Site Event/Activity record ECH6254 - Archaeological evaluation on land at Black Firs Lane, Somerford, Congleton, Cheshire

MOLA Northampton was commissioned by Richborough Estates to carry out an archaeological sampling evaluation on land at Black Firs Lane, Somerford prior to the proposed development of the site. One hundred and seventy-six survey pits were excavated. A 20m grid was set out across the entire area for evaluation. One survey station was investigated from each grid; this comprised the sieving of one bucket of topsoil through a 5mm mesh mounted on a large wooden-framed sieve and operated by two people. The soil was passed through the sieve and any finds of archaeological interest, not including animal bone, other organic remains or broken glass, was retained for analysis and the grid number from which it derived recorded. In total 176 survey stations were excavated. The survey stations were excavated by hand. A small rectangle of turf was removed, enough to gain access to the underlying soil but small enough to minimise the impact on the pasture. Soil was sieved over the excavated hole, lightly compacted and the turf replaced to its original position. No archaeological features were encountered in any of the survey stations. Finds present within the topsoil were recorded and comprised post-medieval pottery, ceramic building material, fuels ash slag and coke, and clay tobacco pipe. The topsoil survey recovered only finds and other materials of late post-medieval to modern date within the topsoil horizon across the proposed area of development. This included pottery, ceramic building material and clay tobacco pipe all dated to the 18th-19th centuries With the exception of the ceramic building material, no clear pattern of distribution was evident amongst the finds. Finds of brick and tile were slightly more prevalent in the north-east corner of the southern field, close to some derelict farm buildings. Elsewhere, a very slight correlation may be seen between the distribution of finds and Chelford Road, though the implications are negligible.