Site Event/Activity record ECH6247 - Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment at Land off Flowers Lane, Crewe, Cheshire

There are no known sites of archaeological importance within or near the site, however the development footprint is likely to remove existing historic agricultural remains including medieval ridge and furrow, and marl pits. The ancient field systems and hedgerows will be retained as much as possible and so enhance the significance of the surrounding landscape where other ancient field systems survive most notably to the NW on the N side of Moss Lane and to the S of Moss Farm. The ridge and furrow may be hiding buried archaeological remains though given the absence of sites identified in the neighbouring DBAs this is considered unlikely. At the northern end of the site, the township boundary, which could date back to the Saxon period, will be avoided. The current landscaping proposals at this end of the Site avoid this feature. This is a locally important boundary and there may also be unknown buried archaeology present. The small square and rectangular fields on either side of Moss Farm are probably related to the settlement of the area by the peat cutters in the post-medieval period though many of these are classified as ancient field systems. Excavations in these areas are unlikely to reveal any structures given the results of the strip and map in 2014, however the exact nature and date of the linear field boundaries running next to Moss Lane remains obscure. This area is close to the edge of the former Leighton Moss and there is a small possibility that prehistoric remains or palaeoenvironmental deposits may be present.