Site Event/Activity record ECH6284 - Archaeological Strip and Map and Watching Brief Report of land at Carden Park, Cheshire

An archaeological strip and record and subsequent watching brief was carried out at Carden Park as part of an on-going programme of assessment during re-development of the site. This phase of work took place between May 2003 and June 2004. A strip and map occurred over the area of the former Carden Hall. This involved cleaning the site of the hall to reveal its plan and associated deposits. Trenches were opened to further examine deposits and structures, a watching brief was then undertaken during the removal of the remains of the hall. This work revealed that any earlier phases of building had been demolished to make way for the Victorian building; the Victorian house either cut the natural or was built onto levelling deposits to because of the natural slope. The structural phases of the hall identified from the 1898 and 1911 editions of the OS maps were revealed. The 1911 phase included the construction of the tunnel on top of which a modified rear entrance was built, along with re-building of the front elevation. The other major construction work was the re-building of the service/courtyard area and the boundary wall to the rear. The full extent of the cellar structure was revealed as well as the tunnel linking the east to the west wing, also the west wing itself. The areas that were left largely undisturbed prior to levelling were the kitchen/courtyard area and the east wing. Further watching briefs occurred in other areas, especially over an area of land adjacent to the lake. This area revealed a series of deposits that can be associated with the clearance of the hall site following the fire of 1912. Other remains encountered in this trench included a large, negative, linear feature which coincides with a feature labelled as a 'moat' on historic maps. The courtyard area to the east of the hall was stripped and levelled. Below the modern concrete floor a layer of large cobbles was exposed which were set into natural red sand, this appears to be a 20th century yard surface for the farm. (1)