth century to the later nineteenth/early twentieth century. Amongst the earlier Post Medieval material is a small group of imported pottery which serves to demonstrate the trade connection which Parkgate had during the later seventeenth and eighteenth century. The later material is far more abundant and survives in a less fragmented state, suggesting that it was tipped onto the site either as backfill to negative features of as part of landscaping associated with the development of Mostyn House school during the early twentieth century. At least some of this tipping appears to have come from the adjacent property formerly known as the Union Hotel.