Site Event/Activity record ECH6347 - Land at Rope Lane, Shavington, Near Crewe, Cheshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken between 11/08/2014 and 16/10/2015 at a development site to build circa 80 dwellings located east of Rope Lane and north of the modern residential development of Yew Tree Avenue and Northfield Place. A desk-based assessment (ECH 5590, SCH 7121) carried out prior to the watching brief has shown that the Swill Brook to the south of the development site, has produced a number of lead tanks associated with Roman salt production and other finds of this period. A small quantity of worked flint was present, the most notable being a possible flake derived from the production of a Langdale tuff axe. This piece could have been sourced for secondary use as a cutting flake or scraper and is provisionally dated to the later Neolithic or early Bronze Age. The only potential Romano-British material was a sherd of pottery, probably Cheshire Plains Ware, and two fragments of ceramic building material, possibly roof tile. There was a small amount of late medieval/early post medieval pottery, along with a spur of a similar date. The majority of pottery recovered was post medieval or modern in date and comprising both earthenware fabrics and refined wares. Over 200 metal finds were retrieved through metal detecting, the majority of late post medieval or modern date. These include agricultural finds such as horse-shoes, buckles from horse-harness, leather harness fragments and common pewter waistcoat buttons. Domestic items (spoons, a thimble, cauldron feet) and worn copper coins/tokens were also retrieved. This assemblage probably represents a pattern of accidental loss by people working and walking, as well as dispersal from farmyard or domestic middens onto agricultural land. Some small fragments of undiagnostic lead sheet, also a lead vessel repair, may repesent Roman activity although this is unknown. Both fields in the development area appear to have had a mostly agricultural use. The field nearest Rope Lane has been pasture for some time and only lightly ploughed; the nature of some of the finds, which are horse-related, indicates horse husbandry to be a nearby activity. To the rear of Rose cottage there are preserved ridge and furrow earthworks which appear to be 16th century or later in date.