Site Event/Activity record ECH6441 - Kingsley Fields, Reaseheath, Nantwich, Cheshire: Strip, Map and Record Report

As part of a continuing programme of archaeological evaluation on land at Kingsley Fields, Reaseheath, Nantwich, a strip, map and record was undertaken in 2017 of an area of land 0.6ha in size. The area encompassed three previous trial trenches (trench 2, 5 and 6) excavated in May 2016, however, in the event, the area around trench 5 was omitted due to the presence of overhead power lines. The aim of this evaluation was to further understand the character, extent of the archaeology identified in the 2016 trenching (ditches producing Roman pottery and interpreted as a possible trackway). The results of the archaeological strip map and record produced little in the way of archaeological features. The only significant activity recorded was the apparent formalisation of natural linear depressions into drainage ditches, funnelling water to the larger natural dip, and to the northern side of the site, where it could flow into the stream bordering the eastern edge of the site. These were the ditches identified in trench 2 in 2016 and interpreted as a potential trackway of Roman date. As part of the 2017 evaluation, a paleaoenvironmental sample was taken from one of the ditches (ditch 162) and organic material contained in the sample was radio-carbon dated, producing dates of 691-886calAD and 732-892calAD. The breakdown of the probabilities for each sample suggests that here is a 70.4% and 94.9% chance that the material accumulated after 761calAD and 769calAD respectively. Other features excavated in 2017 included numerous north-south ditches on the west edge of the excavated area, these are thought to result from agricultural processes such as ploughing or other modern causes, although given the very wet nature of the site and the soft ground encountered during the excavation, combined with thin topsoil in some places, rutting cannot be ruled out. Also identified was a ring gully 10m in diameter and defined by a ditch 1m in width. The fill of the ditch was sampled and produced material of predominately modern origin, including coal and modern seeds as well as earthworm eggs, suggesting that the feature was of fairly recent origin, although of unknown function. (1)